A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 11

 

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:7–13 ESV).

 

Today we look at the second great “mystery” is a part of the unsearchable riches of Christ that the Apostle Paul notes: “… so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known” (V. 10). He is saying we have found the riches in the WONDER OF THE CHURCH. Now, of course, he is speaking of the real body of Christ, not individual organizations or denominations as we know the church to be today. In fact, there are times when I wonder if we even have a frame of reference to understand the concept Paul did. We have become so fractured and divided in our petty differences that a unified Church is hardly recognizable today.

 

That does not negate the truth Paul cites in this text. We should look at three singular principles Paul outlines in this section:

 

One of the greatest treasures is the Church, the body of Christ (v. 10). AS I have written above, there are many who would argue with that statement. If we look at the church merely as an institution there is a basis for such an argument. The church has had a checkered past with its sins and wars. Yet when we truly look within, the marvelous nature of the church cannot be exaggerated. At the heart of the church’s existence is a covenant, a “testament” as the familiar title pages of our Bibles clearly tell us. To create heaven and earth was a wonder in itself. It was a further marvel to create man as a rational being, a being free to turn into a rebel against his Creator. But then to woo him back to a relationship of love and obedience, to create a people who live emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually in a similar relationship of grace and forgiveness is a wonder indeed!

 

The apostle then says it was according to his eternal purpose (v. 11). The emphatic nature of Paul’s argument is clearly shown here. We have gained this great gift through no accident or work of our own doing. It is through the eternal will and purpose of the almighty Creator, Lord of all creation!

 

Then Paul places a capstone on this truth as he writes: In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (v. 12).  These three concepts of access, freedom, and confidence are bound together. The word translated “approach” is a word that would be used in the phrase “freedom of speech.” It means we can come to Him and say whatever is on our heart and mind. In fact, he emphasizes that truth with the next descriptor of “freedom.” It speaks of the notion that there is no need for fear of rejection. We won’t be turned away from His presence for any reason. And, last he uses the word “confidence.” It really indicates assurance. The three words together form one complete idea that through faith we have free, unrestricted, confident access to God!

 

But wouldn’t you expect that? Surely that’s what Jesus meant when He used the comparison of God as our Heavenly Father and said:

 

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 NIV).

 

 

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 10

 

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:7–13 ESV).

 

As I wrote yesterday, we continue with this passage and the first of three incredible declarations of the Apostle Paul concerning the “mystery” within this unsearchable treasure we have been given in Christ. The apostle says we have found the riches in the FELLOWSHIP of the mystery (v 9).

 

Various translations have used different words to convey the meaning of the word “administration.” The Revised Standard Version uses “dispensation”; The King James Version uses “fellowship”; and The Message simply says, “… things that are way over my head”! The emphasis ought to be on the word “mystery.” One of the great riches of Christ is found in the “mystery” that “while we were yet sinners” He would come and die for us (cf. Romans 5:6-8). That’s what captivated Paul! He had found this great treasure and become a steward in the worldwide distribution of God’s message of grace.

 

It is not a trifling matter. To think of the lengths that God went in order to redeem us is incredible. I have heard others explain away this mysterious blessing by charging that God had no other choice. Somehow, He had to save man from the consequences of his sin. His nature demanded that He send Jesus. How dare we cheapen the great gift of God’s only begotten son with such a declaration! As if the almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe had no other choice! He had a choice and He chose grace!

 

Since the very beginning when Adam and Eve chose to live in opposition to God, He has been working this great mystery of grace on our behalf. Surely you remember the story. God comes to the garden to walk with them as was His custom. He calls out to them, knowing well they were hiding in their shame and guilt, “Adam, where are you?” do you believe for a moment that God did not know where Adam was? Can you not see the impact of his gentle compassion for Adam and Eve? Adam finally answers, “We’re over here.” He’s hiding behind some bushes because he is ashamed of his nakedness. I’ve always found that a little humorous! Like God did not know what they looked like! But still god is patient. He asks, “What happened?” And the blame game begins. Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent; and God speaks. He allowed the curse of death to fall on them. He allowed them to reap what they had sown even though it must have broken His heart. God told them of the promise of the Savior:

 

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head. (Genesis 3:15 NIV).

 

He spoke the promise to them with clarity as He said their “seed” would “bruise the head of the tempter’s “seed.” Through humanity God would allow Himself to become the perfect sacrifice to pay the full and final price for our redemption. But He didn’t stop there. God’s plan would take thousands of years to unfold and finalize their redemption. God also ministered to their immediate need. He made garments for them to go out into the world from the “skins of animals.” Even then God was showing them the tremendous price that would be paid for their choice. Only the blood of God’s only begotten Son would be sufficient!

 

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 9

 

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:7–13 ESV).

 

I honestly do not know how many sermons, homilies, devotionals, or Bible studies I have written and/or spoken. Over the last five-plus decades it numbers in the thousands. Of all of those my wife, Mary, has heard/read them all. Of that number only one has managed to garner the title of her “favorite.” It is taken directly from our reading today and titles “The Unsearchable Riches of Christ.” And dare I say that I have preached this sermon on multiple occasions in many different places literally all over the world. The reason it is her favorite is not in my delivery; rather, it is in the impact of the Scripture itself.

 

The Apostle Paul says that he has now become privy to a far greater treasure than any man may have discovered. It is the treasure of grace that is unsearchable in its depth or height, breadth or length. It is the content of Paul’s message to the Gentiles then and to us today. This phrase, the unsearchable riches of Christ, uses a very vivid Greek word. It literally means “untrackable,” or “inexplorable.” It is simply too vast to be measured! I remember vividly how my Greek professor, Curtis Vaughn, described it:

 

It suggests the figure of a man standing, with uplifted arms, in a posture of great amazement, before continuous revelations of immeasurable and unspeakable glory. It is as if a man were tracking out the confines of a lake, walking its boundaries, and when the circuit were almost complete should find that it was no lake at all, but an arm of the ocean, and that he was confronted by the immeasurable sea!

 

That is his message! That is the treasure! And when we begin to hear it ourselves we must be struck by it as well. That God would love us so much that He would send His only son to die on our behalf, giving us access to fellowship with Him again is the most incredible treasure any man could possess! The Apostle Paul details three specific parts of this treasure we now have found in Christ. We will look at one of these in each of the next three devotionals. For now let me simply list them so you may begin to ponder each of them today:

 

§  First, we have found the riches in the FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY (verse 9).

 

§  Second, we have found the riches in the WONDER OF THE CHURCH (verses 10-13).

 

§  Third, we have found the riches in the FAMILY OF GOD (verses 14-21).

 

I pray you will recognize these are your treasures as well! Take heart in whatever circumstance your journey has presented. Your treasure is secured by the Holy Spirit of God living within you!

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 8

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:1–6 ESV).

 

What a whirlwind of theology and spiritual understanding the Apostle Paul has written thus far in just two chapters! We have seen Paul describe our blessings in Christ, his prayer for us to further know those blessings, his articulation on how we have been reconciled in Christ both to God and to one another, and the wondrous reality of belonging to Jesus’ church. Chapter three is the final section of Ephesians’ doctrinal first half and the first of Paul’s detailing the unsearchable riches in the kingdom.

 

With our reading today we begin another path of the understanding of who we are in this marvelous, mysterious gift of God in Christ Jesus. The key word within our present text is indeed “mystery”, which Paul has already used once before in this letter. Clarifying and expounding upon the themes of chapter two, the apostle now presents to us what is the long-hidden mystery of Christ.

 

Remember that Paul was a Jew of such pedigree that he called himself “a Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). This most Jewish of all Jews now claims to be imprisoned on the Gentiles’ behalf, even though he was actually imprisoned by Gentiles. We should understand why he would say this. John Chrysostom strikes at the very heart of the matter:

 

“This is a very emphatic statement. Not only do we not hate you; we are even imprisoned on your account!”

 

So far has Christ removed the hostility between Jew and Gentile from Paul that he is happily in chains on their behalf.

 

This is the truly uniting work of the gospel. The world seems to promote counterfeits of unity by calling us to be tolerant, respectful, and nice toward one another, which rarely seems to play out. The gospel, however, does not merely call us to tolerate one another; it calls us to love one another, even sacrificially. This is love that the world cannot imitate because it only flows from the One who is love. The same love displayed through God the Son giving His own life in our place is also displayed in Paul the Jew being imprisoned for the message of grace that he proclaimed to the Gentiles. This grace knows no imitation!

 

What a contrast to today’s culture! The name calling and vitriol that passes for the passion of our belief and our effort to right the wrongs of our culture has no place in true Christianity. The gospel is a unifying force among all peoples. Of course, Paul is not condoning an acceptance of that which is clearly not God’s will and purpose; however, he is condemning the hatred of the sinner instead of the sin. That is our calling today! 

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 7

 

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:14–22 ESV).

 

I love the first verses in today’s reading: “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both,” so he’s now thinking of Jews and everybody else, “us both one and has broken down in his [own] flesh,” by dying on the cross, “the dividing wall of hostility,” all the hostility that was engendered by the Jews having a Law and the others being passed over, is over (vv. 14–15). That’s over, in Jesus Christ.

 

“By abolishing the law of commandments,” that is, these commandments are not how you come in to favor with God (v. 15). Christ is how you come into favor with God. What a message we have for the world. Christianity is a universally relevant religion. There’s nothing in the essence of Christianity that makes it unintelligibility in any culture on the planet. There are overlapping human needs and divine realities that correspond in every culture. He’s torn away everything that would make it impossible to do global evangelism.

 

“That he might create in himself one new man in place of the two,” just thinking of Israel, and then the world. That’s not the way to think about it anymore. “So, making peace, reconciles us both to God,” that’s got to happen first, “in one body through the cross” (vv. 15–16). Picture it like this. Here are these two camps, Israel and the world, and here’s the cross, and here’s God. And Israel and the nations are alienated from God. Both are broken, neither can fix that brokenness. The apostle then says “a new man” has come in place of the of two and is making peace. The Gentiles have to be reconciled to God. Israel had been rebellious all their history. They’ve got to be reconciled to God. That reconciliation happens here. No end run around the cross, like, “Oh. God can get reconciled to God, Mr. Gentile, and have your nice little tribal religion. And Jew, you can get reconciled to God, and have your little tribal religion.” No, that’s not the way it works.

 

Jesus Christ comes, and you go to God like this, so that, here you have become one new man. This brings massive implications, all over the world, today. Most wars in the world are ethnic-driven, religion and ethnic, religion and ethnic. And if this message were made clearer, perhaps there would be more understanding of what Christianity is all about.

 

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 6

 

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11–13 ESV).

 

Since I have begun to have a bit of problem with my memory, I asked my primary care physician at the last visit if he thought I should do some sort of testing for early memory loss. He seemed a bit surprised, though at my age I’m not at all surprised at that. He said the first step would be to take a short verbal test. The nurse came in after the doctor finished his exam and began to ask questions. I’ve done similar tests before, though this one was a bit longer and more detailed. I must confess I did not score a 100. When given five words to remember and asked later in the testing, I only got four of them. And I became a bit flustered that it seemed difficult to name very many animals in a 60 second time period; I only got 45 different animals! Well, after drawing an analog clock reading the time of 10:50, she began to score the test. I confess that if she told me score I don’t remember it at this writing. Though she did say it was well into the normal range for someone of my age. So, I suppose my memory loss is just age-related.

