Ephesians (Program #25) – Both Reconciled to God in One Body and Fellow Citizens of the Household of God

Imagine that you are a lonely visitor in a foreign country and meet a fellow citizen of your own country, the American, Great Britain or Canada.  You immediately sense a kind of kinship. But how is that compare with the intimacy and share delight that would result from unexpectedly meeting one of your own family members in the same setting?

Well, this is the situation that should exist with all members of the Body of Christ, the Church. And not just with those who are in our circle of fellowship. For the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2 that not only we are fellow citizens with all the believers in the kingdom of God, but we are also His household, family members. This describes which should be a sweet and intimate relationship with all those who belong to Christ.  We will consider both of these aspects today.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

2 Corinthians (Program #38) – The Minister’s of the New Covenant (11)

2 Corinthians is a marvelous book giving us both a detailed biography of the apostle Paul and a clear understanding of the goal of the New Testament ministry.  The goal as we have seen is for the believers and unbelievers alike to be fully reconciled to God.  That means that both in fact and in our experience, there is no barrier, no hindrance, nothing separating us from enjoying God and living Christ.  This is the ministry that Paul and the other apostles were commissioned with.  Further, it should be the goal of our own Christian life.  We have been saved many years ago, having settled that question of our eternal destiny once for all.  But do we live a life that’s fully reconciled to God?  This was Paul’s question to the believers in Corinth as well.   Listen 5:20 of  2 Corinthians say:

“On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God.“

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS