Have you ever walked into a room and realized that you did not know anyone? That happened to me the other day. I walked into a room and realized that everyone was looking at me and I knew no one. Did I feel uncomfortable? Yes, I sure did on a personal and cultural level. Did I turn around and leave? No, because I realized that those present were present at a church gathering where they wanted relationships with those present and a deeper relationship with God that would continue to transform their life. As we look at Ephesians 2:11-22 we note Paul highlighting the past relationships that the church had apart from Christ (11-12). They were distant from God, unconnected from others and hopeless. However, Paul states that this past reality is not true in the present because of Jesus (13-22). They have been brought near (13) to live a transformed life through peace with others (14-16), have a relationship with God the Father (17-18), and are unified for spiritual growth with others for God’s purpose (19-22). Like the Ephesian church, we may find others uncomfortable to be around, but God has them in our lives for a purpose. His desire is to interconnect us through Christ and unite us to grow us together. His relationship with us transforms our relationship with others.
For more see EPHESIANS