In the sermon 'A Holy Temple Where God Dwells' by Jason Dohm, based on Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul discusses the transformation of Gentiles who were once outsiders in the faith, alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and without hope. Through Christ's sacrifice, the dividing 'middle wall of separation' that kept Jews and Gentiles apart has been broken down, allowing both groups to access God equally. This reconciliation is described through several analogies: believers are now fellow citizens in God's kingdom, members of His household, and living stones in a holy temple. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of this spiritual structure, with the apostles and prophets forming its foundation. The sermon emphasizes the privileges and responsibilities of believers as part of God's temple, urging them to embrace their identity and live out their faith. It calls for believers to appreciate their spiritual inheritance and for non-believers to desire the peace and privileges offered in Christ.

Our sermon text for this week is from Ephesians chapter 2 starting at verse 11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, made in the flesh by hands, that at the time you were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross thereby putting the putting to death the enmity and he came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near for through him we both have access by one spirit to the father 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, in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." The sermon this morning is a holy temple where God dwells.

The Apostle Paul sets forth the people of God as a living building, a living temple. God has desired to dwell there, planned to dwell there, and makes sinners into a holy temple. We really are in a glorious section of scripture here. We're in a larger section where Paul has begun to speak of the distinction between Jew and Gentile in the Old Covenant. This is our third sermon in this subsection, roughly the last half of chapter 2.

It began in verse 11. Half of chapter 2 began in verse 11 and we read this, Paul says this of the Gentiles in verse 12. So hopefully you are in Ephesians chapter 2. Look again at verse 12, what Paul says of the Gentiles, that at that time Ephesians, you were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world. How bleak!

What a bleak description of their state being outside of the Jewish nation. But then he says this about what Christ has done in verse 13. But now in Christ you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. So he starts with this description about how far away they were, and then he says that's not true anymore. You once were far off, but you've been brought near by the blood of Christ.

In verses 14-18, which was last week's text, Paul speaks of the middle wall of separation. This great old covenant where how the people were to approach God included Jews and excluded Gentiles. So in the Old Covenant it was laid out very explicitly how you were to approach God. And it didn't include the Gentiles. And Paul says Jesus broke that down.

That middle wall of separation of how to approach God has been broken down in Jesus Christ and then he ended that section in verse 18 by saying for through him for through Jesus We both have access by one spirit to the father Jews have access to the Father by the same way that Gentiles have access to the Father, through one Spirit, by one Spirit. Now, Paul gives us the implications of all that. He ends this subsection by giving us the bottom line Paul. What's the bottom line? Well, he gives it to us in our text today, and it is a wonderful bottom line especially if you happen to have been born a Gentile it's just wonderful Reading and contemplating it So as we go to our text, let's ask for the Lord's help.

God, as a Gentile, I stand before you and give you thanks that this middle wall of separation has been broken down by Jesus. His coming and his work has made us able to approach you with confidence, with boldness even as sons and daughters having been adopted through the blood of your son. How sweet it is to read these words. We've never known anything different, so God I pray that You would help us to savor these words today, to appreciate them anew today. We were born after these things became true.

And so in that sense, we've always been alive when we could have access through the blood of your son in this way. But God, please don't let that become doling to us. But just make us aware of it in a fresh way today. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

So major Heading number one, if you're taking notes on the handout, Paul says that by grace alone through faith alone, we have become fellow citizens. If you're filling in blank, citizens fills in the blank. By grace alone through faith alone, we have become fellow citizens. Let's look at the first part of verse 19. We're not even taking the whole verse at this point.

Just taking this first phrase. Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints. So he begins this last part of this section by saying, now therefore, as a consequence of all that has just been said, what used to be the case is no longer the case. There is a new reality which embraces the Ephesians. The old reality did not embrace the Ephesians.

In so many ways it excluded the Ephesians. But what was the case is no longer the case. There is a new reality which embraces even these pagan lands. Now there is a direct connection between verse 12 and verse 19. There's so much in between them that you might miss the connection if we didn't take the opportunity to set them side by side.

