The Bible Speaks: Paul's Letters - Crystallizing Key Concepts for the New Church - AFC 1997

Citizenship

Ephesians 2:11­22

God's family is open, not closed.

Paul provided crystallizing metaphors for the new community. This set out conceptual handles for the new church to share, and became part of the foundation for its identity.


Contrast:
Jonah - - He was really ticked off that God would use him as an agent of grace to a bunch of heathen outsiders. He knew his people to be special, to have a unique relationship with God.

The old covenant was exclusive, it was limited to the descendants of Abraham.

Paul uses the metaphor of citizenship to highlight the openness of the new covenant in Christ. "Those who were once far off have been brought near..."

In that time, Roman citizenship was open, but payment was required if one was not a citizen by birth.

Ephesians 2:11-22, Galatians 3:26-28

Citizenship & "savedness"
due to a point-in-time conversion experience?
present relationship dependent?
fact determined by grace alone without any dependence on us?
open in a way that makes sharp demarkation of inclusion/exclusion to be a meaningless pursuit?

We are saved and are being saved for a reason. We are an apostolic people with a mission and service to the world.

€How have you come by your citizenship in God's realm?
€What makes you so special?
€Where is it sometimes difficult for you to accept the openness of God's grace? Are there those that you would prefer to not gain citizenship with you?

God has a very liberal naturalization policy - he's even accepted us.