[Note: This is Part 5 of a 10-part series on Ephesians: Living Out Our Identity in Christ.]

Have you ever felt like an outsider? Maybe you’ve walked into a room where everyone else seemed to know each other, share inside jokes, and have a history you weren’t part of. Or perhaps you’ve been the new person at work, at church, or in a neighborhood, wondering if you’ll ever truly belong. That feeling of being on the outside looking in—of being a stranger—cuts deep into the human soul.

In the previous post, we saw the miracle of grace: God made us alive when we were dead in sin. He didn’t just forgive us; He resurrected us spiritually and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. But Paul isn’t finished. There’s another dimension to our salvation that he wants us to understand. Not only were we individually dead and made alive—we were also collectively excluded and have now been brought near. We were strangers. Now we’re family.

Remember What You Were (2:11-12)

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:11-12)

Paul begins with a command: “remember.” This isn’t casual reminiscence. It’s intentional recollection of a painful reality. Why does Paul want the Ephesian believers to remember their former state? Because understanding where you came from deepens your appreciation for where you are now.

The Labels of Exclusion

Paul addresses “you Gentiles in the flesh”—those who were ethnically non-Jewish. They were “called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision.” This is more than just a physical description. It’s a label of exclusion. The Jews called themselves “the circumcision,” marking themselves as God’s covenant people. Everyone else was “the uncircumcision”—the outsiders, the excluded ones.

Notice Paul’s careful phrasing: circumcision “made in the flesh by hands.” He’s highlighting that this was an external, physical marker. It was important in the old covenant, but it was not the ultimate reality. True circumcision, as Paul argues elsewhere, is of the heart (Rom. 2:28-29).

The Reality of Separation

But the labels reflected a deeper reality. The Gentiles were “separated from Christ.” Before Christ came, God’s promises centered on Israel. The Messiah would come through the Jewish line. Gentiles had no natural claim to Him.

They were also “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.” Israel was God’s chosen nation, His special people. The Gentiles were outside that community. They had no citizenship in God’s kingdom. They were foreigners.

More than that, they were “strangers to the covenants of promise.” God had made multiple covenants with Israel—with Abraham, Moses, David. These covenants contained promises of blessing, land, a coming Savior, and eternal life. But these promises weren’t made to the Gentiles. They were bystanders to God’s redemptive plan, looking in from the outside.

Without Hope and Without God

The conclusion is devastating: “having no hope and without God in the world.” The word translated “without God” is atheos—literally “atheist.” This doesn’t mean Gentiles didn’t believe in gods. They believed in many. But they didn’t know the true God. They had no relationship with Him, no promises from Him, no hope of His salvation.

And without God, there is no hope. Hope requires a confident expectation based on reliable promises. But what promises did the Gentiles have? None. Their gods were capricious, demanding, and powerless. Their philosophies offered either stoic resignation or pursuit of pleasure. But real hope—assurance of eternal life, certainty of God’s love, confidence in His purposes? They had none.

This is the human condition apart from Christ. No matter how religious, how moral, how philosophical—without Christ, there is no hope and no God. This was true for the Gentiles in Paul’s day, and it’s true for anyone outside of Christ today.

But Now in Christ (2:13)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:13)

Once again, we encounter those transformative words: “But now.” Everything changes with Christ.

Far Off and Brought Near

“You who once were far off have been brought near.” This language echoes Isaiah 57:19: “Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the LORD.” The Gentiles were “far off”—distant from God, excluded from His covenant people, strangers to His promises. But they have been “brought near.”

Notice the verb tense: “have been brought.” This is past tense, completed action. It’s not something happening gradually or that might happen someday. It has already happened. If you are in Christ, you have already been brought near to God. You are no longer far off.

By the Blood of Christ

How were we brought near? “By the blood of Christ.” Not by becoming Jewish. Not by keeping the law. Not by circumcision or religious rituals. By the blood of Christ.