But let's do that. Let's take the opportunity to set them side by side. I'm just going to read verse 12 and then verse 19 and you'll see immediately that they're really talking in the same terms. Verse 12, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Now this beginning part of 19, now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints.

The things that used to be true of you are no longer true of you. Without Christ, they were illegal aliens, to borrow a phrase from today. Without Christ they were illegal aliens and they were outside the covenants and the promises that had been made to the people of God. The people of God was just another term for the Jewish nation in the Old Covenant. But with Christ, these Ephesians were no longer strangers and foreigners.

Gentiles no longer need be strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens. Now think about this. Who is our author? He was Saul of Tarsus, circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews concerning the law of Pharisee that's just quoting Philippians 3 verse 5 that's Paul's Self description of what he was when he was born Saul of Tarsus. Now he says, Ephesians, now we're all citizens together.

Now Saul of Tarsus would have said, over my dead body, over my dead body, and my fellow citizens with these pagans, with these gentiles. But now, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, chapter 1 verse 1, here, that's how he introduces himself, Now I'm Paul, I'm the one sent by Jesus Christ, been made a messenger of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Now I can say we're all citizens together. Paul says, you are no longer strangers and foreigners. Listen to what Harold Hohner says.

He's our Greek scholar that's been helping us week by week understand the nuances of the original language Greek. Harold Hohner says, the first word, what's translated strangers here, means in general, a stranger, a foreigner, who is allowed to be in a country but with no rights except that by which has been agreed by a treaty. The second word, which is rendered foreigners, refers to an alien, a foreigner who is a resident alien without national rights. The first is a more temporary stay than the second. By way of illustration, the first is like a tourist traveling in a foreign land, which has an agreement with the traveler's land of origin that gives him travel rights.

The second is like a person who is legally residing in a foreign country with a residence visa. So he's helping us to understand the nuance of the Greek words that are being translated. There are two words. And strangers and foreigners are perfectly good translations, but if you drill down into those Greek words that are being translated, what you find is one is essentially a tourist visa, and the other is a residence visa, and this is being compared with the citizenship rights as if you were born in the nation. So let's say I visit the Carrington's.

I would be there on a 90-day tourist visa. It affords you some rights that have been negotiated between Turkey and the United States, but not many rights, certainly not compared to a citizen. The Carrington's are there under different rules. They are there under a two-year residence visa. They would have more rights from me, but certainly nothing compared to the rights that Thicret enjoys as a Turk, as a one-born citizen of the nation of Turkey.

This is what is in view. Here's the point. Here's what Paul is driving at. King Jesus' kingdom has no second class citizens. That's what Paul is saying.

Jesus is the king of the kingdom, and in his kingdom, every citizen enjoys all the rights and privileges of a citizen. You either are a citizen with all rights, all privileges, or you are outside with no rights and no privileges of the kingdom. There are no interim statuses like we see between nations here. Listen to what Paul says in Philippians 3 verse 20. Paul says, For our citizenship is in heaven.

So who is he writing to? He's writing to more Gentiles, Philippians. And he says, For Our citizenship, yours is the same as mine, is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The King is coming. In the meantime, Paul says, all of the rights and privileges that I enjoy as a citizen are all the rights and privileges that you enjoy as a citizen.

There are no second class citizens in Jesus' kingdom. So the first analogy in our text is a kingdom and citizenship analogy. When the blood of Jesus gives you peace with God, you become a fellow citizen. You're no longer a traveler or a temporary resident. You are a fellow citizen with the saints.

This makes me think of Hebrews 12 where the author of Hebrews talks about this great cloud of witnesses. This is coming out of the great faith chapter in Hebrews 11. And all these who were saved by faith are a great cloud of witnesses. We are fellow citizens with them. We are fellow citizens with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and Elizabeth, and Rahab, and all those who believed in God and it was counted to them as righteousness in Hebrews chapter 11.

The ones who are alive, the ones who are dead, we have a common citizenship and a common kingdom. And the blood of Jesus Christ gives that to you, buys that for you. The second major heading here is that Paul says that by grace alone through faith alone, we are members of the household of God. If you're filling in blanks on the handout, household fills in the blank. We are members of the household of God.

