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The Holy Temple



Ephesians Series

Sunday

February 1st, 2026


Introduction

What is God’s ultimate desire in relation to us?


Revelation 21:3 “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”


Read Ephesians 2:11-22


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-- 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 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, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.


Pray


Exposition, Explanation, & Illustration

Verse 11 introduces the change of subject.


  1. By the Blood - verse 13


    1. You Once Were Far Off - verse 12


      1. Aliens


      2. Strangers


      3. Godless


    2. But Now You Are Brought Near


      1. Jeremiah 31:31-34 "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah . . . .I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts . . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”


      2. Matthew 26:28 "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”


      3. 2 Corinthians 3:6 “ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”


      4. Hebrews 8:13 “He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete.”


      5. Hebrews 9:15 “He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.


  2. Our Peace - verse 17


    1. The Curtain - verse 14


    2. The Commandments - verse 15


    3. The Cross - verse 16


  3. One Spirit - verse 18


    1. Fellow Citizens - verse 19


    2. Family Members - verse 19


    3. Framed into the Building - verses 20-21


      1. Cornerstone - Jesus


      2. Foundation - Apostles and Prophets


      3. Framed Together - Jews and Gentiles


      4. Grows to a Holy Temple


And with verse 22, we come back to where we started.



What does God want?

To dwell with His people.


Application

Mark 15:38 “Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”


One New Man - verse 15


One Body - verse 16


One Spirit - verse 18



Not only are Jews and Gentiles all one in Christ, but also we are all being put together into a beautiful temple for our God.


Invitation

TRUST

Access


MISTRUST

Peace?


Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NKJV.

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