Philip Dampier's Blog

Chapter 1, Verses 8, 9, 10 “…which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.”

What God purposed before the foundation of the world was done with the knowledge that Jesus would be at the center of it. All of creation pointed and moved toward the right moment in time when Jesus would leave heaven and come to earth and put the grand plan of God into live action. Paul wants the church in Ephesus to know that this plan was not only purposed in Jesus but that it was kindness on God’s part.

There is this picture in the minds of many of a vengeful and angry God who wants nothing good for mankind. Many reject God in our present age because of the evil they see in the world. The plan of God to save the world from itself is lost in the mystery of His will to them. Many believe God should never have allowed evil in the first place. Others think God should save everyone without regard to their relationship to him.

Paul plainly states that what God did for the sinful world when He put Jesus on the cross was prompted by His kindness. God intended for Jesus to die for mankind. It was not an accident, and it was not a failure on God’s part. Instead, it was deliberate and intended when He assigned Jesus to earth and death. Jesus came to die for the sins of mankind because it was His Father’s will. No one took His life. Not the Romans and not the Jewish leaders. He gave it up. God gave him up. Ten thousand angels were held back by the kind intention of God.

To the angels, this was a mystery. To Satan, this was a mystery. To kings and prophets, this was a mystery. Only God knew and God did not tell anyone. But now, Paul states, He is making the secret known to us. In His wisdom, He hid it from others and has now let us understand so that we can fully appreciate the gift He has given in His purpose in Christ.

God in His great and holy insight knew that man would need to understand what God was doing in order to fully appreciate it and take advantage of it. The next two verses will point out that this revelation was a summing up of the whole plan of God in Christ. All that God did on earth and all that God did in heaven were to see this plan fulfilled. The Old Testament, for instance, is the story of God’s work on earth to bring it to past. All that He was doing was given in bits and pieces that could not be put together. In a way, it was like trying to see the picture the puzzle will make while the pieces are scattered on the table. Not even Satan, the ruler of the earth, could put the puzzle together. If he could have, he would never have orchestrated the crucifixion of Jesus.

But Paul was told the mystery and so were the other apostles and the first disciples and they, in turn, have shared it with us. It is this significant mystery of God’s kind intention that Paul wants the Ephesians to see. As we move through the book, there is great hope that we will see the revelation ourselves.

Task for Today: Read this excellent book. Pray for wisdom and understanding as you read. Take notes, compare Ephesian passages with other great texts of the Bible. Open your heart to the pure word of God which can save your soul.