Look at the second part of verse 19. And members of the household of God. I hope you'll notice the ascending honors of the analogies. The privileges are getting higher and higher the more Paul talks in today's text. First we had the analogy of citizenship, now we have the analogy of household membership.

And of course Paul has been saying this in various ways since the beginning. Look back at chapter 1 verse 2. Here's his greeting. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul the apostle says We have a common Father.

He's our Father. We are members of His household. Look at chapter 1 verse 5. Chapter 1 verse 5, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. Having predestined us, Paul says, I have been adopted, you have been adopted, so He is my adopted Father and your adopted Father.

Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. All this is saying the same thing in different ways. The blood of Jesus Christ has purchased our adoption. In chapter 1 verse 11, he speaks of inheritance. Inheritance is household family language.

And then now in chapter 2, we're right on the heels of verse 18. Chapter 2 verse 18, for through Him, through Jesus, we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Jews have access by one Spirit to the Father, and Gentiles have access by one spirit to the Father. This is our immediate context. Now, you can be a lifelong citizen of the United States.

I don't think there's any exceptions in the room to that. All lifelong citizens of the U.S. And that gives you exactly zero rights and privileges in the Dome household. So fellow citizens of the United States of America, There are a few of you in this room that have rights and privileges at the dome home, and it's because your name is Dome. The rest of you, we pledge to be nice to you there, but you don't have rights and privileges there.

So don't come and try to exercise them. So with this analogy, we're getting closer to the core. It is good to be in the kingdom, Amen, but it's better to be members of the household. 1 John 3 verse 1. So the privileges are just getting higher and higher.

It is a privilege to be in his kingdom, but it's better still to be a member of his household. 1 John 3, 1. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Think about the manner of love that the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called His children. A household is a society of love.

A kingdom, maybe not so much, but a household, definitely the privileges that you have in a household, you're not quoting your constitution for that. Do you have a household constitution that bestows the privileges. Know that the privileges flow from the relationship. It's understood. They're built in.

The rights and the privileges of the household are built in based on the relationship and affection. So there's an understood acknowledgement that we have obligations to one another and the obligations are grounded in affection. When the blood of Jesus gives you peace with God you become a member of his household. You are no longer far off but you have been brought near and nearer than a citizen. If Jesus Christ bought you with His blood, you have been made a citizen, but you've been brought nearer than a citizen.

You've been made a member of His household. The last major heading. The last major heading. Being saved by grace alone through faith alone means that we are being built together into a holy dwelling. If you are taking notes on the handout, dwelling fills in the blank.

Paul says that as believers we are built together into a holy dwelling. Let's look at verses 20-22. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. This third analogy, the first one was your fellow citizens, the second one was your household member, now the third one is your being made a holy dwelling may seem like a step back. I've been saying it's higher and higher.

Citizenship to household membership, but now we're being made a temple, that might seem like a step back to you. But I want to convince you that this is a greater honor still. We really are continuing to go higher because it is God who has chosen us to be His dwelling place. He thought of it. He planned for it.

He's building it. He will dwell in it. He is dwelling in it. Paul says three main things, and I'll trace them out verse by verse, just matching it up with the verse. Here are the three main things that he says in verses 20, 21, and 22.

Number one, this holy temple has been built on the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone." That's a pretty close paraphrase actually of verse 20. That's just what you find in verse 20. This holy temple, of which Paul is speaking, has been built on the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. This temple has a foundation, of course it has a foundation. Any building that's going to last has a foundation.

And that foundation is Jesus Christ. That's his title, not his name, Christ. Better still, maybe his office as The one anointed by God to be everything for His people, their prophet and priest and king, their Redeemer. The foundation is Jesus Christ and His apostles and His prophets. I say it that way because I want us to think of the apostles and prophets as nothing more than an extension of Jesus.

Jesus is the chief cornerstone and this chief cornerstone has raised up apostles. They are his apostles. He has raised up prophets. They are his prophets to form the foundation of this holy dwelling place for God. Let me give you several other texts of scripture that will help us better understand this.

The first is first Corinthians 9 verse 1. So Paul here in first Corinthians 9 is asserting his rights and authority as an apostle. He's establishing himself as having the rights of an apostle and the authority of an apostle. Here's what he says, Am I not an apostle? Am I not free?

Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" He asserts that he saw Jesus Christ the Lord. Now the other apostles we know that of, they walked with him, lived with him for three years, but Paul also saw the Lord. Paul actually also was called by the Lord and commissioned directly by the resurrected Jesus Christ himself. And This is how he introduces himself to the Ephesians. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

Sometimes this term is used in the New Testament as a broader, more general way, just one who is sent. And it doesn't have to be the eleven or Paul. It can be someone sent by a church. But sometimes It is used in a very definite way. Someone who was called directly, commissioned directly by Jesus Christ Himself, picked by Jesus, and commissioned by Jesus.

Paul claims to be that. Paul claims to have seen the Lord and been called directly by the Lord. We read this of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21, 14. Listen to Revelation 21, 14. It's speaking of the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven now the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them Were the names of the 12?

Apostles of the lamb so So clearly this is not the general usage, just someone who was sent. Clearly this is the more precise office of the apostles of the Lamb because there's a definite number fixed on them. They are the foundations of the New Jerusalem. Foundations, that comes right into our text, the church being built on them. They are called the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

This dwelling place for God is built on the Apostles, the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Next, Matthew 23 verse 34. Listen to Matthew 23 verse 34, which Jesus is speaking to the scribes and the Pharisees and he says, prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. He's actually in Matthew 23 announcing judgment on the scribes and Pharisees and he's foretelling that he's going to send to them prophets and that they will kill and crucify some and they'll scourge some in the synagogues and they'll persecute them from city to city.

Now the commentators are not unified on this, but I'm convinced that when our text says having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Paul is speaking of new covenant prophets, who God raised up to declare the new covenant in Jesus' blood to the first generation of the church, and to give us the New Testament. Question, who do you think Mark is? He's not an apostle, but Scripture comes from Him. God reveals directly to Him and through Him and gives us a Gospel. Who do you think Luke is?

He's not an apostle. Who do you think James is? Who do you think Jude is? James, the author of the book of James, is not the brother of John. He's not an apostle, but God raised him up to give revelation to his church.

They are prophets. Every author of scripture is a prophet. And I'm not saying we have to limit the definition to just those names, but I'm saying that that's what prophets are. Prophets are men that God raises up to give revelation directly to and through to his people. This I think is confirmed by Paul's usage of the exact same phrases later in Ephesians.

Listen to Ephesians 3 verse 5. Ephesians 3 verse 5. Which in other ages, he's speaking of the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets." Exactly the same words, in exactly the same order. The mystery of Christ was made known in Paul's generation by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.

Again, we find the same words in the same order in chapter 4 verse 11. He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, and then the list continues. I think these are new covenant prophets who God raised up to declare the new covenant in Jesus' blood to the first generation of the church and to give us the New Testament. That's why we have a New Testament, because of the apostles and prophets. Finally, Turn to 1 Corinthians 3.

It would be impossible to preach on this text and not come to 1 Corinthians 3. 1 Corinthians 3, 5-11. 1 Corinthians 3, verses 5-11. Who then is Paul? And who is Apollos?

But ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers.

You are God's field. You are God's building. Now listen to this beginning of verse 10. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ? If you wanted to summarize this, I think you would summarize it by saying that Paul is diminishing himself. He begins by saying, who then is Paul? Okay, I'm the planter, the planter is nothing. An exalting Christ.

No one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid, Jesus Christ. So then, according to what Paul is teaching here, even the apostles like Paul get 100% of their significance from Jesus. They are significant because Jesus saved them and raised them up for this purpose. Jesus is the chief cornerstone. These are not passages in conflict.

Paul didn't change his mind between 1 Corinthians 3 and Ephesians chapter 2. They're actually saying the same thing. Jesus Christ is the foundation. The apostles and prophets of Jesus Christ are just an extension of Him. Their significance comes from Him.

They have no significance apart from Him. This truth that Jesus is the foundation is actually first revealed in the Old Testament. It's not a New Testament truth. Listen to Psalm 118 verse 22. By the way, Psalm 118 is just full of prophecy about the Messiah.

