The Greatest House

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit”
Ephesians 2:19-22

I am not sure if it was the work of historical fiction I had recently read or the world waiting for the newest member of the British royal family to be born, but I was thinking about the House of Windsor and that great house is the inspiration for this week’s devotion. Now I am not talking about actual house here, rather in this case it is the family that is called a house, so the House of Windsor is of course the royal family. There are other famous houses of course for example: The House of David, from Old Testament Israel, The House of Romanov - Russia and perhaps you are familiar with the House of Faberge. All of these houses are or were powerful and influential families. 

In this week’s passage Paul is telling the Christians in Ephesus they are no longer outsiders, they have become part of a great house - The House of God, members of a royal family. Unlike earthly royal families or Houses, the House of God has no line of succession, because the King will sit on the throne forever. Jesus Christ is that King and as Paul tells the Ephesians the House of God is built on a foundation of the apostles and prophets and held together by Jesus Himself. Furthermore, because this King in His power and might, compassion and love, mercy and grace has defeated our greatest enemy, we who are members of the House of God; because we have believed and trusted in Jesus have the ability, the right and the power necessary to influence our world. 

But, the privilege of being a member of this great house, the greatest house there will ever be, comes with great responsibility. It is probably safe to say that we each know at least one person who claims to be a member of the House, but whose words and actions bring shame to the family, who hurt others in the name of the King or whose hearts have not really been transformed by Jesus’ amazing grace and love and so live selfish instead of selfless lives. 

This week, I want to challenge you to reflect the power, compassion, love, mercy and grace, things that are the hallmarks of the eternal House of God - to positively influence the world around you, to love those the world says are unlovable, to hold up those who are weak, and to love the sinners around you because you are one as well, love them right into the greatest house.

A Prayer
Father – How amazing it is that we are called sons and daughters of the King, because we have been redeemed by the King’s own blood. Thank you that we are part of the greatest house, the eternal House of God. Help us to live as a reflection of Your House to the world around us, drawing them to Christ so that they too may be called sons and daughters. Jesus is King and He reigns forever over the House of God. It is in the name of the King we pray, Amen.