What It Means To Belong | Ephesians 2:19-22
I hate missing out. If you know me well, you know that it is a particular burden I bear, missing out. But I’m not sure if that's just a me-thing. There is, I believe, at the very bottom of all of us a deep desire to belong. Who hasn’t had that longing to be a part of the “in” crowd, to be a recognized member of some community? We all know the feeling of elation that we felt when we were kids and chosen first by the team captains on the school recess fields. Likewise, we all know the devastation of being chosen last. It is, as one author puts it, the politics of recognition and belonging that drives us in deep ways.
It is this sense of belonging that often drives us—it will drive men to war and to die for the men next to them and the men of their unit, it will drive high school students to work so hard to get into a certain school so that they can have their name on a diploma from such an elite university, and it will even drive insane Packers fans to tailgate outside of Lambeau field with no shirts on, bodies painted in that hideous green and yellow, with those ridiculous cheese hats on in –20 degree weather, just to be a part of it. The need to belong to a community is deep within us.
CS Lewis in his famous essay “The Inner Ring” rightly highlights the temptations of belonging. It is human, he says, and therefore inevitable, and this desire is so powerful that there is a real danger in every human heart to compromise on deeply held convictions in order to be welcomed into the Inner Ring. Think of the politics of high school and the importance of surrounding yourselves with “the right people”, and the danger of falling in with the “wrong crowd”.
These are powerful motivators and can encompass so much of our whole identity. Think of the affinity you have with someone you’ve just met when you find out they’re from your hometown, who possibly knows the same people you do, and you run in similar “circles”. Dutch Bingo is a real thing, and when I find out you grew up with my dad or roomed with my uncle in college, there is an immediate bond and trust created between us. We recognize one another and belong. You can see just how pervasive this idea is.
Now given the rise of social media over the past 20 years, one would assume that our desire to belong has been met in ways our grandparents never would have dreamed of! We have the ability to belong to imagined communities—imagined not in the sense that they are imaginary (i.e. not real), but rather are immaterial. I can share in a community online made up of people from all over the globe! Amazing, right?!
But what we have seen over these past 20 years is although we’re more connected than ever, we are far lonelier than ever. The intense fear of missing out (or FOMO) is real, and it can cripple and devastate people who just want to fit in, who just want to be known and loved and belong.
The hard truth about these “Inner Rings” is that once in, you quickly come to find that there is an even deeper inner ring below, there is a level even further down that immediately begins to draw your attention. You thought you’d arrived, but alas, you don’t belong yet. People fail you and leave you high and dry. The ultimate problem with belonging is that almost all of them fail on their promise to satisfy, and they leave you wanting more.
One of the things I so appreciate about CS Lewis’ essay “The Inner Ring”, and what I so appreciate about all that Lewis writes is that he understands what it means to be human. But as good as Lewis, there is no book, no essay, no text that understands us and addresses us like God’s word. As the author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 4…
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
—Hebrews 4:12–13
Our God is not surprised by this deep human desire to belong to some community. He understands this because he created us. He knows our frame. He knows what he made us for, and the simple truth, as revealed in his word, is that he made us to belong to him and to his people. So let’s go to that word now.
Throughout this letter, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has been painting a beautiful tapestry of the majesty of the glory of God, of his incredible saving works toward us in Christ Jesus, and of what he has done to overcome our biggest problem—sin.
We could summarize what Paul has said thus far this way: the God who made all things, has acted decisively to save you in Christ through his Spirit. When we say the gospel, that is what we mean: God the Father has saved rebellious sinners through and in Christ Jesus by the power of the Spirit.
And last week, starting in Ephesians 2:11 with that all important word “therefore”, Paul takes a turn from the glorious gospel to unpacking all that those who have received that gospel receive. If you have been saved, here is what is now true of you. You who were once far off have been brought near, and because of Christ’s saving work, we now experience peace with God. These are what we might call gospel truths, or gospel implications.
It is these truths that are concrete, doctrinal implications that flow downstream from the beauty and centrality of the gospel. And it is these implications that bring the glory and majesty of God’s saving works out of the heavens and down into our everyday lives. It is what my friend Mike Bullmore calls “the functional centrality of the gospel.” The letter of Ephesians, while tracing incredible and majestic truths, is not meant to stay up in the sky, but is meant to function for us and in us. It might seem, right now, incredibly theoretical right now, but Paul’s intention—and the Lord’s intention—is intensely practical.
And it is here in Ephesians 2:19–22 that Paul ends where he began in chapter 2—you who were once dead in sin have now been made alive. But while that is true individually, it does not stay there. We were not saved into isolation—we are saved into a people, and we belong to a body. What we experience individually is just the beginning—one of the most incredible truths and implications of the great news of the gospel is that we are not alone! What has happened individually is maximed corporately.
