Ephesians 2:11-12
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) - remember at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants
of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Reflection
These two verses of scripture capture the essence of what it means to be alienated from God. This passage paints a bleak picture of what it means to not be able to have an alive and vibrant relationship with God. We are excluded from all the goodness of God. We are not allowed citizenship in God’s kingdom. In a very real way we are outsiders. We are cut off. In our alienated state God’s promises are null and void. This passage sums it up in this way: we are without hope and we are without God in this world.
This is a picture of complete and total spiritual desolation. Use this day to reflect on how hopeless our situation is without Christ. We sometimes need to reflect on what it would be without Christ so that we can rejoice in the blessings of living in Christ.
