What
is the "eternal purpose" of God, spoken of in Ephesians 3:11? How is
the "Body of Christ" related to it? Is the Messianic kingdom related
to it in any way?
It is evident from the epistles of Paul that while there
are many details to God's great plan for the universe, all revolves around one
central, eternal purpose. It should be our sincere desire to understand that
purpose and how we tit into it.
WHAT IT IS
In examining the Scriptures as to this important subject
we should be careful to observe that God's eternal purpose concerns Christ first
of all. "The Church which is His Body," is, of course, involved in
it, but our Lord Himself stands at the center of the "eternal
purpose." Ephesians 1:9,10 makes this abundantly clear. There the apostle
describes "the
secret of His will ... which He hath purposed in Himself:
"THAT IN THE
DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES HE MICHT CATHER TOGETHER IN ONE ALL THINGS
IN CHRIST. BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN. AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH:
EVEN IN HIM:'
God's
great plan for the future, then, is to unify all things in heaven and on earth
in Christ; to center all in Him.
How much, in heaven and earth, is now out of center; alienated
from God and His Christ. This includes not only the majority of mankind, under
their princes and potentates, but a great host of heavently angels under the
rulership of Satan, their "prince" (Ephesians 2:2). Indeed, we believers
wrestle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in the heavenlies" (Ephesians
6:12).
This is only a temporary situation, however, for some day
the heavens and the earth will be occupied only by those who love and adore
Christ, including sinners reconciled to God through Christ. In Colossians 1 :20
the apostle te11s us that "having made peace through the blood of His
cross," it pleased the Father "BY HIM to reconcile all things
unto Himself; BY HIM, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven." This agrees with his premise in Verse 19:
"FOR IT
PLEASED THE FATHER THAT IN HIM SHOULD ALL FULLNESS DWELL:'
In contemplating this glorious scene, however, it should be carefu11y
noted that a reconciled heaven and earth does not spell universal reconciliation.
The celestial and terrestrial are here included, but the infernal is
carefully excluded. God has exalted His Son, indeed, "that at
the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow," and this subjugation of all
will include those "in heaven, and ... in earth, and ... under
the earth" (Philippians 2:10) but the reconciled throng will be
found only in heaven and on earth.
HOW IT WAS CONCEIVED
The eternal purpose was conceived in the heart and mind of
God alone, in eternity past. Concerning our part in it, the
Apostle Paul writes to Timothy:
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of
the gospel according to THE POWER OF GOD
"WHO HATH SAVED US. AND CALLED US WITH AN HOLY
CALLING, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE AND
GRACE, WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BECAN" (Second
Timothy 1:8,9).
How often, in the Pauline epistles, we find this emphasis
upon the sovereignty of God! "All things are of God"; this is the
very essence of grace. It is blessedly true that the election of believers was
"according to the foreknowledge" of God" (First Peter 1 :2; Romans
8:29) but we must not confuse His foreknowledge with the outworking of His
sovereign purposes, as though He merely knew in advance who would be saved.
Concerning the latter we read that "the purpose of God according to
election" will "stand; not of works, but of Him that calleth"
(Romans 9:11).
Perhaps no passage of Scripture emphasizes this
with such definite clarity as Ephesians 1 :3-12. As we quote it below, note how
such words as tlwill," "counsel," "pleasure,"
"purpose," "chosen," "elect" and "predestinated"
predominate.
"Blessed be GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who halh blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heafenly
places in Christ;
"According as He hath CHOSEN us in Him BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. That we
might holy and without blame before Him;
"In llove having PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ
to Himself, according
to THE COOO
PLEASURE OF HIS
WILL
"To the praise of the Ilory of His (rIce, wherein HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED in the beloved One.
"H.ninC mad. known unto us the mystery of HIS WilL, Iec"d;ng 10 HIS COOD PLEASURE WHICH HE HATH
PURPOSED IN HIMSELF:
"That in the dispenution of the fulness
of times H. might cather together in
one .11 thines in Christ, both which are in h.ann. and which Ir, on earth; ewen in Him:
"In .hom ,Iso ., hay. obt.ined In inherit.nc:e,
being PREDESTINATED
ACCORDINC TO THE PURPOSE OF HIM WHO WORK. ETH ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNSEL OF
HIS OWN Will:
"THAT
WE SHOULD BE TO THE PRAISE OF HIS CLORY, WHO FIRST TRUSTED IN CHRIST,"
All that has so far been fulfilled of the will of God, as revealed in the
Scriptures, should give believers complete confidence that His purposes will
find their culmination in the open exaltation of Christ, not only as King of
Israel and the world, but as the Head over all, with a reconciled heaven
and earth finding their all in Him.