We could summarize this passage this way… To belong to Christ is to belong to the people of God.
To belong to the people of God through Christ is what we were made for—it is a deep reality of being human made in the image of God. So as we explore all that it means to belong, we are going to see 3 dimensions of our belonging: our status of belonging, the source of our belonging, and finally the satisfaction of belonging.
The status of belonging.
By beginning v. 19 with the phrase, “so then”, Paul begins to sum up his point from v. 11. Those who were previously Gentiles both in the flesh and in their own hearts, alienated from God, hostile toward him, and having no hope have been brought near. Christ, through his life, death, and resurrection, has brought you and me near, and the dividing wall of hostility and sin that we put up to separate us from God has been torn down in his body on the cross. “SO THEN” Paul says. But what is the result?
The result is that our status before God has completely and totally changed. What the gospel effectuated was a comprehensive shift—not simply like changing lanes on the interstate, but the kind of shift of going from death to life (as Paul declared at the beginning of chapter 2). And here, Paul declares that your status before God has dramatically changed—you now belong in a way that you never have before. And to summarize and to hammer home his point, he gives 3 more analogies of what that status change looks like.
First, the status change is like going from aliens to citizens. If you’ve done any traveling abroad, you know that experience of being in a foreign country. There’s a beauty and excitement about it, but can also be disquieting. You’re in a different land, a different culture, different foods, different customs, different language…that is what makes those societies distinct from ours, and you can really feel out of place.
Like dropping me in the middle of some Southeast Asian country—I would stick out like a sore thumb. And there is just a realization that I don’t belong here, and am just visiting. But in order to assimilate, I would need to become a citizen of that nation, declare my allegiance to it, and then adopt its laws and customs as my own. Then I would belong.
And that is the image Paul invokes here. The difference between being far off and being brought near to God is like moving from a foreigner from a different land with different customs, different allegiances, and a different language to a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Because of Christ, you belong here.
Second, the status change we experience is like going from a stranger to a member of the household of God. We who were orphans have been adopted! If you’ve ever had the privilege, as I have, of attending the adoption ceremony of a child being adopted by dear friends of yours, I trust you will agree that there are few sweeter moments in life. When you see this couple whom you so dearly love, who have waited so long, hope differed time and again, to see them with this little baby before the judge who is making the adoption official, it is so moving. At that moment, the judge declares 5 things that from that moment on are now true:
Legal Parentage: The adoptive parents are recognized as the child's legal parents, with all associated rights and responsibilities as if the child was born naturally to them.
Termination of Prior Parental Rights: Any prior legal parental rights are terminated. The child belongs to this family now.
Inheritance Rights: The child gains inheritance rights from the adoptive parents, equivalent to those of a natural-born child.
Name Change: The judge may approve a legal name change for the child. Their last name that identifies them is new.
Permanent Bond: The adoption is finalized as a permanent legal arrangement, binding under state law.
In short, a total shift. And to see this little one—this sweet little child who has been given up, lost and alone—being claimed by these loving and kind parents, who promise not just to care for the child, but to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—how can you not marvel at the picture of the gospel on display? We who were once children of wrath, under the just punishment of God, have now been adopted as sons and daughters of the king.
As Paul makes clear in Galatians 3…
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
—Galatians 3:25–26
When you are tempted to doubt God’s goodness to you, when circumstances press in around you, remember that you belong to the family of God. You have been adopted, by no work of your own, but by the sheer grace and mercy of God, and have been brought near. That means that you don’t have a brutal guardian or judge over you, but a Father who loves you with all of his heart. Paul says that is true, and it is glorious.
Next week, we will have the sweet opportunity to witness the sign and seal in process in the covenant sign of baptism. You see, it’s not enough for the parents of an adopted child just to declare that the child belongs to them, there is a solemn and important process where a right and just authority declares to the witnessing world that this child now belongs to these parents. It is a public affair. And in baptism, we see this very thing take place. Those who were once far off, undertake by obedience the sign of baptism, which depicts physically what has taken place spiritually—they have been united with Christ in his death, and are now raised to life with him. Paul, again, describes this elsewhere when he says…
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
—Romans 6:3–4
So baptism serves as the beautiful ceremony depicting your union with Christ—his death and resurrection—and by which you are formally united to the covenant people of God, and signifies your official entrance into the household of the Lord. It is not some mere perfunctory act with no significance, but a beautiful and powerful ritual by which our status moves from stranger to son. Like a couple who go up the aisle single, they come down married—no weird magic took place, but there was a status change. And forevermore they know, and the world knows, they belong to one another, for better or for worse. And isn’t it a comfort to know that if you belong to God, you belong to a people. If you have been saved, you belong here. Not by your own doing, so that no one can boast, but because of the miraculous and gracious work of Christ.
