Series: Ephesians
Title: Fellowcitizens with the Saints
Text: Ephesians 2: 19
Date: November 14, 2013
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Ephesians 2: 19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints,…
Proposition: Every redeemed, born-again believer,
together with other every other saint, is a fellow citizen of heavenly
Jerusalem.
The Ephesian believers were
once dead in sins. at that time they were strangers and foreigners to God.
·
Without Christ
·
Aliens from God’s elect in Israel
·
Strangers to the gospel of Christ
·
With no hope,
·
Without God in the world.
Brethren, the same was true
of you and I by our first birth from Adam.
The same is true of every sinner not born of God and given faith in
Christ—true of each person now that does not believe on Christ from a newly
created heart.
But now, in Christ, that was
no longer the case for these Ephesian believers, and it is no longer the case
for you and I for whom Christ died.
Ephesians
2: 13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ.
Christ Jesus reconciled all
God’s elect to God by his blood on the cross.
He made God’s elect one with God, and one with our brethren, by
fulfilling the law which divided us from God and from one another.
Yet, in order for us to
partake of this free gift, Christ came and preached this good news through his
preachers to the Ephesians, and he did the same for you and I. Christ preached peace to us—that He is our
Peace—that is my message to you. He
preached peace to his elect Jews which were near, in political Israel, and to
his elect Gentiles which were far off, in Gentile nations, which includes us.
As the gospel was preached,
Christ interceded with the Father and the Father sent forth the Holy Spirit
who: regenerated each one of us to spiritual life, Christ gave each of us
repentance. He changed our minds—taught us we are sinners, our works are vain,
and Christ is All. And Christ gave each
of us faith in Christ. Now, by this work
of the triune God every believer has access to God our Father.
Ephesians
2: 18: For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19: Now THEREFORE ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints,.
Through God’s grace, every
blood bought, born-again child of God, along with every other believing saint
is, a citizen of heavenly Jerusalem.
I. SPIRITUALLY, SAINTS ARE NO LONGER IN THE BONDAGE OF EARTHLY
JERUSALEM.
Paul
said, Galatians 4: 25: Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her
children.
Jerusalem below, in earthly
Mt. Zion, in political Israel, stands for all unregenerate, will workers, who
reject the truth that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone that believes. Every sinner who
insists that they are justified and made righteous or sanctified by the law are
doing as those vain priests spoken of in Hebrews 10: 11:
Hebrews
10:11: And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
We were once in that
bondage, once citizens of Jerusalem below. But now when men try to bring us
under the rule of law, we say with Paul,
Galatians
6:14: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15: For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creature. 16: And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and
mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
II. ALL GOD’S SAINTS ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVENLY JERUSALEM—no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints.
This is very important. We
saw it Sunday when we saw that the three persons in the Godhead receive glory
for giving us one access to God our Father. In the earthly temple, in that holy
of holies, above the mercy seat, above the Ark, God’s presence was really
there—the Shekinah glory. Therefore earthly Jerusalem, in earthly
Mt. Zion, in earthly Israel, was a special city under the old covenant of
works.
But when Christ fulfilled
the law, that veil was rent in two there was no ark inside. God laid the ax to
the roots of political Israel. Jerusalem
was destroyed by God using Rome and that temple was torn down. Christ said, “Behold, your house is left to
you desolate.” (Mt 23: 38) He will do
the same thing when he returns the second time but next time it will be so for
the whole world.
Forgetting The Old, Pressing Toward the New
Now Christ our Ark, our
Mercy Seat, has redeemed us and entered into the true holiest of holies into
God’s presence in heavenly Jerusalem with his own blood where he everlives to
make intercession for us. So the
Jerusalem of which every saint is a citizen is heavenly Jerusalem of which
earthly Jerusalem was only a type.
Galatians
4: 26: But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us
all.
Therefore, we do not look
back to the old but we press forward to the new:
Philippians
3: 13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, 14 I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus….20: For
our CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN; [our citizenship is in heaven] from whence also
we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself.
The City is God and His People
John
was shown our holy city. We learn about our city in Revelation 21.
·
Our city is great, it is holy and it shall descend out of heaven
from God—Revelation 21:10: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and
high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God.” It is not of
this earthy but shall descend from God out of heaven.
