-
Browse by Books of the Bible
- Old Testament
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
-
Psalm
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- 97
- 98
- 99
- 100
- 101
- 102
- 103
- 104
- 105
- 106
- 107
- 108
- 109
- 110
- 111
- 112
- 113
- 114
- 115
- 116
- 117
- 118
- 119
- 120
- 121
- 122
- 123
- 124
- 125
- 126
- 127
- 128
- 129
- 130
- 131
- 132
- 133
- 134
- 135
- 136
- 137
- 138
- 139
- 140
- 141
- 142
- 143
- 144
- 145
- 146
- 147
- 148
- 149
- 150
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
- New Testament
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
- Acts
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
- Browse by Topics
-
Browse by Series
Daily Devotions
A systematic reading of the Scriptures, portioned to complement your daily time spent with God.Pastoral Letters
- Meditation
A weekly pastoral column that complements the pulpit messages and bimonthly theme. - Grace Works
A weekly pastoral letter to minister to young adults, inspired by the grace of God. - Youth Walk
A weekly pastoral letter written to encourage young people in their daily walk with God. - Parenting by the Book
A series from the Book of Proverbs that teaches us how to bring up children and build good Christian homes. Study Notes
- Morning Worship Messages
Message notes from every Sunday’s Morning Worship with a common bimonthly theme. - Evening-Bilingual Worship Messages
Message notes from every Sunday’s Evening-Bilingual Worship with a common bimonthly theme. - Prayer Meeting Notes
Notes from our weekly Monday Prayer Meetings - Bible Study Notes
Notes from our weekly Tuesday Bible Study - Senior Sunday School 4 Notes
Notes from Pastor Charles’ Sunday School class - Combined Sunday School Notes
Message notes from Combined Sunday School focusing on the Life and Teachings of Christ Jesus - Young Adults’ Group Messages
Message notes from our weekly Young Adults’ Group meetings. - Young People’s Group Messages
Message notes from our weekly Young People’s Group meetings. - Family Camp Messages
Message notes from our annual family camps where different themes are explored every year. - Spiritual & YAG Retreat Messages
Message notes from our biannual Spiritual & YAG Retreats that serve to instruct, correct and regenerate. - Youth Conference Messages
Message notes from our annual youth conferences where young people learn the relevance of faith. - Intermediate Sunday School
Message notes from the Intermediate Sunday School
Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."
Text: Ephesians 2:19
“STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS”
The phrase, “strangers and foreigners” (xenoi kai paroikoi”) is Paul’s way of emphasizing a point. In effect, only one word is necessary. To be “a stranger” is essentially the same as being “a foreigner”. When used in combination or in tandem, we almost have a tautological expression. But Paul must have felt that it was not redundant to use the two synonyms together. He was merely highlighting a powerful fact!
“NO LONGER STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS”
Paul wrote with a great depth of identification with his Gentile converts. He was their apostle. But of course he felt their fullness of joy. No longer should they feel excluded. No longer should they feel they are “second class” to those of the circumcision.
“FELLOW CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS”
Believing Gentiles were accorded, as it were, full citizenship rights. The word “fellow-citizen” (“sumpolitai”) emphasizes equality of rights. When believing Gentiles are ushered into the kingdom of God, they are given all the rights and privileges that believing Jewish saints had.
The word “saint” (“hagios”) makes a number of references:-
1. He is one who has been declared righteous by God.
2. He enjoys the work of “sanctification”.
3. He stands in God’s sight as “a holy one” or “a saint”.
The believing Gentile enjoys the same exact standing as the believing Jew.
“MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD”
The phrase “members of the household of God” translates just one word. The word in the Greek text is simply “oikeioi”. The root word is simple enough. It literally means “house” (“oikos”). When expanded with a personal article, it highlights the idea of “the house” further. It emphasizes the idea of belonging to the “house of God”.
When the two phrases are used together, “fellow citizens” and “members of”- we have a terrific idea of what Paul was trying to emphasize. The contrast is even more significant if we put the two sets of phrases together thus:-
“Strangers and foreigners”
EPHESIANS 2:19A“Fellow citizens… and members of the household of God.”
EPHESIANS 2:19B
EXULTING IN THE MANIFOLD BLESSINGS OF GOD
As far as Paul was concerned, there is so much to exult in! The redemption that Christ wrought brought a complete change of status for believing Gentiles. Nothing less than exultation and celebration would do justice to the redemption that we have in Christ Jesus.