that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Ephesians 3: 10-13 (RSV)
God doesn’t want His plan to be a mystery to those who believe in Him. He wants to make it known to man and to the angels. This devotion discusses why the plan of salvation was developed as it was and how we should not rewrite our history to diminish that.
Nuggets
- This whole salvation plan was developed before this heaven and earth were even created.
- The church is being used as the vehicle to make God’s wisdom known to heaven’s citizens (aka the angels).
- How can we know the good if we don’t know the bad?
- It is expected that we worship God; but we only worship Him because He allows it.
- There is just one thing required — faith.
- Because we have this access to God, we should use it with boldness and confidence.
Some look on what happened in the past with disdain and distrust. This leads them to want to rewrite history to better serve their purposes and how they feel the world has evolved. However, God wants us to build on our experiences and use them to show His love for us.
Revisiting Heavenly Places and Eternal Purposes
“that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3: 10-11 RSV).
Okay. We have to back up here a second. Let’s go back to Ephesians 1. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1: 3-4 RSV emphasis added).
We talked about heavenly places when it came up in Ephesians 2: 6. I think Paul is really just talking about heaven.
Paul also said that this whole salvation plan was developed before this heaven and earth were even created. It was determined that, when the time was right, Jesus would be our Redeemer. That way mankind could be blessed (i.e. obtain salvation) because mankind has been chosen.
So, now this verse says that the church is being used as the vehicle to make God’s wisdom known to heaven’s citizens (aka the angels). It makes it sound like the angels couldn’t really know Him until He did this.
God chose Jesus as our Redeemer to show the angels — and us — what it meant to be perfect, what it meant to love. I know, I am having trouble wrapping my head around this concept. If the angels are in heaven with God, how can they not know of His love?
I guess it is like We Are Messengers’ song Maybe It’s Okay says. How can we know the good if we don’t know the bad?
Ooo, baby. That so goes against the worldview. The prevailing idea today is only good is supposed to happen. Everyone wins even if they don’t.
But remember the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. We learn much more sometimes by doing rather than just sitting in a lecture. We grow more through the trials than through the good times.
Access Granted Revisited
“in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him” (Eph. 3: 12 RSV).
Paul is also revisiting the access theme that he started in Ephesians 2.
God allows us to worship Him. Yes, it is expected that we worship Him.
But we only worship God because He allows it. He has given us grace so we can. He wants to have the connections and relationship with us. He wants us to worship Him even though He doesn’t need us
Does that mean corporate worship is the only way to go? Nope. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10: 24-25 ESV).
We worship God in a variety of ways. We sing and play instruments. We pray. We fellowship with others.
There is just one thing required when we worship God — faith. We must approach God in faith, giving Him the honor that is due the Sovereign Lord.
Buck Up
“So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory” (Eph. 3: 13 RSV).
How many times do we want to tuck tail and run when the trials show up?
Paul saw the reasons for the trials. He knew God was using them to make him and His message stronger.
What we should do is buck up and embrace the trial. I hear you, “How can you do that, and why would you want to do that?”
We embrace our trials by not asking “why me?” Instead we ask, “What am I supposed to learn? How am I supposed to grow? How are You changing my focus?”
Look what the writer of Hebrews said about Moses. “He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward” (Heb. 11: 26 NLT).
So, Paul is telling us to buck up when the trials come. We have this access to God. Use it. That gives us boldness and confidence.
Making the Connections
The thing I keep going back to in all of this is history. This happened a long time ago.
However, in today’s society, people want to make us believe that many of the things that happened before are wrong. History needs to be rewritten or even just destroyed.
Were there horrible things that happened in history? Yes. Did we learn from them what happened were wrong? Yes, hopefully.
Should we expunge them from our history? No. We should learn from them.
All the experiences that we go through help make us the people that we are. We can’t and shouldn’t discount how we have grown.
Part of the rewrite is an attempt to take God out of the picture. You see, part of the things they want to rewrite shows how Satan is in control of this world. Satan doesn’t want to look like the bad guy. He wants to try to keep that solely on God.
Is Satan always going to have control of this world? Yes. So, there is nothing we can do? No.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to recognize that God is our Sovereign Lord. Our just saying things did or didn’t happen is not going to change reality.
Before we were even a figment of someone’s imagination, God knew we would choose to disobey Him. God knew that we would need a Savior.
God knew that angels would struggle with this concept of love. He knew mankind would struggle with understanding this.
God wanted to show by doing. Doing reopened the access to Him. It let us worship Him again.
That is what this is all about — us praising Him.
Satan may always have control of this world, but this world is going to end. No the climate crisis is not going to be its downfall. God has already decreed that this world will end. He is going to end it and Satan’s rule.
Then disciples of Jesus will be called home to heaven. We will praise God for eternity.
Did you catch the headings? Most of them said revisited. Yes, we talked about heavenly places, eternal purposes, and access before. We have a history with the topics.
God wants us to remember. We talked about that a couple of devotions ago, too.
Remembering and revisiting help us grow. Remembering something that didn’t happen or didn’t happen that way is not going to help us grow.
To read What Does “in Christ” Mean?, click the button below.
Cutting God out is not going to change the facts that He created this world and us; He still loves us in spite of our disobedience; He is coming back to judge us as to whether we are for Him or against Him. We have to be ready.
Father God. You created a perfect world for us to live in — and we messed it up. We wanted to make our own choices — and You provided a way for us to be redeemed. We focus on this world and its struggles — and You are preparing to call us home. When You do that, You will judge us. Help us to learn from our sins how You are growing us to be the people You want us to be. Help us always look back to Your Word and our past experiences to see You. Amen.
What do you think?
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