There is something powerful about belonging or conversely not belonging. It is an amazing feeling to be connected to a group and to know your place and role in that group. Peace and comfort are easy to find when we are connected! However there may be no worse feeling then being isolated. Belonging is one of the basic human needs. We often try and believe we don't need it but it is just a lie of the enemy when we say we don't need other people. We are create to live in community and in harmony with other people.
Paul reminds the Gentiles that there status with God is one of belonging and they are no longer to see themselves as strangers or foreigners. God in his plan to develop a people for Himself, the chosen people of Israel, had always desired His people to be a blessing to the world. Instead the chosen people often chose to create an "us and them" mentality. We are God's chosen people - everyone else is a Gentile heathen. Paul reminds us that Jesus through the cross has broken down that separation and has made ONE Body of Christ of all who believe.
Now we all have the opportunity to be citizens of God's family! Citizenship has it rights and it has its obligations. We have certain rights and freedoms as citizens of a nation but we have obligations like taxes and following the laws of the land. As citizens of God's family there are incredible rights of prayer, spiritual power, forgiveness, peace, joy... As citizens we are asked to represent the family well! Most of all as citizens of God's family we belong!
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