In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul invites believers to remember their spiritual journey—to reflect on where they once were and where they are now in Christ. This powerful passage highlights the dramatic transformation that occurs when we move from being separated from God to being united with Him through Jesus.

Remember Where You Once Were

Paul begins with a powerful command: “Remember.” Memory is an amazing gift that allows us to step back in time and reflect on our journey. For Christians, remembering our life before Christ helps us appreciate the magnitude of what God has done for us.

Paul reminds the Ephesian Gentiles of five negative aspects of their former condition:

• They were “without Christ”
• They were “without a country” (alienated from he commonwealth of Israel)
• They were “without a promise” (strangers to the covenant)
• They were “without hope”
• They were “without a God in the world”

The stark description paints a picture of complete spiritual destitution. Before Christ, we were outsiders with no spiritual heritage, no promise to cling to, no hope for the future, and no relationship with God.

Romans 1:18-23 further describes this condition, explaining that people “suppress the truth” about God despite His attributes being “clearly perceived.” Though people inherently know right from wrong through God’s moral code written on their hearts, their sinful nature leads them away from obedience.

The Power of “But Now” In Our Spiritual Journey

After this sobering reminder of their past condition, Paul introduces a dramatic shift with two simple words in vers 13: “But now.”

These words signal a complete transformation. Just as we saw “but God” earlier in the chapter, “but now” indicates a divine intervention that changes everything. Those who were “far off” have been “brought near by the blood of Christ.”

This transformation includes:

• Justification through Christ
• Adoption into God’s family
• Sanctification (cleansing)
• A renewed promise
• New citizenship in God’s kingdom

The emphasis on “but now” carries a stronger impact than the earlier phrases “once” and “at that time.” It marks the decisive moment when everything changed because of what Jesus accomplished.

How Christ Removed the Barriers Between Us and God

Paul then explains how Jesus removed the restraints that kept us from God and established reconciliation in their place. “For he himself is our peace,” Paul declares in verse 14.

This fulfills prophecies like Micah 5:4, which promised “he shall be your peace,” and Isaiah 9:6, which named the coming Messiah the “Prince of Peace.” The beauty of Jesus’ message is that He brings calm to our turmoil and peace to our anxiety.

Paul uses the imagery of the temple to illustrate what Christ accomplished. In this Jerusalem temple, a physical wall separated the Court of Gentiles from the inner courts. Signs warned that any Gentile crossing this barrier faced death. The physical barrier represented the spiritual separation between Jews and Gentiles, and ultimately between humanity and God.

Interestingly, the very first court of the temple was a Court of Gentiles—perhaps God’s early indication that His gospel would eventually include both Jews and Gentiles. The barrier of sin prevented further access, but Christ’s work on the cross removed this barrier. When Jesus died, the temple curtain tore from top to bottom, symbolizing that access to God was now available to all through Christ. Paul understood this so well that in Acts 21, he brought a Gentile beyond the temple barrier, causing outrage among religious leaders who hadn’t grasped the significance of Christ’s work.

The Cross: Where Reconciliation Happens

The reconciliation Christ achieved wasn’t God being reconciled to man, but man being reconciled to God. This reconciliation happened at the cross. As Romans 5:10 explains, “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” The cross isn’t merely a pulpit from which Christ proclaimed God’s friendship toward sinners—it’s an altar where the actual work of reconciliation was accomplished.

Through Christ, we now have access to the Father through the Spirit. It’s like being personally escorted into the throne room of God, with all the privileges that entails.

Becoming God’s Refurbished Temple

In the final section of this passage, Paul shifts to the imagery of a building. Believers are no longer “foreigners” without rights or privileges but are now “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

We’ve been transformed from outsiders to insiders, from stranger to family members. As Hebrews 12:22-24 describes, we have “come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.”

Paul describes this new spiritual structure as being:

• Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
• With Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone
• Joined together and growing into a holy temple
• Being built into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit

1 Peter 2:4-6 uses similar imagery, describing believers as “living stones being built up as a spiritual house.” Each believer fits perfectly with the cornerstone, Christ, though the structure won’t be complete until Christ returns.

Our lives have been “refurbished” to host the Holy Spirit. Like a renovated house that’s been transformed for a new purpose, our hearts have been prepared as a dwelling place for God’s presence.

Life Application

As we reflect on this passage, we’re challenged to remember our own spiritual journey—where we were before Christ and where we are now. This remembrance should fuel our gratitude and deepen our commitment to live as God’s dwelling place.

Consider these questions this week:

• Do I regularly take time to remember what Christ has saved me from, or have I forgotten the magnitude of His grace in my life?
• Are there walls of hostility I’m maintaining between myself and others that Christ died to tear down?
• How am I allowing God to continue “refurbishing” areas of my life that don’t yet reflect His character?
• In what ways am I living as a “living stone” in God’s spiritual house, connected to other believers and built on Christ the cornerstone?

This week, take time to thank God for bringing you from separation to unity, from alienation to family membership, and from hopelessness to purpose. Then look for one practical way to extend that same reconciling love to someone else who needs to experience the peace of Christ.