So this is about God's promised Savior. Psalm 118, 22. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Now Jesus quotes this of himself to the chief priests and the elders in Matthew 21 and Luke 20. It's the same set of events, but it's recorded in both of those gospels, Matthew 21 and Luke 20.

So Jesus quotes Psalm 118, 22 of himself, the stone which the builders rejected, you scribes and Pharisees, you are rejecting me, has become the chief cornerstone. I am the chief cornerstone of the foundation of the building. What about Isaiah 28-16? Also, wonderfully messianic. Isaiah 28 has all sorts of content about God's promised Savior.

This is part of it. Isaiah 28, 16, Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. We're getting ready to go to 1 Peter 2 in a few minutes. And Peter quotes that and applies it to Jesus. Behold I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.

So the point is, God said he was going to do this in the New Testament, and then he did it. Jesus is the fulfillment of it. Jesus is the foundation. Listen to what Harold Hohner says about the cornerstone. The cornerstone was the first stone laid.

So let me just stop and comment. You're building a building. You have to start somewhere. Where do you start? The cornerstone.

It's the first stone laid. It must be. Now he's going to explain why it must be, why you can't start anywhere else. He continues, the builder was very careful to properly set this stone. The chief cornerstone here is the primary foundation stone at the angle of structure by which the architect fixes a standard for the bearings of the walls and the cross walls throughout.

It is that stone by which every other stone in the foundation and superstructure must be measured. In other words, you gauge everything off of this stone. The builder knew that to get the building right, you have to get this stone right, and then everything else is gauged, measured, compared against this stone. If it's in right relation to the chief cornerstone, it's right, if it's not, it's not right. It becomes the standard for everything.

Hohner ends this quote by saying, thus the building of the new person, the church, must be in conformity with the cornerstone, Christ Jesus. So that was number one. This holy temple has been built on the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. Again, please think of the apostles and prophets as His apostles and His prophets. They are an extension of Him and His authority and his revelation to us.

Now number two, the whole building is fitted together in Jesus Christ and is growing into a whole, into a holy temple. That's just a paraphrase of what is said in verse 21. The whole building is fitted together in Jesus Christ and is growing into a Holy Temple. In other words, it hasn't been built, it is being built. And if you're a believer, you're part of that continuation of the building of this Holy Temple.

Every phrase speaks of the activity of the builder. Look at verse 11. Ephesians 2 verse 11. Excuse me, verse 21. In whom the whole building being fitted together, the action of the builder, every phrase is pointing to the builder, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

We as believers are a holy temple in the Lord, says Paul. In other words, it is our Union with the chief cornerstone that makes us part of this building that is growing, continuing to be built. It is our union with the chief cornerstone that makes us part of this building. It makes it a holy temple. Paul calls this a holy temple and so it is.

It is the holy God's temple. He is holy and his temple is holy. He has set apart each stone to himself. That's my stone and I'm building it into the temple. And I'm fitting it together with other stones that I've also claimed for my own.

That's number two. I know I'm going fast on that one. I'm getting ready to combine a lot of stuff into number three. That was number two. The whole building is fitted together in Jesus Christ and is growing into a holy temple.

Number three, Gentile saints are being built into this dwelling place of God. Gentiles, believing Gentiles, are being built into this dwelling place of God. Look at verse 22, in whom You also, who is he talking to? The Ephesian believers. Are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Turn to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. Verses 4 through 10. 2 verses 4 through 10. Peter and Paul are singing off the same sheet of music.

Peter is actually expanding on the themes that Paul has introduced to us in Ephesians chapter 2. I'm in 1 Peter 2 verses 4 through 10. Follow along. Coming to Him, coming to Jesus, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, You also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ.

Therefore it is also contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame." That's the quote from Isaiah 28. Therefore, to you who believe he is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. So that's what Jesus had quoted of himself from Psalm 118, and Peter picks that up here. And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumbled being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." Believing friends, just imagine this. We are the living stones. We are the living stones. Jesus is the chief cornerstone. He is the ultimate living stone.

We get our life from him, but we have been made living stones. Listen to what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6, 16. He is actually making the case for the people of God to come out and to be separate from the world. He says this, And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.

