Ephesians 1 - God’s Secret - His Church

God is Good.  Incredibly so.  And loving.  God showers his kindness and mercy on his people.  We can’t make a big enough deal about it.  You see, God wants us to make a big deal about it.  He wants us to understand his incredible power.  And He wants us to use His power and wisdom, as intended.  

        God made one people out of two. The merger of all mergers.  God is a builder and a uniter.   So are His people.  God united Jews and Gentiles into one people.  He took down the wall of hostility and ended the system of the law with its commandments and regulations (2:15).  This is God’s plan, God’s purpose.  That is, God uses His church to show His wisdom.  In every generation until His final return (2 Peter 3), God will continue to show His power through His people.

God wants us to understand this so that He can have our hearts, but He also wants us to get busy as He intended with the heavy responsibility that lies upon our shoulders.

Ephesians is a book of Good News.  In Ephesians Paul reveals God’s mysterious plan - holy and perfect - that any person who believes in Christ Jesus shares equally in the riches of God’s Kingdom (3:6).  Unfair you say?  I think not.  It is God’s fairness.  The believer in Singapore shares equally with the believers in Canada, Pakistan, Saudia Arabia, and so on.  Eternal life with God is God’s gift.  You and I may be late to the game, but we share equally with the heroes of the faith.  The Saints.  It is God’s goodness and His economy.  You see, in God’s economy, we all have endless treasures and resources (3:8).

Trust God today.  He cares for us with a true heart and skillful hands (Psalm 78:72).  Trust that God is advancing His kingdom worldwide and that through His church He is shaming the powers of the unseen world with His incredible power and wisdom.  Do great things today, for God and through His power.

God will go to extremes to get our attention.  Just think about the way He’s come to know you.  How miraculous it is that you and I of all people know the God Most High.  And He will do the same for our family, our community, and our nations.  But beware.  If we pay Him lip service only, and if we are not loyal to Him we grieve God’s heart.  And, I dare say, we test God’s patience.

What will it take for some people to repent and take God seriously?  What will it take for today’s church to bear down and work in every sphere (the law, industry, education, government, and family) to show the incredible gifts of God?  To love God with our heart and soul and mind and strength.  

Each generation has a responsibility to teach its children the ways of God.  Why?  So that we give our hearts to God.  And so that we are not stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful.  And what does God want out of all this?  He wants you.  He wants us to believe His promises.  Believe in the inheritance that He promises to us.  To believe and trust Him to care for us.  He has and He will.

I know that the Church is expanding, and growing exponentially.  Thank God!  And I’m thankful that God in this Ephesians passage wants us to understand His secret plan.  He wants us to believe and accept the responsibility He ordains.  For it gives God great pleasure to show us what He is doing.  

        Goodness and transparency are godly principles.  Our union with Jesus Christ is key to everything.  The world’s men act differently than godly people.  Worldy organizations have devious plans and they seek to take advantage of others.  May we never be like that.  The world takes great pains to hide their motives, to protect their confidentiality and their trade secrets.  God’s trade secret is this - God has put everything under the authority of Jesus Christ and God will use His church to show His power until He returns.

        May we mine Scripture for Jesus’ character.  Here’s a simple one to try today.  Be friendly.  Christians are friendly (Proverbs 18:1) because we have the Holy Spirit in us.  We have joy from God.  Make sure it shows.  And have a Christian growth mindset.  That is, be ready to learn with ears wide open; there is so much good to do for God and so little time (Proverbs 18:15).  God has a great plan and He wants us on His path following His will.  God gives us free will combined with understanding and wisdom so that we can stay on His path.  

Be confident in the power of the Holy Spirit.  God Almighty loves His church beyond measure.  Hate what God hates and love goodness, sacrifice, self-control, and service.

        May we as His servants be ready and willing to fight well for Him today.

        God is amazing. Surprising.  Glorious.  Strong. Powerful.  Trustworthy.  Honest.  Wise.  Just.  Loving.  Kind.  And Good.  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your great plan.  May we show Your wisdom today.  Amen.

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