"The Good Pleasure of God"

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:9-10 NIV).

You may have noticed that my typical “fall-back position” is Ephesians. I must confess that I have been reading it a bit more than usual lately. It certainly is one of the most comprehensive letters of Paul dealing with the Church and the incredible grace God has shown toward all who are His children. Today’s reading contains one of the most important truths any of us could fathom. Paul speaks of “the good pleasure” of God in redeeming man through Christ.

I was listening to some old sermons I preached many years ago this week and was reminded of an illustration used for this principle. I told the story of the files I kept from each of the boys with all of their “art work” in them. In fact, I still have those files today. They provide some wonderful memories. However, the point is not in the existence of the files, but in the creation of the work. I remember watching the boys many times as they would sit at the table and begin to work on their assignments. Some of them were whimsical, others were very touching; all of them were the work of their hands “according to their good pleasure.” They chose the colors, the shapes, and the designs; all of the compilation was their choice.

Don’t get all hung up on the concept of predestination. We can certainly discuss that when we have more time and space. Catch the concept of the artist creating the art. That’s the real picture of God as Creator. All of that which exists is done at His good pleasure so that everything ultimately will be brought under the grace and will of Christ. The tragedy is that so many of us decide to remove ourselves from His oversight. It’s ludicrous to think of paper jumping up and telling the artist, “Whoa! You’re taking my beautiful clean white surface and putting all kinds of color on it! Stop!” Or, wouldn’t it be crazy to think of a crayon telling the one who uses it to stop because it didn’t like being used up, or re-sharpened? Yet we as individuals who have claimed to come under the Lordship of Christ refuse daily to bend our wills to His.

And the result of that decision is always the same – a mess! The good news is God never gives up on His art! Some of you have drifted away slowly; others have been driven away by difficulty and challenge; and, still others have fallen under the false teaching of an apostate religious practice. Come back to the table of God’s art work and watch how He begins to color again. It starts with a simple prayer and ends in glorious praise! Let Him restore your life with His grace!