Blood represents death. Christ’s blood was shed on the cross, where He died as the sacrifice for sin. His blood accomplished what the blood of bulls and goats never could—it provided actual, complete, once-for-all atonement for sin (Heb. 10:4, 10). That blood brought us near to God.

This is staggering. The same blood that reconciled us individually to God (Eph. 2:4-7) has also brought us collectively near, breaking down the barriers between Jew and Gentile. The cross doesn’t just save individuals. It creates a new community.

Christ Our Peace (2:14-18)

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Eph. 2:14-18)

Paul now unpacks what Christ accomplished through His death. The picture is rich with meaning.

He Himself Is Our Peace

“He himself is our peace.” Not just the source of peace or the giver of peace—He is our peace. Where Christ is, there is peace. His very presence brings reconciliation and harmony. This is true vertically (peace between us and God) and horizontally (peace between people).

Made Us Both One

Christ “has made us both one.” The “both” refers to Jews and Gentiles. These two groups—historically, culturally, religiously divided—have been made into one. Not assimilated where one group absorbs the other, but united into something new. (Later in the letter he will switch from including the recipients of his letters among the Gentiles to distinguishing them from the Gentiles. We’ll talk about this in a future post.)

Broken Down the Dividing Wall

He has “broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Some commentators suggest this refers to the literal wall in the Jerusalem temple that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts where only Jews could go. A sign on that wall warned that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Whether or not Paul has that specific wall in mind, the imagery is clear: there was a barrier separating Jew and Gentile, and Christ demolished it.

How? “By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances.” The Mosaic law, with its dietary restrictions, ceremonial requirements, and religious festivals, created a barrier between Jews and Gentiles. These laws set Israel apart as God’s special people. But they also created division. A Jew couldn’t eat with a Gentile without becoming ceremonially unclean. Gentiles couldn’t participate in Jewish worship without first converting.

Christ abolished that system. Not the moral law (which reflects God’s eternal character), but the ceremonial and civil laws that marked Israel as distinct. He fulfilled the law’s requirements (Matt. 5:17) and inaugurated the new covenant, where righteousness comes through faith in Him rather than through law-keeping.

One New Man

Why did Christ abolish the law? “That he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace.” This is remarkable. Christ didn’t just unite Jew and Gentile as they were. He created something entirely new—”one new man.” Neither Jew nor Gentile in the old sense, but a new humanity in Christ.

This echoes what Paul says in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In Christ, the old divisions that separated humanity are abolished. We are unified in Him.

Reconciled to God in One Body

But Christ didn’t just reconcile Jews and Gentiles to each other. He reconciled “us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” The ultimate problem wasn’t the hostility between Jew and Gentile. That was a symptom. The ultimate problem was hostility between humanity and God.

The cross dealt with both. By dying for both Jews and Gentiles, Christ reconciled both groups to God “in one body”—the church. And in reconciling both to God, He killed the hostility between them. You can’t be at peace with God through Christ and remain at war with your brother who is also in Christ.

Peace Preached to All

“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” This likely refers to Christ’s post-resurrection ministry through His apostles. The gospel of peace was preached to the Gentiles (far off) and to the Jews (near). The same message. The same peace. The same access to God.

Access to the Father

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” This is the glorious conclusion. Both Jews and Gentiles have access—not just permission to approach, but actual, real access—to the Father. And this access comes through Christ by one Spirit.

Notice the Trinity: we come to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. This is always how we approach God. And Jews and Gentiles both come the same way. There is no separate path, no different requirement. One Savior. One Spirit. One Father. One family.

No Longer Strangers (2:19-22)

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. (Eph. 2:19-22)

Paul brings this section to a climax with three powerful metaphors.

Fellow Citizens

“You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints.” The Ephesian Gentiles, who were once excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, now have full citizenship in God’s kingdom. They’re not second-class citizens or naturalized immigrants. They’re full citizens with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that entails.

This citizenship is eternal. It can’t be revoked. It doesn’t depend on performance. It’s grounded in the finished work of Christ.

