You can turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3. We're going to read from verse 1 to verse 13, but perhaps just a brief introduction to what's going on in the book thus far. You'll recall Ephesians 1, Paul opens up with that glorious doxology, praising the triune God for salvation.
Paul, by those words of praise, by one long run-on sentence, not really a run-on sentence, but one long sentence from verse 3 to 14, he highlights Father, Son and Holy Ghost and the salvation of sinners. He then transitions to the facts. that the gospel of Jesus Christ has now come to Gentiles. Not just that, but that Jew and Gentile have been made one new man in Christ Jesus in chapter two. He starts by highlighting the grace of God that we've been saved by grace through faith, not that of ourselves, but by the gift of God.
And then he again goes on to that opening up of the Gentile reality, that Gentiles are included in the covenant promises of God in chapter three. He gets to his apostleship, his participation in opening up that gospel reality that Paul was the by grace apostle to the Gentiles, who was God's servant to open up this mystery of Gentile inclusion in the covenant of grace. The section we're going to focus on is in verses eight to 13, but I'll read from verse one to verse 13. Now, also after this, when Paul finishes chapter three, he then moves on to the application of everything that he's written in the first three chapters.
He goes on where he goes in verse one of chapter four to say, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. So the stuff that we're going to read tonight is included in the theological content that Paul uses to then write that. Therefore, you are to conduct yourselves in such a manner based upon all of these glorious truths I have previously written to you. So Ephesians chapter three, beginning at verse one.
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which was given to me for you, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery, as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, his grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Boldness and Access Through Christ
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Amen. Let us pray again.
God, we thank you again for this time of worship, the preaching of your word. We do pray again that you would help the preacher, that you would be with those congregated here. Lord God, that all that is spoken, All that is thought and all that is engaged in would be unto the praise of your grace, seen in the salvation of sinners. And we do pray, Lord God, that you would now act for your glory's sake.
And it's in Christ's name that we pray. Amen.
Introduction
So Paul is touching upon here his apostleship, his involvement in disclosing the revelation of God as it concerns the gospel, specifically to the Gentiles. One of the things that Jewish believers marveled in at the outset of the apostolic endeavor after Christ's crucifixion and resurrection was that Gentiles are now included in covenant promises and blessings. They marveled on a number of occasions after Peter's vision in Acts chapter 10 and his ministry with Cornelius, we see the Jews rejoicing that the Gentiles had received the gift of the Holy Spirit just as they have. And later on and throughout the book of Acts, we see that as a repeated theme.
The Jews rejoicing in the fact that gospel blessings, God's covenant blessings, have now been extended to the Gentiles as well. Paul touches on a lot of things here, the theology, the glorious Christology, and so much doctrine flows out of these passages. We'll certainly not be able to, or we'll only be able to scan the surface, but we're going to look at five things as we quickly move through this passage of Scripture. First, the apostleship of Paul, that is the character of the apostleship of Paul.
Focus of Paul's Apostleship
Secondly, the focus of Paul's apostleship,
Divine Objective of the Apostolic Enterprise
Thirdly, the divine objective of the apostolic enterprise.
Eternal Nature of God's Plan
Fourthly, the eternal nature of God's plan. And then lastly, the application of Paul's theology. Hopefully this will become clear and simple as we move through all of these things.
Character of Paul's Apostleship
First off, the character of the apostleship of Paul.
Apostleship in Humility
Notice first, it was in humility. Verse eight, to me who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given. You see, it is always to be the character of the gospel minister, in this case, the character of the ordained and called apostle. It is always to be his disposition that he is a humble man before his God and for his Christ.
Because as we see in Paul and as we read in Paul's conversion narrative last week, His call not only to being a Christian, but also to his apostleship was solely and alone by the condescending grace of God. How do we know this? We know this simply by doing a character study of Paul, just like we did with Peter this morning. If you turn with me to the book of Galatians, I'm sure in your minds you're all saying we know where he's going with this.
Paul is humble because he knows his former state. He knows that rock whence he was hewn and the hole of the pit from which he was digged. And he marvels that he can now be a proclaimer of Jesus Christ. You would be right.
Galatians. We go to Galatians chapter one. Notice that verse 13 Galatians 1 verse 13. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism. how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers." You see, Paul's former state was a horrific one. If it was bad for us or if it was bad for Peter to be characterized as that as that non-courageous, fearful, wretch of an individual before watching servant Jews and before a watching Israel to deny his Savior three times. How bad is it for one who is described as a man who persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it? That's why the Apostle Paul can use this language that he uses in Ephesians 3 or in Ephesians 3, with regards to himself, that he is the least of all the saints.
He says in 1 Timothy 1.15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save, of whom I am chief. You see, some enemies of Christianity have said, well, that can't be Paul writing. Because, you see, we're so used to religious figures you know, not engaging in self-deprecation. You only have to glance half an eye at Roman Catholicism.
When the pontiff, when the cardinals, when the bishops receive almost veneration and worship, when it is right for the Pope to set forth his ring that congregants might kiss it, when it is right for people in big red hats to receive religious homage and veneration, But in the world of biblical Christianity, there is the acknowledgement of our former selves, the acknowledgement that it is only the grace of God that makes us our current selves. So Paul can write, to me who am less than the least of all the apostles. There is respect to be paid to those who have been ordained for their ministry of the word. But there is to be, of course, no exaltation.
In other words, yeah, we certainly we need to have a balance. We don't come to Paul and just toss insults and disparaging words at him because he engaged in self-deprecation, saying that he is less than the least of all the saints. But nevertheless, we are not to exalt the men. We are to exalt the God of the men, that one who is the victor, that one who sent the grace, that one who conquered their hearts. for Christ's sake.
Paul's character of apostleship, first off, it was in humility. And he repeats that reality elsewhere. He says that he is the least of all the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15, 9. And he adds, and am not worthy to be called an apostle.
Paul realized the reality of his former self and the glorious truth of God making him who he was. One of the one of the I think one of my favorite quotes concerning the Apostle Paul comes in Matthew Henry's exposition of a section of Acts 7. Remember what's going on in Acts 7, specifically with regards to Stephen. Specifically, with regards to Stephen, Stephen is being martyred for his proclamation of Jesus Christ, for his solid defense that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of the Old Covenant.
And as we get to the end of the discourse, we read this in verse 58. And they cast him, Stephen, out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not charge them with this sin.
And when he had said this, he fell asleep." Verse 1 of chapter 8. Now Saul was consenting to his death. You've heard this before. Matthew Henry commenting on, and Saul was consenting to his death, says about Paul that Paul feasted his eyes on the bloody spectacle of Stephen's martyrdom in the hopes that it would put an end to Christianity.
Think of this right now. The Apostle Paul that wrote over half of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul who wrote so many glorious texts of Holy Scripture that hopefully we as Christians have imprinted upon our minds. was one who feasted his eyes on the bloody murder of Stephen when these unbelieving Jews keep large rocks to crush his skull. He gave it the thumbs up and he thought to himself, I hope this brings an end to this Christianity and to the proclamation of this Christ.
Well, Matthew Henry goes on to write that we have reason to suspect that Paul ordered Luke to include that for shame to himself and glory to free grace. So when we come to this section in Ephesians, to me, who am less than the least of all the apostles, this grace was given. We find the second point under the character of the apostleship of Paul. It was by grace.
Apostleship by Grace
Calvin says this, he labors to exhibit himself and everything that belongs to him in as humiliating a light as possible in order that the grace of God may be highly exalted. Paul rightly states here, rightly first acknowledges his humility and then rightly sets forth this. This grace was given. The character of his apostleship was that it was by amazing and victorious grace.
Secondly, the focus of Paul's apostleship. Notice what the text says. The focus of Paul's apostleship. This grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ.
There's a lot. that is read in one breath there.
Ethnic and Demographic Focus
First off, there was an ethnic or demographic focus. There was an ethnic or demographic focus. Notice Paul writes that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Paul was tasked with this glorious task of being the prime message sender of God concerning the reality. that Gentiles are now fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel.
