The Great Exchange: From Alienation to Belonging
Warm Up
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Word
19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the corner stone. 21 Through him the whole building is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:19-22).
(Read also Eph 2:11-18)
Jesus was sacrificed on the cross as part of God’s plan to save mankind from the spiritual death and separation from God that our sin caused. Christ's sacrifice made a way for us to no longer be alienated from God, have a relationship with him and draw closer to him. Today we will look at what Christ has done that has brought us near to him and how it makes us part of God’s family.
Deu 5:15
And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm [so that you would be his servants and keep his commandments]; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
Rashi's Commentary
And you shall remember that you were a slave—He freed you on the condition that you should be a servant to him and observe his commandments.
Est 3:8
Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and separate among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey [i.e., they do not pay taxes] the king’s laws; it is therefore not in the king’s interest to let them be.
Isa 9:5-6
5 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And his name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
6 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
On the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts
will accomplish this.
Isa 57:19-21
19 “I create the praise of the lips.
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal him.”
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
when it cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Joh 4:21-23
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers.
Rom 8:3, 7
3 For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
7 Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not submit itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
1 We were separated from God.
remember that at that time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Eph 2:12).
Because of sin, we were separated from Christ. We were alienated, foreigners to the covenant promise, without hope, and without God. God cannot tolerate or stand any sin, no matter how small or big we think our sin may be. He is holy and there is no wickedness in him (Psa 92:16). The truth is, we cannot do anything about our hopeless situation, but God can, and he did. Who is the only way to the Father (Joh 14:6)?
Gen 15:18
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the Wadi of Egypt until the great river, the Euphrates” [called the “great river” because of its being mentioned in conjunction with the land of Israel]—
Rashi's Commentary
To your descendants I have given—The promise of the Holy One, blessed be he, is as an accomplished fact. (Consequently the perfect tense is here used) (Genesis Rabbah 44:22).
Gen 17:7-9
7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant [my covenant being] to be to you for a God and to your descendants after you.
Rashi's Commentary
I will establish my covenant—And what is that covenant? To be to you for a God.
8 I will give to you and your descendants after you the land of your sojournings, the whole land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession, and [there] I will be to them for a God [but if one lives elsewhere, it is “as if he has no God”].
Rashi's Commentary
As an everlasting possession—And there I will be to you for a God; but whoever resides outside the land is as if he has no God (Ketubot 110b).
9 And God said to Abraham, “And, [as for] you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout your generations.”
Deu 32:4
He is the mighty Rock [even when he is strong (as a rock), when he brings punishment upon the flouters of his will], his works are perfect [in absolute accord with justice],
for all his ways are just [and not blind fury].
A faithful God [to repay the righteous in the world to come] and without wrong [even to the wicked. He repays their deeds of righteousness in this world.]
He is [pronounced] just [i.e., all vindicate his judgment] and upright [that they do so].
Rashi's Commentary
The mighty Rock, his works are perfect—Although he is strong like a rock, yet when he brings punishment upon those who transgress his will, he does not bring it in a flood of anger, but in deliberate judgment, because his works are perfect.
A faithful God—Faithful to recompense the righteous their righteousness in the world to come; and even though he defers their recompense, in the end he will prove faithful (לְאַמֵּן) to his promise.
Without wrong—Even to the wicked he pays the reward for their meritorious deeds, but in this world (Sifrei Devarim 307:11; cf. Rashi on Deu 7:10).
He is just and upright—All acknowledge his judgment to be just (צַדִּיק), and this is befitting and upright (יָשָׁר) for them, i.e., he is declared צַדִּיק by the mouth of men, יָשָׁר, and it is right for them to declare him as just.
2Ch 15:3
For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest and without law.
Psa 145:17
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all his deeds.
Isa 35:8-9
8 And a highway will be there, a roadway,
And it will be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean will not journey on it;
but it will be for him who walks that Way.
And fools will not wander on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor will any ravenous beast go up on it;
these will not be found there.
But the redeemed will walk there,
Isa 45:20
Gather yourselves and come;
draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations.
They have no knowledge, who carry about their wooden idol
and pray to a god that cannot save.
2 We have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13).
Jesus’ perfect sacrifice caused us, who were alienated from God, to be brought near to him. When we couldn’t do anything about our situation and couldn’t communicate with God, it was through Jesus that we have a way for us to call on him. Through Jesus, we have access in one Spirit to the Father. According to Rom 8:38-39, is there anything that could separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus?
Exo 9:16-17
16 But, for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 Still you set yourself against my people and will not let them go.
Psa 73:27
For those who are far from you will perish;
you have [always] cut off all those who are unfaithful to you.
Isa 11:10
In that day the Root of Jesse, who will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be with honor.
Isa 24:15-16
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord;
even the name of the Lord, the God of Israel,
in the islands of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs,
even glory to the Righteous One.
But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!
Woe to me!
The treacherous deal treacherously!
With treachery the treacherous deal very treacherously.”
Joh 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man snatch them out of my hand.
Rom 5:9-10
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him! 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by his life!
Rom 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
3 We are now members of God’s family.
So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household (Eph 2:19)
Jesus Christ did not only save us from sin, he gave us the right to become a part of God’s family. In this new life that God called us to, he did not want us to walk alone. When we were reconciled to God, we were also reconciled to others, because in Christ, we are being built together into a dwelling place of God—his church. Recall how you became a part of God’s family. Who helped you grow in your relationship with God and the church?
Mat 10:25
It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
Gal 3:26-28
26 For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 6:10
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Eph 3:6, 15
6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the body, and sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
1Jn 3:1
See what kind of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are! The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Application
Do you believe that you have been brought near to God and have become a member of his family as his child? How will Christ’s sacrifice help you understand and accept your identity as a child of God?
Now that you are a part of God’s family, who are you walking with? How can your appreciation of your church community grow, knowing that it is Christ who has built us together?
Do you have a family member or friend that needs to know that God is willing to draw near to him/her and accept him/her as his child? How can you share God's love and grace today?
Prayer
Thank God for his love for you displayed through Jesus Christ. Pray that you will not take for granted your identity as his child.
Pray for the people God has placed in your life. Pray that you will be an encouragement to one another as you all grow in Christ.
Pray that as you grow, your family and friends will see your life as a testimony of God’s goodness. Pray that this will open doors for you to preach the gospel to them.
This work, "The Great Exchange: From Alienation to Belonging" is a derivative of "The Great Exchange:Victory Series" © 2018 by VICTORY®
All rights reserved and "The Rashi Chumash" and "The Rashi Ketuvim" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein used under CC BY 3.0