Members of the Household

More than fellow citizens, they are “members of the household of God.” This is family language. You can be a citizen of a country without being part of the ruler’s family. But in God’s kingdom, all citizens are also family members. We’re not just under God’s rule; we’re in His house. He’s not just our King; He’s our Father.

This means we’re related to each other. The person sitting next to you at church isn’t just a fellow citizen. They’re family. Your brother. Your sister. This should transform how we treat one another.

Built on the Foundation

The family is also a building—a temple. We are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” The foundation is the teaching of the apostles and prophets—the gospel message they proclaimed and the Scriptures they wrote. The cornerstone is Christ Himself.

In ancient construction, the cornerstone was the first stone laid, and all other stones were aligned to it. It determined the position and alignment of the entire structure. Christ is that cornerstone. The church is built on Him and aligned to Him. Remove Him, and the whole structure collapses.

Growing into a Holy Temple

“In whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” The church is not a static building. It’s a living structure that grows. Each believer is a stone in this temple, joined together with others. And the purpose? To be “a holy temple in the Lord”—a dwelling place for God.

This echoes the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, where God’s presence dwelt among His people. But now, God doesn’t dwell in a building made with hands. He dwells in His people. The church—collectively—is the temple of God.

A Dwelling Place for God

“In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” This is both corporate and ongoing. We are “being built”—present continuous tense. The construction isn’t finished yet. God is still adding stones, still shaping the structure, still building His temple.

And the purpose is clear: “a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit dwells in the church, making it God’s temple. This is the ultimate reversal of the exclusion the Gentiles once experienced. They were once without God in the world. Now they are the very dwelling place of God.

Application Points

Reject any form of spiritual elitism. If God has broken down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile—the most significant religious and cultural division in the ancient world—then no division should exist in the church today. Don’t look down on believers from different backgrounds, cultures, or theological traditions (within orthodoxy). Don’t create a spiritual class system where some believers are “in” and others are barely tolerated. We are all fellow citizens and family members, built on the same foundation with the same cornerstone.

Pursue unity with other believers. Unity in the church is not optional. It’s the fruit of what Christ accomplished on the cross. He died to create one new man from two. When we allow division, bitterness, or hostility to fester in the church, we’re undermining what Christ died to achieve. This doesn’t mean we ignore theological error or tolerate sin. But it does mean we work hard to maintain unity with genuine believers, even when we disagree on secondary matters.

Remember you have full access to the Father. You don’t need a mediator beyond Christ. You don’t need to earn your way into God’s presence. Through Christ, by the Spirit, you have direct access to the Father right now. Not someday. Not after you clean up your life. Now. This should fill you with confidence to approach God in prayer, to cry out to Him in need, to rest in His presence. You’re not a stranger trying to get past the guards. You’re a family member welcomed home.

Value your place in God’s family. You’re not just saved individually. You’re part of something bigger—a holy temple, a dwelling place for God. Your life isn’t just about your personal relationship with Jesus (though that’s vital). It’s also about your relationship with other believers. You’re a stone in the building, joined to other stones. You need them, and they need you. Don’t isolate. Don’t drift. Don’t think you can live the Christian life alone. You have a place in God’s family. Find it. Fill it.

Live as a temple of God. If the church is God’s dwelling place, that changes how we conduct ourselves when we gather. Worship isn’t just singing songs or hearing sermons. It’s entering the presence of God with His people. How we treat fellow believers matters because we’re all part of God’s temple. How we speak, how we serve, how we love—it all reflects on whose dwelling place we are. Live in a way that honors the God who dwells among us.

Reflection

• Do you truly grasp what it means that you’re no longer a stranger but a member of God’s household? How does knowing you have full access to the Father change how you pray and approach God? 

• Are you treating other believers as fellow citizens and family members, or are you holding them at arm’s length? What would it look like for you to more fully embrace your place in God’s temple?

In the next post, we’ll see Paul pause his theological exposition to reflect on the mystery God revealed to him—the mystery that Gentiles would be fellow heirs with Jews, members of the same body, and why God called Paul to proclaim this stunning truth.