10 November | EVERYONE

WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE AS A FAMILY AND A UNIT

«Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.» Ephesians 2: 19,20

Does it make sense to raise the banner of Christ to take a stand against those who do not think like us? The categorical answer is no. It does not make sense. It cannot make sense. Christ came into the world to break down the walls that generate division and death, because a divided family is a group of people who die consumed by the virus of separation, resentment, and bitterness. They have no peace. Its members do not accept each other even if they bear the same name and the same blood.

When Jesus comes into a life, the first thing He does is sweep away selfishness, exclusivism, nationalism, sectarianism, and the like. The character of the Master is reflected in the disciples, and they learn to love and endure each other. There may be differences of thought. Unity does not mean uniformity. But different ideas coexist within the same spiritual body, precisely because its members are spiritual.

In Paul’s day, the Christian church was at the beginning of its development. Many Jews had accepted Jesus as their Savior, and it was logical that they would come to Christ with a variety of traditions and customs that Gentile converts to Christianity did not have. It was logical that there would be differences between Jews and Gentiles. But now both groups were Christians and had to learn to live together.

That is why Paul emphasizes the fact that if Jesus is the cornerstone of the building called church, its members must depend on Him and learn to live in Him. “You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

Take Action

Are you able to live with people who have ideas that do not match your way of thinking? If you find that it is not easy for you, look to Jesus and ask the Father to transform you into the image of the Son so that you can stop harboring prejudices.