It is possible for someone to identify with a particular church and

as a result of their heritage or their family tradition and yet not actually be

included in the real church, the global community of God's chosen people. So what

might be missing? We'll find out today on Truth for Life.

Alistair Begg is teaching from Ephesians chapter 2, we're in verses 19 through 22.

The community that God has been putting together from eternity to eternity is this

community, the church. And that's why his focus is not on America. That's why

his focus is not on Britain because his focus is on his people, a people that he

is determined to call out from all of time. Now Paul addresses this in Ephesians

2, he reminds these Ephesian Christians first of all of what they were.

Consider, he says, what you were. Consider secondly what Christ did verse 13. He

shed his blood. Why? Because without the shedding of blood there is no way for sin

to be remitted. If there is any other way, then there is no need for a crucified

Christ. He shed his blood. He brought us near. He made us alive. He saved us.

That's why he's then able to go on and say consider what you are. Verse 6, you are

seated in the heavenly realms. You are ready, verse 10, to do good. Verse 7, you're

being prepared for a quite incredible show and tell. He's seated as with him in

the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order than in the coming ages. He might

have a show and tell of the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his

kindness to his in Jesus. In other words, he's going to have this amazing event and

he's going to bring people along and he'll say there she is. Look at her. Do you

know what she once was? Made alive, saved, transformed. This is the church. Now you

...