 

Remembering is important. This is the reason the Apostle Paul begins our reading today with a “Therefore, remember.” The “remember” command begins verse 12 as well. “Therefore, remember.” That is, in the light of the glory of what God has done for you in the gospel, outlined in the preceding verses, removing your status as objects of wrath, pouring out grace upon you so that you have faith to believe.… “Therefore,” he says, “in the light of the glory of what has happened to you in the gospel, it is imperative that you remember what you have been saved from.”

 

That point is made implicitly a little earlier (v. 3). “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” So, here he again says, “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.”

 

When you work through biblical passages on remembering and forgetting, it’s remarkable that the Bible tells us there are certain things we should remember and certain things we should forget. For example, in Philippians, Paul says he forgets certain things. He determines to forget certain things. “Forgetting those things which are past,” he says, “I press on for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus.”

 

In the context, the things he wants to forget are, in fact, the things he might be puffed up with pride over. He wants to forget all his intrinsic advantages. He wants to forget something of the spectacular triumphs he has seen in the gospel, because he knows full well that in the end we’re not more than unprofitable servants. We could all have done better, done more, been more consistent. We’re all debtors to grace.

 

Knowing that brings us to the incredible reality of being chosen in Christ! That prompts us to gratitude and wonder! Then we are truly moved by the Gospel! I am very grateful I have not forgotten that I once was lost and now I am found!

 

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 5

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV).

 

Today we come to one of the most familiar passages in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians church. It speaks of grace. That word in the original language is χάρις, (charis, or phonetically: “khar'-ece”). It is used often in the Scripture. Our word here is from chairo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude); it can also mean acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, joy, liberality, pleasure, and thanks worthy.

 

It shouldn’t surprise us that because we are believers we talk about it a lot, frequently defining it as “God’s unmerited favor towards us.” And indeed, it is. It is by God’s grace that we are saved, and not by anything we have done or could do (v. 8). God’s grace has dealt with our separation from God through sin and we now have a future with him. It is unfortunate however that we often leave it there. We will see much more of this in future readings. Today, however, let’s deal with the grace of God and our salvation.

 

Our salvation is a gift from God. It is something that God, because of his grace, chooses to give to me. There is nothing I can do that would make me worthy of that gift of salvation. Often there is some confusion in the larger community of believers across various denominations about how the grace of God is obtained. The Apostle Paul briefly deals with those questions when he writes “…this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works” (v. 8). John Calvin writes:

 

Having treated of election and of effectual calling, he [Paul] arrives at this general conclusion, that they had obtained salvation by faith alone. First, he asserts, that the salvation of the Ephesians was entirely the work, the gracious work of God. But then they had obtained this grace by faith. On one side, we must look at God; and, on the other, at man. God declares, that he owes us nothing; so that salvation is not a reward or recompense, but unmixed grace. The next question is, in what way do men receive that salvation which is offered to them by the hand of God? The answer is, by faith; and hence he concludes that nothing connected with it is our own. If, on the part of God, it is grace alone, and if we bring nothing but faith, which strips us of all commendation, it follows that salvation does not come from us.

 

Others push back against such a position with the issue of free will. Calvin goes further in this part of his study into this epistle by writing:

 

Ought we not then to be silent about free-will, and good intentions, and fancied preparations, and merits, and satisfactions? There is none of these which does not claim a share of praise in the salvation of men; so that the praise of grace would not, as Paul shews, remain undiminished. When, on the part of man, the act of receiving salvation is made to consist in faith alone, all other means, on which men are accustomed to rely, are discarded. Faith, then, brings a man empty to God, that he may be filled with the blessings of Christ. And so he adds, not of yourselves; that claiming nothing for themselves, they may acknowledge God alone as the author of their salvation.

 

Just as a baby is born without any personal effort or participation, so the believer is born again without any personal effort or participation. That is not to say that our sanctification is without participation or effort. Paul goes on to say that the result of redemption is that we “… we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (v. 10). None of those “good works” produces our redemption; rather, the reverse is true. God’s work of redemption in us produces those good works.

 

It is indeed an Amazing Grace!