HOW IT WAS REVEALED
The means which God used to reveal His eternal purpose are
wonderful to contemplate.
The long-promised King appears and is rejected. His
forerunner is beheaded; He Himself is nailed to a cross. Those who testify of
His resurrection from the dead are beaten and imprisoned, and Stephen is
stoned to death. A great persecution is waged against the disciples of Christ
with Saul of Tarsus as its flaming leader. He scourges believers in their
synagogues to compel them to blaspheme Christ. He drags men and women to
trial and execution for professing Christ-and all with "authority and commission"
from the rulers.
The favored na tion has proved itself no better than the
Gentiles, whom God gave up centuries before, and, giving Israel up too, He now
concludes them all in unbelief "that He might have mercy u.pon all "(
Romans 11: 32) .
But what about His promises regarding the kingdom? These He will fulfil
in due time (Romans 11 :25-27) but first He must demonstrate that man needs
Christ; is hopeless without Christ, whether Jew or Gentile; that in his utter
depravity he must be saved by grace, through Christ's merits, or he will not be saved at all. Thus,
setting the program of prophecy and the kingdom aside for a time, he sends an
offer of reconciliation by free grace, through faith, to both Jews and Gentiles,
on the basis of Christ's redemptive work at Calvary, and thus apart from
sacrifices, circumcision or water baptism. And He does this-
"THAT
HE MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY BY THE CROSS, HAVING SLAIN THE
ENMITY THEREBY" (Ephesians 2:16).
What more appropriate vessel could God have chosen to
demonstrate and proclaim these "riches of His grace" than Saul of
Tarsus, the former blasphemer and persecutor? Thus it is this Saul, now saved
and appointed an apostle, to whom and through whom God now reveab the secret of
His will concerning the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles into one body in
Christ -an earnest of the glorious future unity of all heaven and earth in
Christ.
In short, God is now demonstrating in the Body of Christ,
what will one day be experienced in all heaven and earth: that man's only hope
is in Christ and that unity and blessing can be
found only in Him.
The apostle writes of this in Ephesians 3: 1-11, a passage which we
should ponder over prayerfully if we would see the relation of believers today
to "the eternal purpose":
"WHICH
IN OTHER AGES WAS NOT MADE KNOWN UNTO THE SONS OF MEN, IS it is now reveiled
unto His holy apostles ud prophets by the Spirit;
"THAT
THEY WHO ARE OF THE NATIONS SHOULD BE JOINT HEIRS, AND A JOINT BODY, AND JOINT
PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE IN CHRIST JESUS BY THE GLAD TIDINGS .
"Whereof I was
made I minister,
according to the gift of the IIU. of Cod, liven unto me by the effectual
working
of His power.
"UNTO
ME, WHO AM LESS THAN THE LEAST OF ALL SAINTS, IS THIS GRACE GIVEN, THAT I
SHOULD PREACH AMONG THE GENTILES THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST;
"AId to m.ke ,II men see what is THE FELLOWSHIP (DISPENSATION] OF THE MYSTERY, WHICH FROM THE BEGINNING OF
THE WORLD HATH BEEN HID IN COD, WHO CREATED ALL THINGS BY JESUS CHRIST.
"TO
THE INTENT THAT NOW UNTO THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN HEAVENLY PLACES MIGHT
BE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF COD.
"ACCORDING TO
THE ETERNAL PURPOSE WHICH HE PURPOSED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD,"
This is how God revealed, and now demonstrates, His
eternal purpose to gather all in heaven and earth together in one in Christ.
Blessed revelation! Joyful anticipation! Glorious consummation!
MEANTIME
As God now conducts this divine demonstration of His
eternal purpose, we believers may enjoy a threefold blessing.
1. We may rejoice that we have been "PREDESTINATED
ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIM WHO WORKETH ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNSEL OF
HIS OWN WILL:' Read Second Timothy 1:9 and Ephesians 1:1-12 again, thoughtfully,
and see how blessedly and eternally secure is the simplest believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
2. We may rejoice that" whatever the circumstances,
"ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER [Lit., ARE BEING WORKED TOGETHER] FOR GOOD, TO
THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE"
(Romans 8:28).
3. We may rejoice
in the reality and practice of our oneness in Christ, "ENDEAVORING TO
KEEP' THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE .... TILL WE ALL COME IN THE
UNITY OF THE FAITH, AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, UNTO A PERFECT MAN,
UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST" (Ephesians
4:3-13),
How God Saves Men
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
Posted By Cecil and
Connie Spivey
cspivey1953@gmail.com
cspivey1953@gmail.com
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