The Mystery Revealed
Paul was in prison while writing these words. If he were ashamed, he could have done what many pastors do and gotten off the road. He could have been arrested for fraud or some other trumped-up charge. Instead, he was in chains, bold in his confession because he was filled with a truth worth any chains, worth any humiliation, worth any suffering. Paul called himself “a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1). There is an application there for us. The gospel does not change with our circumstances. God does not stop moving forward just because His servants are in chains. In fact, He often uses persecution and suffering to move His gospel to fresh places and to open new doors.
Paul’s task was to proclaim something that had been kept secret for ages, a mystery that human wisdom could not know but that God chose to reveal by His Spirit. In verse 5, he states the purpose of the revelation: to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
This mystery, Paul goes on to explain, is that Jews and Gentiles, both, are one in Christ. “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). Gentiles were non-Jews and members of any other nationality. In short, there are no second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. Every believer in Jesus Christ is adopted as a son or daughter of God, and every believer has an equal claim on the promise of eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and glory with God.
Paul also characterizes his ministry as one who proclaims “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). What riches are those? Riches so deep and so vast that you could not reach the bottom with a hundred shovels digging for a hundred years. This world preaches riches, status, and pleasure, money, fame, and sex. They are hollow things that tarnish and wear out. Christ, in contrast, offers a treasure that will never fade. Christ said as much Himself: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).
The point of this revelation, the reason God broke the code, was not so that Paul and Timothy could make life a little more comfortable. The reason God revealed this mystery was to show the wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places, and that means to every living soul (Ephesians 3:10–11). The church, the body of Christ, is God’s theater in which He puts on display His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:10–11). Each of us who believes in Christ is part of God’s plan to put His wisdom on display, to show the power of His grace.
Paul concludes this section with a promise: “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:12). Do you understand what that means? You do not need a priest or an appointed time or a ritual or a list of good works to come before the Lord. By the finished work of Christ, you can approach the throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). That is the kind of access that no earthly ruler can take away and no amount of suffering can silence.
When trouble comes, don’t lose heart. Paul, in chains, tells the believers not to be disheartened because his suffering is also working for God’s glory (Ephesians 3:13). The same is true for us. When suffering comes your way for the sake of Christ, it is not in vain. In fact, it is a sign that the gospel is real and it is unstoppable.
The mystery, kept secret for ages, has been revealed. The question is, are you living as one who has entered into that light? Are you grasping after the unsearchable riches of Christ or are you clinging to the empty promises of this world? The door stands open. Through faith in Jesus, you have bold access to the living God.
Isaiah 43:14-45:10
Ephesians 3:1-21
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 24:1-2
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Old Testament: Isaiah 43:14-45:10
I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, ~ Isaiah 45:5 ESV
In Isaiah 45 verse 5, “I am the LORD; there is no other. Besides Me there is no God.” There is only one God – only one God, no other gods, all the idols of the world are not gods. That is the foundation of the reality of the truth that there is only one God therefore there is only one true religion. The world is full of false religions, they are all false except the true religion which is worshiping the true God, who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and also the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And from the beginning, it is the intention of God to be the God of the entire earth, to ring the globe with the glory of His salvation.
From Grace to You
New Testament: Ephesians 3:1-21
Summary: The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed, Prayer for Spiritual Strength
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
~ Ephesians 3:20-21
God’s love and power have no limit; so therefore the glory (honour) he receives should also be without limit. Especially, the church should give God glory – the ‘church’ is Paul’s word for all those people who have received Christ into their lives (Revelation 7:9-12). God has been so kind to them. Once they were God’s enemies (Romans 5:10); but when God forgave them, because of Christ’s death, he changed their lives completely (2 Corinthians 5:17). God continues to work in their lives because, in the future age, they will have full rights as children in his family (Romans 8:17-21). They will always praise him and give him honour – so of course they should praise him now. From: usefulbible.com – by Keith Simons
Overview: Ephesians – Click Here
Ephesians 03 – Click Here
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