·
The glory of our city is the glory of God—Revelations 21: 11: “Having
the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious,
even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”
Brethren, everyone in heavenly Jerusalem will be made glorious by the
glory of God. He has done that for us in
spirit in the new birth. And as Paul said he shall raise our bodies like unto
his glorious body.
·
He describes the walls and the foundation as precious stones. Then
says, Revelation 21: 22: “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God
Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
We will focus strictly on this at another time, but Ephesians 2 tells us
that each saint is a living stone, the apostles and prophets are the
foundation, Christ is the chief cornerstone, we grow into a holy temple in the
Lord, and we are habitation of God through the Spirit. Brethren, this city and all the precious
stones described is Christ and his saints who he has made glorious in himself
and in whom he dwells. The city is made
up of God and of Christ and his people!
·
Therefore, the only ones who enter our city are those God elected
unto salvation—which are made righteous by Christ’s blood and created anew in
righteousness by the Holy Spirit in the new birth—here is why?—Revelation 21:
27: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the
Lamb’s book of life.”
All Things Dissolved, New Heaven and New Earth
This present heaven and
earth, all unregenerate men and all the works thereof, are all cursed by Adam’s
sin. Therefore, it all shall all be burned up in the day of judgment when Christ
returns. But the new heaven and new earth, heavenly Jerusalem, comprised of
every saint, will all be the work of Christ our Righteousness. Therefore all
shall be perfectly righteous and all shall remain eternally.
2
Peter 3: 10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up. 11: Seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness, 12: Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13: Nevertheless we, according to his
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Hebrews 12: 18: For ye are not
come unto the mount that might be touched,…22: But ye are come unto mount Sion,
and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels, 23: To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect, 24: And to Jesus the mediator of the new
covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that
of Abel. 25: See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped
not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape,
if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26: Whose voice then
shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not
the earth only, but also heaven. 27: And this word, Yet once more, signifieth
the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that
those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28: Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29: For our God is a consuming
fire.
So
our citizenship is in heaven. Every
saint made righteous by Christ’s blood, created in righteousness and true
holiness by the Holy Spirit in regeneration, makes up this city. Since we are the work of Christ’s hands,
heavenly Jerusalem shall be all righteous and shall remain forever.
III. HAVING THIS GOOD NEWS THAT WE ARE NOW FELLOWCITIZENS WITH THE
SAINTS OF HEAVENLY JERUSALEM, THAT ALL THIS WORLD AND ALL VAIN WORKS SHALL BE
BURNED UP, HOW SHOULD WE LIVE IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD?
First, brethren, stand fast in the Lord.
(Php 4: 1)
We are to live like our
first father, Abraham.
Hebrews
11: 9: By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling
in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
God.
·
We are to sojourn through this world as foreigners in a strange
country.
·
We are to dwell in tabernacles—that is, holding on loosely to
everything in this world.
·
We are to dwell with those who
are heirs with us of the same promise—with saints who are fellowcitizens
·
We are to do so looking for our heavenly city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
To do so means we will have
to be separate from this world rather than conformed to it.
Hebrews
13: 12: Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own
blood, suffered without the gate. 13: Let us go forth therefore unto him
without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14: For here have we no continuing
city, but we seek one to come.
We are not to give ourselves
to serve this world, nor to be flattered by its honors or bribed by its favors.
Instead, be willing to be sneered at more than to be approved. As Moses did,
suffer affliction with the people of God, “esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” (Heb 11: 26) So, brethren, stand fast in the Lord.
Secondly, be of the same mind in the Lord. (Php 4: 2-3)
As true yoke fellows—yoked
together by Christ our Master, as citizens of the same heavenly Jerusalem under
the government of our Prince, as members one with another, whose names are in
the book of life, let us labor together in the gospel of Christ.
When we were lost and dead
in sins, Christ came and preached peace to each of us through his preacher and
saved us by his grace. To do that, Christ assembled a body of believers, who he
blessed, who supported that work for the gospel to come to us. Now, Christ has
called us and fit us together to do the same for others. Therefore, let each of us be of one mind to
make this work of spreading this gospel our chief business in this world. So
stand fast in the Lord and be of one mind in the work of the Lord.
