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

In the passage above, Paul shares three pictures of the community we become part of when we become a part of when we are reconciled to one another through Christ.

There’s lots of conversation today about aliens and citizens in our country because citizenship carries certain privileges and responsibilities. As a Roman citizen, Paul valued his citizenship and took advantage of it so that the Gospel could be heard in Rome. So it’s interesting that he began with citizenship here. Instead of being alienated from God and fellow believers, we are equal citizens of God’s kingdom.

Second, we are part of the family of God and to be clear, Paul isn’t describing some panacea where everyone is part of God’s family. No, he describes the foundation, built on the apostles and prophets and “Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”

Third, Paul builds on the sequence to describe the church as the temple of God and we are part of that structure if we believe and follow Christ.

So,in light of all of this, how would you describe your current experience of Christian community? Are you disconnected at all or are you thriving?