No Longer Strangers and Aliens

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV).

 

I must confess that I don’t really know what it’s like to be a “stranger and alien” since I’ve always been surrounded by family and friends. Of course there are those brief moments when I moved from one location to another and met new friends, but my family was always with me. That being true, I must call on the stories of past family members who did come to this country as strangers. My grandparents, both paternal and maternal, immigrated to the United States from Sicily. I’ve got very few pictures of them, though I’ve included my paternal grandfather with this devotional. He died long before I was born though I was told many stories of his efforts to integrate into his new chosen culture and surroundings. Often it was difficult at best. Of course, with each subsequent generation, as the family grew and friends and other relatives joined in, we reached a point where we were no longer strangers. We were residents and “natural citizens.”

 

This is the impact of the apostle’s declaration in our reading today. The grace of God in the provision of the atoning work through Jesus made each of us “citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (v. 19). It would be easy to discount the incredible meaning of this truth. After all, most of you are likely as I am in that you really haven’t experienced being anything but acceptance and inclusion. The advantages of heavenly citizenship and adoption into God’s family are lost on us.

 

I remember one experience early in my childhood that might be helpful. Living in Galveston, when my Dad owned a grocery store there, I would often accompany him to the market in the mornings to purchase fresh vegetables and fruits for the store. One morning while walking down the aisles of the fruit section I stopped for a moment in front of a bin of apples. They looked wonderful with a deep red skin and sweet aroma. The seller standing behind the bin saw my look and said, “You’re Frank’s boy, aren’t you?” (my Dad’s first name was Frank). I answered, “Yes, sir.” He simply said, “Go ahead and get one if you want to. Your Dad will take care of it later.”

 

I was known because of my Dad. And, his relationship gave me a relationship with the vender. His reputation gave me standing with a stranger. Think about this… because we are children of God, we have ultimate standing in creation. There is no other as He is. Only God has the ultimate position and power and He shares that position and power with us through the Holy Spirit!