Last, the status change we experience is like going from bricks scattered on the ground to being built up into a building, a cathedral, a holy temple. And here, Paul develops this metaphor further and introduces the second truth about our belonging…
The source of belonging.
Paul begins his metaphor of building by starting where all buildings begin: the foundation. All buildings, whether you see it or not, rest on a foundation, which serves as the bedrock, the unmoving, stable ground on which the structure is set on. Often this is done with concrete. The average American home’s foundation can be anywhere from 8”–10’ deep. But the taller the building, the deeper the foundation. Depending on the soil and conditions, the foundation of a skyscraper can go as deep as 300’!
Although you don’t often think of it, the foundation is everything. One small crack in the foundation can transfer and grow all the way to the top of the structure. A tiny crack in the foundation can mean massive problems at the top. It effects everything, and if there is a problem with the foundation, there is a problem with the entire structure. So why does Paul invoke this imagery to his audience, to us?
This is not the first time Paul has used this imagery. Look at how he marshalls this building imagery in 1 Corinthians 3…
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
—1 Corinthians 3:10–11
What is the foundation in that passage? Christ, and there can be no other. But look back in our text—what does he identify as the foundation of the people of God: the apostles and the prophets. What gives, Paul? Which is it?
Well, Paul’s understanding of apostles is not simply the 12 commissioned by Christ, but all of the ministers of the early church. More than the office of prophet or apostle, the foundation is the message of those prophets and apostles. Paul is saying that all who herald the Kingdom of God are like the first stones laid of a new building. And what is the message of these apostles and prophets? It is Christ and him crucified, recorded for us in the inspired word of God that we hold today. It is the testimony of the saving work of Christ, and the cosmic implications of him making all things new and uniting all things in him and placing all enemies under his feet. In short, Christ is the cornerstone.
What is a cornerstone? Every building, every structure, begins with that first brick or stone. And it is that first stone that sets everything for the building. Every other brick will be compared and leveled to that first brick. If it’s out of level, the entire castle will be off. That is what Paul is communicating. And because he knew his OT, he is referring to the prophet Isaiah…
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
—Isaiah 28:16
Christ is that stone. He is the cornerstone, the first stone laid, the one in whom we all are being built into. And how do we know about this Christ? Because of the Spirit-inspired word of the apostles and prophets who all testify to Christ and to his work.
And it is that word of Christ, the word about him and his rule and his reign that informs us of who we are and what we are to do. You come to a new nation, or you join a new family, how do you know how you are to act? Well here, in his word, you are informed.
How many dads have told their children, “As long as you belong to this family, you will act like this”? Well, Ephesians 2 has told you that you belong to this family, to this people, and so your desires, your habits, and your actions ought to change. This word tells you not only who you are, but what you are to do. You belong to the family of God, Paul says. So, start acting like it!
Lastly, notice throughout this text, the passive voice Paul uses. You are “being joined together” and “are being built together”. These are actions that you don’t do yourself, but are done to you. Well, who is the one acting to join you and build you into Christ and into the church? God himself. Although not specified, it is the divine passive that Paul is using throughout this letter. You are not able to build yourself into this building or join yourself to this family apart from God sovereignly and graciously acting to unite you to Christ. It does not and can not come from within, but only from without. That is why everything is from him and to him and through him, so that he and he alone would get all the glory!
And all of that is revealed to you in this word. That’s why we love this book so much. That’s why we prioritize this day and this moment. Of all the many things that go on in the life of our church, it is this gathering, culminating in the preaching of God’s word to his people, that is the most important thing we do. These are God’s words! It is these words that convict us, that encourage us, that change us, and ultimately unite us.
What is it that draws people from all different backgrounds, all different family situations, all different lifestyles, all different cultures and customs, all different incomes, and all different walks of life to gather together and have real unity? What is it that could bring together CEOs and politicians and doctors and businessmen with the brothers in Pakistan worshipping in stables and in brick factories, or our brothers in Nairobi, Keyna who we heard from this past week? What could bring such extremes together? Only Christ and the word of the cross!
He is the source, he is the foundation, and he is the cornerstone, in whom we are all being built into and joined together. Praise God that he has not left us as orphans, alone and without hope. And so being a part of this community, belonging to the body, has a tremendous effect.
The satisfaction of belonging.
