One in Christ.
Ephesians 2: 11-22
 

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

                                    ............................................................................................

This part of Paul’s letter is specifically directed to the Gentiles in Ephesus.
Not that the Jews are not included in the message of the letter but that Paul is reminding them that there was a separation between the Jew and the Gentile, until the Gospel of Jesus Christ was revealed.

11. Therefore.
The therefore connects what Paul is going to say, to what he has previously said.
Their original state outside of Christ, dead in sin, walking according to the course of this world, under the power of Satan and living in lust of the flesh.

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—

Therefore, remember.
Remember what?
Remember what I just told you in Eph2: 3  among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,

Remember, this is who you Gentiles were, this is what you were called by the Jews (the circumcision).

This is in spite of the fact that both Jews and Gentiles were just the same where Christ was concerned.
That is why he says “we all”. Even though the Jews were counted as people of the promise and considered the Gentiles as outside the promise they were just as lost.

Remember, from the Jewish perspective,you were outside the family of God, uncircumcised. Alienated from the people of promise, strangers, without Christ, being in the world and having no hope and without God.
Simply put, Completely Lost.

You Gentiles had no chance of being saved. Salvation was a part of the covenant of God with Israel, and non-Jews were excluded.

12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 

However, Paul stresses, I want you to remember this also.
You were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that we be holy and unblemished in his sight. 
You were predestined to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.
Remember, you have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.
Remember God has "revealed to us the secret of his will" and have received the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. 

Paul was saying, “brethren, remember this, you Gentiles who were cut off, have been brought near because of what God did in Christ on the cross.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
But now, In spite of this.

Once we were two people, Jews and Gentiles, but now He has made us both one.
No more separation, no more is there a wall between us. The enmity that was between us has been removed.
 

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 

No more division. No more enmity between Jew and Gentile. No more, having to fulfil the laws of Judaism, because salvation is no more of keeping laws but by faith in Jesus Christ.

15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 

Jesus died for both Jew and Gentile, to make one people through the cross.

16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 

He has made one new man from the two, thus making peace.
Now you are no longer outsiders but you are IN siders, IN the same family, IN receipt of the same promise, IN Christ.

The act of reconciliation.

Reconciled: The word "reconcile" means to bring together friends who have been estranged. It has the idea of reconciling completely, to change from one condition to another, so as to remove all hostility. There is no hindrance to unity and peace.

17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 

You who were afar off, Paul is reminding them that they, the Gentiles were estranged from God and any promises that God had made to His people, the Jews.
The promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. To Isaac, to Jacob, who is Israel.
One seed,
Galatians 3:28,29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

However, Paul is also saying that the Jews also needed salvation, having been cut off because of unbelief.
The Jews, generally had rejected their Messiah and so came under the wrath of God.
Because of this, they too needed to hear the gospel message.

18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

This gospel message is the truth that will unify both Jew and Gentile in Christ.
The wall of separation has now been broken down and God has made a way for both Jews and Gentiles to worship together in spirit and truth.
 

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

Now therefore, because of what Christ has done on the cross, you Gentiles are not strangers and foreigners any more but you have been brought nigh by the blood of Christ, into a relationship with all believing Jews and have been grafted into the same tree along with the children of promise.

19b fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

We are now, citizens of heaven.
 

The old gospel hymn puts it like this:

This world is not my home,
I’m just a passing through.
My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.
My Saviour beckons me, from heavens open door.
And I can’t feel at home in this world any more.

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 

We are now part of a building, the church, that is built on foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.
Christ is the chief cornerstone.

21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 

We are lively stones, bricks tied together to make a temple of God. Each of us fitted together.
We are not just a pile of individual bricks but bricks that are built together, cemented by Christ into a building of God.

22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The Apostle Peter put it like this:
1 Peter 2:5-9

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

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