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God's Eternal Purpose in Christ

by Jon von Ernst
8/28/2023 / Bible Studies

What a glorious blessing to read through Ephesians chapters two and three as God reveals to us, through the apostle Paul, the mystery that has been hidden through the ages. This mystery was not made known to people of other generations, but it is now revealed to the apostles and prophets by His Spirit.

What is this mystery? It is that the Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Paul was made a servant of this gospel to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all, about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. But who are the Gentiles co-heirs with?

Ephesians 2:11-22 says, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

How many times have we heard that Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins, and to reconcile us to God? Yet here Paul is not referring to Christ’s death on the cross from the perspective of our individual reconciliation to God. Paul is revealing here a great mystery. This mystery is that Christ’s death on the cross was to reconcile two groups into one by tearing down the dividing wall of hostility. Who are these two groups?

Paul refers here to the “circumcised” and the “uncircumcised.” He refers to those that were of the citizenship of Israel and those “excluded” from the citizenship of Israel. Paul is speaking here of two groups, the Jews and the Gentiles.

Christ created in Himself one new man from the two. From the Jews and the Gentiles, Christ created in Himself one new man. He did this that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility between the two groups to death by it.

So now the Gentiles are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household. Now the Jews and Gentiles are built together on the same foundation, the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

Paul continues in Ephesians 3:1-12, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”

At the very heart of this mystery is that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. The Gentiles are co-heirs with whom? They are co-heirs with the Jews, with the children of Israel, with the sons of Abraham. The believing Gentiles are members of the same body as the believing Jews. These Gentiles are partners of the same promise in Christ Jesus through obedience to the gospel.

This is something that every believer, Jew and Gentile alike, needs to be keenly aware of. Jesus accomplished God’s eternal purpose on the cross by making the two groups into one new man in Himself. God’s eternal purpose is to have one body, prepared as a bride, without spot or wrinkle. It is for this bride that Christ is returning. God’s eternal purpose is that of a loving father longing to have a spotless bride to present to His son. This is the ultimate expression of God’s love.

Why is it so important for us to see and understand this mystery of the two being made one new man in Christ? This is critical because throughout the ages there has been an animosity, a hostility between the Jew and the Gentile. This is clearly manifested even in our day in the constant trouble in the Middle East. The world cannot have peace because of this hostility.

In the church, we can only have peace when we clearly understand that, by the blood of Christ, this hostility has been removed, and the dividing wall has been torn down. Whenever any believer is truly born again and the love of God is shed abroad in their heart, whether Jew or Gentile, this wall is torn down, and there is peace. By this, there is a deep realization of our oneness in Christ, which produces a genuine love for all the brothers, regardless of natural birth, regardless of whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

In Christ, we are all one. It is in this oneness that we are both reconciled to God. We are reconciled to God in one body through the cross. It is through the cross that this hostility has been put to death. When we died with Christ, the hostility between believers according to our flesh died also. It is by the death of this hostility that we are made one in Christ, resulting in peace.

When we see the necessity of this oneness between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers for the accomplishment of God’s eternal purpose, it is very troubling to hear so-called believers teach that there is a difference between the Jews and the Gentiles. Some teach that there are different rewards, different manifestations of the kingdom. Some teach that some Scriptures apply only to the Jews and that some Scriptures apply only to the Gentiles. Some have even divided the body based on whether the believer is by natural birth a Jew or a Gentile.

Perhaps they teach these destructive, divisive things because, being devoid of the Spirit, they can only see things according to the flesh. Having no understanding of spiritual things, they cannot understand the mysteries hidden for ages of God’s eternal purpose in Christ. They see things according to physical descent and not according to faith.

Paul tells us clearly in Romans 2:28, “For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh.On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.”

Paul continues to make this point in Galatians 3:6-9,“Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.” Paul continues in verse 14, “The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

Paul continues this thought in verses 16-19,^“Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise. For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come.”

Paul concludes his thoughts in verses 22-29, “But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.”

In Romans 9:6-8 Paul says, “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.”

In Romans 11:17-32 Paul continues, “Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either.

“Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from your native wild olive and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?

^“So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins.

“Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience,so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.”

From these passages it is clear that physical descent is meaningless. It is the spiritual reality that counts. It is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children. Only the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. Those who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, are truly Abraham’s sons. It is only through disobedience and unbelief that any are cut off from the promise.

God has imprisoned all in disobedience that He may have mercy on all. That mercy, and the resulting sonship that is available to all, is only available by faith, by faith in Christ who is Abraham’s seed. If you belong to Christ you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. In the end, all Israel will be saved, that is all that are of faith, all that are children of the promise, whether Jews or Gentiles. Only the unbelievers, whether Jews or Gentiles will perish and miss out on the blessings of the promise.

The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:29-31: “How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know the One who has said, Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (HCSB).

It is not a small thing to build up what God in Christ has torn down, or to divide in two what God has made one. It is not a small thing to be found fighting against God and His eternal purpose. Colossians 3:11 assures us that “In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all” (HCSB).

John tells us in Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. I also saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away” (HCSB).

Again in verse nine John goes on to describe this holy city, the New Jerusalem saying, “Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me: ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed with God’s glory.

“Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. The city wall had 12 foundations, and the 12 names of the Lamb’s 12 apostles were on the foundations” (HCSB).

Here at the very end of the Bible, at the end of the last book, we see the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. Here we see the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Here we see the bride spoken of in Ephesians chapter 5, without spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless, the wife of the Lamb.

Notice that in this description of the bride, the New Jerusalem, the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are inscribed on the gates. Notice also that the names of the Lamb’s 12 apostles are on the foundations. Even in the final consummation of God’s eternal purpose, the Jews and the Gentiles, the children of Israel and the church are forever together sharing the same destiny.

Revelation 22:3-5 reveals: “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bondservants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor of the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

Let us heed the words of Paul in Ephesians 4:1-6: “Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope at your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

Writings By Jon von Ernst

The Lord of All Things Series - A Trilogy of Truth
Books in this series:
Book 1 - The Gospel of the Kingdom
Book 2- The Victorious Christian
Book 3 - Walking in the Light - Following in His Steps

*- Audio of these books are available free of charge at thepureword.net.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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