WEDNESDAY IN THE WORD    October 25, 2023

“BUILDING GOD’S CHURCH

EPHESIANS 2: 19-22 NRSV

19.”So then you are no loner strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20. built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22. In whom you are also built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.”

If our ethical attitude is one of response to God’s loving actions, our political attitude must be one of proclaiming the Good News to God’s loving actions to a world in need of good news. Our basic intention remains determined by what God has done for us because God demonstrates his own love for us. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). As such, our primary political status is not as citizens of earthly nations, but as citizens in God’s Kingdom, living for that day when God’s love is what unites humans together. As ambassadors of God’s Kingdom we proclaim reconciliation to all who long for the love that will never evaporate, the righteousness that will never corrupt, the good shepherd who always brings the lost lamb home.

Certainly as followers of Christ, we cannot exclude God from our concerns in world concerns, politics, social justice, and an array of perspectives. So, what does our faith have to do with these things? Everything! For they will only come in final form when God finishes ushering in the Kingdom, where “each person shall sit under their own vine and their own fig tree, and no one shall make them feel afraid anymore.” (Micah 4:4).

And because we continue in our faith journey living in response to God’s love as shown in the death and resurrection of Jesus. With a deeper relationship brought together in God,speaking the truth in love, God blesses us with adoption into his family, meaning we receive redemption through Jesus. If that isn’t enough–God is not finished with us yet.

God makes known his will in his purpose for us,also giving us an inheritance in the Holy Spirit. This means we are to do all things for the sake of the Good News of Jesus Christ, being all things to all people, living at peace with everyone, and caring for the least among us. In Christ we are no longer separate peoples, even enemies, we are now united. We are brought into creating peace, offering peace, living in peace as believers in Christ.

Strife, division, and hostility–these are not new in our day. They have been present since “beginning of humankind”. But God is always called us to live differently in this world, and Jesus has shown us how this could be done. It should remain our concern for social participation as humans with our neighbors, and with the governments and laws that give society its shape. It is because God expects us to treat each other not for what we deserve or who we are, but by how God is the light (1 John 1:7).

It is our response to God’s expectation that nurtures how we are to participate in matters of the world, community, church, family as well as in politics and social justice. Therefore, as followers, as ambassadors, as the cornerstone of Christ, in the same way, we proclaim the Good News of Christ, being fitted together, working together in God’s family, being changed and shaped by the Spirit of God. Build God’s Church for His Kingdom. Amen!

Rev. Carole

revcarole@trinitybcsm.org