Pastor Christi Hendrickson | 3-15-2026
In a world where division seems to be the norm and unity feels elusive, the apostle Paul’s message to the Ephesians offers profound hope. Through Christ, God has created something revolutionary – one new humanity from two previously divided groups. This message of unity isn’t just ancient history; it speaks directly to our modern struggles with division and hostility.
What Does It Mean to Be “Before Christ”?
Paul paints a stark picture of what life looked like before Christ for the Gentiles (which includes us today). We were:
- Outsiders and uncircumcised heathens
- Living apart from Christ
- Excluded from citizenship among God’s people
- Ignorant of God’s covenant promises
- Living without God and without hope
- Far away from Him
This description might feel harsh, but it serves an important purpose. We need to remember where we came from to fully appreciate where Christ has brought us. Some of us can remember life before knowing Jesus – perhaps choosing rebellion, foolishness, or simply living disconnected from God’s purposes.
How Has Christ Changed Everything?
The transformation Christ brings is complete and overwhelming. Paul shows us that every aspect of our former condition has been addressed:
From Outsider to United: We went from being outsiders to being united with Christ Jesus – you can’t get more included than that.
From Division to Peace: The wall of hostility between different groups was broken down. This wasn’t a gentle process – walls come down with hammers, and Jesus brought a big one when stubborn divisions needed to be destroyed.
From Exclusion to New Citizenship: Rather than just adding us to an existing group, God redefined citizenship entirely, creating “one new people” – His people.
From Ignorance to Inheritance: When Christ welcomed us in, we received all of God’s promises.
From Hopelessness to Good News: We received not just salvation, but peace as well.
Why Was This Message Revolutionary?
This unity between Jews and Gentiles was unprecedented. The Jews had always enjoyed the status of being God’s chosen people, and now they had to accept that Gentiles could enter the kingdom through the same door – the blood of Christ.
The Jews were suffering from spiritual pride, counting on their rituals and heritage to make them favorable to God, when God was looking for contrite and compassionate hearts. Meanwhile, the Gentiles in Ephesus were too busy with education, careers, money, and luxury living to even realize they needed saving.
Sound familiar? Both groups suffered from sin and both needed the Savior to rescue them.
What Is Spiritual Pride and How Does It Divide Us?
Spiritual pride is just as dangerous today as it was then. It causes us to look at others with judgment, keeping us divided instead of united. It convinces us that “at least I’m not as messed up as that person” and makes us nose-blind to our own stinking sin.
We all fall short of the glory of God. There are no phases of filthiness – filthy is filthy, and sin is sin. When we attempt to classify sin or put ourselves above others, we invite judgment on ourselves and miss the message of unity that Scripture presents repeatedly.
How Does the Enemy Attack Unity?
The enemy loves to keep us divided because unity is a God ideal. He doesn’t need much to keep the fires of division burning – he simply takes aim at our peace, our minds, and our relationships, slightly twisting circumstances and words to convince us that everyone is our enemy.
More seriously, the enemy tries to convince us that God Himself is our enemy. This happens when biblical truths offend our fallen nature:
- Jesus being the only way to heaven
- God’s design for marriage and sexuality
- His commands against gossip, lying, stealing, and coveting
Our pride doesn’t like to be told no. We don’t like to be humbled by correction. Our flesh wants what it wants, and it wants it now.
What Does It Mean That Christ Is Our Cornerstone?
A cornerstone serves as the fundamental reference point for an entire building’s construction. It’s the first stone laid, and every other stone is positioned in relation to it to ensure the structure is level and properly aligned.
Christ is our solid starting point on which we build our faith. Everything in our spiritual lives must be positioned in relation to Him. Both Paul and Peter used this same metaphor, showing how central this truth was to the early church.
Peter took it one step further, explaining that for those who reject Christ, He becomes not a cornerstone but a stumbling block. You can beat your head against Jesus all day long if you want – He’s not going to move.
How Do We Walk Out Unity Practically?
Understand Who You Are in Christ
Unless we understand our identity in Christ, it’s difficult to have time and space for other people. In our own humanness, we’re not very patient with others. But with Christ in us, we have a deep well to draw from. No believer is more than or less than another.
Walk in Humility and Unity with Others
This means guarding our thoughts, words, and actions toward others, seeing the same value in them that Christ saw in us when He was willing to go to the cross for us and them.
Serve Like You Understand the Gift
Being adopted into the family of God is not a small gift. We have the amazing opportunity to share that gift with others through our witness, testimony, and actions.
Serving comes in many different forms – from making coffee to teaching children, from greeting people to leading small groups. The 80/20 principle (where 20% of people do 80% of the work) isn’t found anywhere in Scripture. We’re supposed to be a body where everyone is uniquely gifted and serves a purpose.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to break down walls of division in your own life. First, examine your heart for areas of spiritual pride or judgment toward others. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you might be looking down on someone else’s sin while being blind to your own.
Second, take a practical step toward unity by getting involved in serving others. Whether it’s volunteering at church, joining a small group, or simply being more intentional about encouraging others, find a way to work shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow believers. Unity grows when we serve together.
Questions for Reflection:
- What groups or individuals do I harbor hostility toward, and how can I allow Christ to break down those walls?
- Am I serving in a way that builds unity in the body of Christ, or am I content to let others do the work?
- How can I better guard my thoughts, words, and actions to reflect the unity Christ died to create?
Remember, Christ didn’t just bring us peace with God – He brought us peace with each other. The same blood that saved you also saved the person you’re tempted to judge. We are one new humanity, built on the solid foundation of Christ our cornerstone.