As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people." Paul there is quoting Leviticus 26 where God promises to dwell in his people and a walk among his people. To be their God and to take them as his people. What an amazing privilege. God says he will dwell among us.

He will dwell in us and walk among us. Now let's go back to our text. Living stones, built together, fitted together. Look again at verses 21 and 22. Ephesians 2, 21 and 22.

In whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Once again we have this rich Trinitarian theology. It's the third time we've seen it. We're finishing chapter two today. We've already had these three pockets of Trinitarian theology.

One in chapter one talking about the Trinity and its work of salvation. We've had it, I think it was last week, now we have it again. God the Father dwells in this temple which is built on God the Son, the chief cornerstone. And He dwells there in the Spirit. Look at verse 18 again, for through him, for through Jesus we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

There was the Trinity again. And it's saying, or it's building on what was said there. It is the Spirit who paves the way for our access to God the Father. Here again we have rich Trinitarian theology. God the Father dwells in the temple which is built on God the Son and He dwells there in the Spirit.

It's the Spirit that gives us access. The Holy Spirit indwells these living stones and is fitting them together just so. This is no willy-nilly building project. The stones are being fitted together just so. It is the Holy Spirit doing that.

In summary, if you belong to Jesus by grace alone through faith alone, you are a fellow citizen with the saints. You are a member of the household of God. You are a living stone built onto the chief cornerstone, Jesus who is the Christ. Applications, let me give you two. One, believers One, believers, drink in these privileges.

Drink it in. Remember what Paul is doing. He's piling up our riches in 1-3, So that when we get to chapters four through six to talk about how it should impact our life, it won't seem like a burden, it'll seem like a privilege to live to his honor. So to skim over this now will be to not be ready for four through six. And four through six will be drudgery to us.

So drink it in now. This is going on the pile of riches. You are fellow citizens with the saints. What do you mean? The great cloud of witnesses.

What do you mean? Abraham and Moses. You have the rights and all of the rights and privileges enjoyed by Abraham and Moses and and and and and and. Go back to Hebrews 11 and read it, and then think about all the Christians that you know today. None of them have rights and privileges that you don't have.

Think of the privileges that you have as members of the household. You are the object of the Father's affections. You don't have to quote the Constitution to him. You get the privileges because you're in relationship with Him. You're a living stone being built into a holy temple.

He dwells in you. He walks with you. Better said, He dwells in us, He walks with us. This is about God and His people. So believers drink in the privileges.

Unbelievers, I was praying this this morning, that unbelievers would just feel the lack. That a study of the rights and privileges of the believer would make the unbeliever desire it. I guess we could say, flee the wrath to come, but in a study of this passage, does it need to come to that? Do we even need to tell you to contemplate hell when the thought of a citizenship in this kingdom being offered, membership in this household being offered, to have God dwell in you and walk with you that being offered. Must you be threatened by hell today?

When we're considering our privileges, May God make you hungry and thirsty. Number two, consider the Ephesians. Consider Acts 19, where the people rush into the theater and for three hours chant, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Because Ephesus was the home of a temple. It was considered one of the seven wonders of the world at that time.

Seven wonders, one of them was the temple of Diana in Ephesus. It was such a source of pride in the city and commerce too. That's really what Acts 19 is about is people are losing their silversmithing revenue because of the progress of the gospel in Ephesus. But now in Christ Jesus, people who used to be proud to be from Ephesus, the home of one of the great wonders of the world, are being fitted together into a spiritual temple. There's something so figurative there.

Walking away from the old idols. Walking away from the old temples of idolatry, and becoming a living stone to be owned by Jesus Christ, to be made into a holy temple where God dwells. That happened both literally and figuratively to the Ephesians. We need to walk away from the old temples to idols. God, thank you for a continuing piling up of the riches of your grace towards those who trust in your son.

May it be sweeter and sweeter week by week. Thank you for the unsearchable riches of Christ that we become partakers of simply by trusting your son. May these things be so sweet to us and may every unbeliever among us begin to crave, crave these rights and privileges. In Jesus' name, Amen.