“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.”
What does it mean to be part of a family? For all of us, we have a slightly different answer to that question. Some have had wonderful family experiences, while others have lived with pain or abuse. Regardless of your past, most likely you have some kind of ideal in your mind about what “family” should mean.
In God’s family, the word “unity” is supernatural, beyond anything we have experienced or imagined. We are not just the family members, but we are also the fibers of his house itself. Jesus is the cornerstone — the most critical piece of the entire foundation. We are so intricately connected and together we create a space for God’s Holy Spirit to dwell.
Here’s your freedom for today: we are all part of God’s dwelling place. In America we often get caught up in individualism. We forget that the Bible talks so much about the church as a collective body. Your relationship with Jesus is not just about you. Our faith is centered around God and is only possible with all of us together. You can’t live the Christian life alone because it does not reflect the spiritual reality that we are one united body. What does it mean for you to connect with your spiritual family this week?