Thirdly, rejoice in the Lord alway. (Php 4: 4)
Be glad in the Lord in every
way all the time; be filled with joy in Him because of Him and for Him. Live
your life rejoicing in the Lord alway. Believers should be the happiest folks
on earth.
In our flesh dwells no good
thing, but the new man joined to Christ is complete in Christ: in Christ we are
righteous as God, in Christ we are holy as God, in Christ we are inseparably
accepted of God. Grace chose us, grace redeemed us, grace regenerated us, grace
shall keep us and grace shall bring us home.
Whatever we may suffer in this world, that is cause to rejoice in the
Lord alway. Stand fast in the Lord, be
of one mind in the work of the gospel and rejoice always.
Fourthly, let your moderation be known unto all men. (Php 4: 5)
The only place the word
“moderation” is used in the Bible is in Php 4: 5. It does NOT have to do with
temperance in food and drink. It has to do with our attitude and conduct.
The meaning is be “mild, gentle, and patient, kind, tenderhearted,
non-judgmental”, as opposed to harsh and demanding and judgmental. We are to be so toward all people: in the
church and in the world. (Eph. 4:32)
Brethren, we never know all
the facts. But we have come to God who is the Judge of all, who is able to make
his servant stand. Therefore, in all our
dealings with men remember, “The Lord is at hand.” (Romans 14:4) So be patient,
kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one anther even as God for Christ’s sake has
forgiven you.
Fifthly, be careful for nothing. (Php 4: 6)
Do not be overly anxious and
worrisome over things in this life.
In a few weeks I will be
going to Mexico. I am a citizen of this
country. I will be an alien in that country. Yet, while I am in that country, I
will have to obey the laws of Mexico. Likewise, though we are aliens in this
world, though we are citizens of heavenly Jerusalem, we still have to obey the
laws of this country. Do so in quietness—not protesting our rulers and getting
anxious over how they are governing things.
While I am in Mexico I will
see the product of much corruption. But
I will not protest in the street because that is not my country. The same goes for each believer in this
one—our citizenship is in heaven. So let’s not be overly careful for the
politics of this world. Instead,
Romans
11: 1: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power
but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2: Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation.
Also, we shall suffer in
this world just like everyone else. If
you were living overseas as an alien, though you are citizen of this country,
when their economy fluctuates it would affect you like those who are citizens
of that country. So it is for us in this
world. When God scatters abroad, believers increase as do others in this world;
when God withholds his hand, saints decrease as do others in this world. Christ promised us, that believers shall have
tribulation in this world just like every unbeliever in this world. We shall suffer from our flesh just like
everyone else. “But be of good cheer” Christ said, “I have overcome the world.” So when times get tight let us not become
careful, then harsh and demanding. As our master has forgiven us all our debt,
likewise, “from your hearts forgive everyone his brother their trespasses.” (Mt
18: 29-35)
The Lord gives us a good
word of instruction. When he allowed Israel to be carried captive into foreign
lands, he said this:
Jeremiah
29:7: And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried
away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye
have peace.
So “If it be possible, as
much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom 12: 18) “To do good and to communicate forget not:
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Heb 13: 16) Christ said, “Love ye your enemies, and do
good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and
ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and
to the evil.” (Lu 6: 35)
Again, do so remembering “the
Lord is at hand.” Therefore, “in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known UNTO GOD. And the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. (Php 4: 6-7)
Finally, brethren, occupy your minds with things that are true,
honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. (Php 4:
8)
In other words, set your
affection on things above where Christ sits at God’s right hand. (Col 3:
1-4) Give your mind to Christ and the
study of him and the eternal blessing we have in him. Be assured, “the God of peace shall be with
you.” Do so knowing, “my God shall
supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Php 4:
19)
When I am in Mexico I will
enjoy my time there. I will fellowship with my brethren around the gospel of
Christ. But by Friday, I will be eager to be back in my own country. So it is with us. Enjoy the things God has given you in this
world fellowshipping with brethren around the gospel of Christ. But do so with a constant eye to our eternal,
heavenly city. In a little while this week will be up and we will be going to
our eternal home!
May God give us grace to
live as aliens and strangers to this world and as fellowcitizens with the
saints of heavenly Jerusalem.
Amen!