THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD FOR THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER

A. A NEW BODY OF PEOPLE: THE GREAT MYSTERY OF JESUS

-- { Ephesians 3:1-13 }  ¹ This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, ³ and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴ a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵ In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ⁷ Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; ¹⁰ so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. ¹³ I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.  -- NRSV

Breath Prayer For The Week (A "breath prayer" is a brief sentence or simple phrase that can be repeated often to Jesus in one breath.)

I love You, Jesus.

Dear Friend, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  Amen.

Chapter three begins a new division in Ephesians, “The Purpose of God for Christian Believers.”  It focuses on the eternal purpose of God for those who follow Jesus.

First, His purpose is to make a new body of people who will love Him.  Second, His purpose is to make the believer into a mature person filled with all the fullness of God.

Today we look at the first purpose.  Prejudice, segregation, hatred, hurt, anger cause division between peoples.  Families, communities and nations are torn apart by uncaring or evil acts.  This is a most serious problem confronting God who wishes those created in His image to get along in love.  This passage deals with how God deals with this problem.  He creates a new body of people who love Him and each other.  This is what is known as the great mystery of Jesus.

First, this new body of people gave Paul purpose for existing (3:1-2)  “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles - surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,…”

These two verses give a glimpse into the very purpose of Paul’s existence.  

1. Paul existed to serve Christ Jesus, no matter the cost.  Thus, he uses the analogy of a prisoner.  He is captive to Christ’s will.  And of course he is at this time literally a prisoner in Roman.  Paul was 100% committed to Jesus and His mission to save the world.

2. Paul existed to be a steward of God.  The word “administration” (oikonomian) means stewardship, management, ownership.  Paul was given the duty to oversee and administer the grace of God to the Gentile  world.

Every minister of God is a slave to the Lord Jesus.  He is to serve Jesus no matter what the cost.  Every minister of God is a steward of God’s grace to humankind.

Second, this new body of people was a mystery: it required a special revelation to become known (2:3-5)  “…that is, the mystery made know to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.  In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.”

Paul acknowledges special revelation about Jesus and this new body of people.  He calls it the mystery of Christ.  The word “mystery” (musterion) means some truth that has been revealed.  The Christ was…

The spiritual world and the mystery of Christ had always been a mystery.  They would have remains so if God had not acted and revealed them to Paul and other apostles and prophets of his day.

Third, this new body of people was a threefold revelation (3:6)  “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

1. We, the Gentiles, are fellow heirs of God with the Jews.  Scripture declares that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).  Before Jesus came if a person wished to be in relationship with God they had to approach God through the Jews.  Now we can approach God through our faith in Jesus.

2. We, the Gentiles, are of the same body with the Jews.  God’s love is universal and allows all of humankind to approach Him through Jesus.  This has created a new body, the Church – the body of Christ – a living organism for God’s purposes.  This is made possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God within people’s lives.  He creates a union of peace and love.

3. We, the Gentiles, receive the same promise of Christ as the Jews did.  This involves all the promises of God from the beginning of creation. 

Fourth, this new body of people affected Paul profoundly (3:7-9)  “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.  Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”

William Barclay points out in his commentary that Paul’s greatest glory was God’s call and God’s work.  He loved the ministry.  He loved sharing Jesus with people.  He saw it as a great privilege and any called minister feels the same.  It is an awesome privilege that we have to minister the grace of God through Jesus.  

Paul also says that his call to be a minister was a gift, a free gift of God’s grace.  God has the right to call whomever He will.  Paul didn’t earn God’s call.  God chose him.  And that is an awesome privilege and responsibility.  As it still is for anyone to be called by God to minister.

Fifth, this new body of people affects heavenly beings even now (3:10-12)  “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.  In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Paul says the whole of God’s creation stands in awe at His mighty work in Jesus.  

1. Heavenly beings are amazed at what God is doing in the Church.  God is showing in the gift of salvation His love for the whole universe.  

2. Heavenly beings stand in awe at God’s eternal purpose established through Jesus.  

3. Heavenly beings are awestruck that the followers of Jesus have direct access to God’s presence through faith in Jesus.

Sixth, this new body of people stirred a willingness within (3:13)  “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.”

Paul is willing to suffer for the Church – the new body of Christ.  The glory ahead for any follower of Jesus is so glorious any suffering now seems small.  The writer to the Hebrews said of Jesus, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

If you have seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson you see clearly the love of Jesus through the suffering He endured.  His love has a great impact.  Therefore, no follower of His should ever faint in suffering or in seeing other believers suffering.  It is all worth the price of whatever suffering we are called to bear, even martyrdom.  We have a joy in our heart!

Heavenly Father, reveal Your Son, Jesus, to us more perfectly that we might love and serve Him.