The effect of belonging to God’s church is not first and foremost what we do. The joy and satisfaction we experience with the people of God is not because of the church, its programs or its vibes. No, the reason we experience such life here is because of how Paul ends chapter 2 (v. 22)…
In him (that is Christ) you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
—Ephesians 2:22
Notice Paul mentions in this one passage all three persons of the Trinity—in Christ, you are being built into a dwelling place for God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as he outlined at the beginning of the letter of the full Trinitarian work in your salvation (chosen by the Father, saved in Christ, and sealed by the Spirit), so too now you are brought into the people of the Trinitarian God. God is a community, therefore you belong to a community.
And that’s his point. What sets this people apart from all other peoples, what sets this community apart from all other communities, is that the triune God who created heaven and earth, who is right now upholding the universe by the word of his power, that almighty God is present with us here. It is this people, this gathering of redeemed people, that have been built together into a living temple where the presence of our God now dwells. The wall of hostility has been torn down! Praise God!
People will fail you. Institutions and clubs and societies will fail you. Friends and even family will fail you. My friends, God never fails you. It is in his presence where we experience that which we can’t experience anywhere else—joy and satisfaction. It is here in his word, by the power of his Spirit that we experience life! Where else could we go? Where else would we turn? These are the words of eternal life!
And it is here, in his church that he loves, that he manifests his presence in his word among us for our joy and good. Listen to how pastor and theologian Christopher Ash describes the joy of belonging to the people of God in the church…
Everything that makes life worth living comes from membership of Zion. Everything. We do not sing that some of what rejoices our hearts comes from what we may be proud of in this life—our nationality, or education, or career success, or family—and that there is a little room at the end for a measure of joy that we find in belonging to the church of Christ. No! All the fountains that feed my life and give me joy come from being a member, by new birth, of the church of Jesus Christ.
—Christopher Ash
I pray that that would be true of every member, regular attender, and visitor of Emmaus Road Church. It’s why we value gospel community, life-on-life community, that puts the gospel of Jesus Christ and the word of God in the very heart of everyday life. That’s why we gather together every week in Gospel Communities and Discipleship Huddles to eat together, to sing together, to pray for one another, to confess to each other, to laugh with each other, to work with one another, to serve one another.
And all of that scattered activity of the church is meant to culminate in the gathered church every Lord’s Day to sing together, to take the sacraments by faith together, and to hear and obey the preached word of God together.
That is what is going down this morning. Look around! The church is not a building. The church is not this gym, nor a future building, nor even a cathedral. No, the church is the building that God is actively building with the living stones of souls he’s redeemed, bought by his Son, into life and unity with one another. There is no special process to be admitted, no secret handshake—the only requirement to belong to this people is to trust in Christ the cornerstone by faith. Faith is all that is required.
And this church is not perfect. It is filled with people who still sin, who still suffer, who still live life on this side of heaven. Even still, we love this church. As Charles Spurgeon so famously said…
If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.
—Charles Spurgeon
So if you’re a member of Emmaus Road, remember that it is not by our own strength that we hold this community together. No, but it is the fact that we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, who is right now building his church, the dearest place on earth. When God the Father looks at our church, he does not see a falling over lean-to, barely standing up. No, because of Christ, he sees a holy temple fit for his presence. All glory be to Christ who has saved us and united us to dwell with God and with one another.
Do you view the church the way God does? Do you view the church as Christ does, as his bride that he gave his life for? Do you view your Gospel Community like that—imperfect, sometimes frustrating, but brothers and sisters who have been brought near, like you have? Let that truth govern your view, and drive you to experience the joy of belonging to an imperfect but dear community.
So lean in! Commit yourself and your family to the church of Christ. Join a Gospel Community, prioritize Discipleship Huddles, the GC gathering, and the Sunday gathering. Serve in on a ministry team (like the Kids Team)! This is what it looks like to be joined together, and it is here we find life and joy and satisfaction. And because it is Christ’s church, it will outlive us. The joy of belonging has stretched back thousands of years, and will be true for our children and our children’s children, not because we hold it together, but because of the Christ who died to secure it and who is right now building it.
And if you are here this morning and you know you don’t belong to Christ’s church, feel as if you don’t belong anywhere—my friends, come and be welcomed to Jesus Christ. If you feel as if you’d tried everything and everything has left you empty and wanting, if you are thirsty, weary and heavy-laden, know that the Christ of this word, the Christ in whom we are being joined and built into, the Christ whose blood was poured out and body given for you, calls to you and invites you saying, “Come to me, and be satisfied. Come to me, and become a fellow citizen and member of this household. Come to me to belong. Come to me, and I will give you rest.”