Send us a text Brought Near: From Distance to Family Ever felt like God was far away or like you were on the outside looking in? From Hopeless Distance to Nearness Paul reminds Gentile believers that they once stood separated from Christ, cut off from Israel’s commonwealth and the covenants of promise, “having no hope and without God in the world.” Remembering that former distance is not to keep them in shame but to magnify the sheer mercy of God in bringing them near. Now, in Christ Jesus, those who were far away have been brought near by His blood, given access to God, folded into His people, and included in promises once limited to Israel. Remembering Without Living in Shame Twice, Paul commands, “Remember,” pressing believers to recall who they were before grace found them. Gratitude, not groveling, becomes the basic posture of those who live as people brought near. The Old Testament as Our Story When Gentiles are united to Christ, they are grafted into the people of God and share in the story that runs from Abraham through Israel to the new covenant. The Old Testament ceases to be distant religious history and becomes the family record of promises that now reach them in Jesus. Israel’s covenants, the faithfulness God showed through exile and return, and the hope voiced by prophets now belong to every believer as fuel for present courage and perseverance. Ephesus: When Idols Lose Their Grip In first‑century Ephesus, the gospel did not merely change private beliefs; it disrupted an entire city. Grace still works this way today, undermining economies of fear, superstition, and performance when people leave their old gods—whether success, approval, or control for Christ. Legalism’s Trap and True Righteousness External marks and law‑keeping had become badges of superiority. Neither circumcision nor meticulous law observance ever reconciled anyone to God; they could highlight sin but not remove it. True righteousness rests entirely on Jesus. When that sinks in, the exhausting “do more, be more” soundtrack of legalism gives way to a life lived from Christ’s finished work rather than toward self‑made righteousness. Living as Those Brought Near Identity is anchored not in shifting spiritual performance but in union with the crucified and risen Savior who has made a way to the Father. Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube , Substack , Twitter, LinkedIn , Facebook , and Instagram .
