Exodus 10-12; Ephesians 2

Excerpt from Spoken Gospel:

Yes, Gentiles are sinners and dead in their transgressions, but so are Jews (Ephesians 2:1). Everyone, Jews included, have disqualified themselves from access to God by their disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). But God, in his great mercy, has made us alive by his grace (Ephesians 2:4-5).

The Jews can’t boast about their historic connection to God, any more than the Gentiles can boast about their good deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9). They are all one—one in death, but also one in Christ and one in resurrection (Ephesians 2:11-22).

For Paul, the Gospel levels the ground between all mankind by God’s grace.

Jews had built literal walls in their temple and made laws to keep the Gentiles out (Ephesians 2:15a). But Jesus is a new temple, and has knocked the old walls down (Ephesians 2:14). By his body we have access to God and by his cross he has made us one (Ephesians 2:16).

We can all, regardless of bloodline, be citizens of his Kingdom through faith (Ephesians 2:19). And better yet, Jesus has made us temples, and the Spirit who once rested behind a wall now lives in us (Ephesians 2:22)!