A wonderful calling, a wonderful calling that Paul was dispatched with by Christ. He was engaged in the disclosure of gospel grace to the Gentiles.
Christological and Evangelical Focus
Secondly, there was, of course, the Christological and evangelical focus. You see, kids, You're going to hear this in adults. You're going to hear a lot. And you have heard a lot from this pulpit saying, to paraphrase, it's all about Christ.
And I hope you never tire of that. In our Christian walk, it's all about Christ. I know sometimes we like it maybe in our carnal hearts to be about other things, to be about me once in a while. to be about something, to be about the trumpets, to be about the disclosure of what all the scrolls and judgments mean, who's the beast, who's the Antichrist, is he Henry Kissinger? To be about many other things, but it is really all about Jesus Christ.
And I hope you never roll your eyes. I hope you never tire of that. I see it this way. You know how when you have a new baby and the baby learns to giggle?
And the baby laughs and you find the buttons that you can push to make the baby laugh. Maybe it's a funny face. Maybe it's a weird, you know, unrecognizable word that you make up or whatever it might be. But you'll repeat that and you'll repeat that and you'll repeat that.
And the baby always responds with that joyful giggle. You see, that's how it should always be for the Christian. When we hear Christ repeated, when Christ flows from the mouth of a fallible preacher, When the words of the gospel come forth from an ordained minister or from anyone, whenever we hear of Christ and whenever we hear wholesome words concerning his gospel, we should be like the giggling baby, full of joy, always ready to hear a wholesome repetition of that thing that tickles our fancy. And Jesus Christ, the Bible really is and solely and exclusively is about the glory of God through Jesus Christ, the precious redeeming king.
So again, and secondly, there was the Christological and evangelical focus. Notice. This grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. One person has translated it this way, the good news of Christ's unfathomable wealth.
Isn't that a wonderful reality? Christ, the reality concerning Christ is one that it is marked by unsearchable riches or unfathomable wealth. When we read unsearchable riches, I'm sure you know what that doesn't mean. That doesn't mean that we can never find anything of Christ anywhere, that his riches are unfindable. probably not a word, but we cannot find his riches because we cannot search them out.
That's not what Paul is getting at here. When we read unsearchable or when we contemplate unfathomable, it simply means it means gloriously that we cannot exhaust the riches and the wealth, the excellencies and the glories of Jesus Christ, because they are infinite and they are eternal and unending. There will never be enough time in this lower world. There will never be enough time in eternity to exhaust the wealth and the riches of Jesus Christ.
Isn't that wonderful? We're not going to be 10,000 years into the bliss of paradise and then all of a sudden, oh, got nothing else to sing the praises about. No, because Christ is marked by unsearchable riches. He is marked by unfathomable gold and silver, not even gold and silver, but rather unspeakable heavenly treasures that we will praise him in eternity for.
And kids, if you're here this morning, this morning, if you're here this evening, it's been a long day. I think it's morning still. If you're here this evening and you're outside of Christ, you don't believe. Perhaps he gives some lip service for the sake of mommy and daddy giving you cookies and treating you right, whatever it might be.
If you're outside of Christ, you need to listen to the Apostle Peter in first Peter, chapter one, because you see, whether you're young or whether you are an adult, we will in our lives seek after earthly treasure. We'll keep up to ourselves any manner of silver and gold, and I'm using that both literally and figuratively, whether it's treasure or whether it's items, material items that bring joy to us. What Paul calls the passing pleasures of sin, earthly riches, that Egyptian bounty of gold and silver, whatever it might be, those will perish. We will perish with them.
We need an abiding treasure. 1 Peter 1, beginning at verse 17. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. You see, Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure in our treasury. We have things that we can enjoy by God's grace in this lower world, but none of them are in that treasury of eternal merit.
Solely and alone, the treasures of that eternal treasury are the person and the work of our perfect Christ. And so, kids, when you seek after all manner of earthly pleasures, well, first off, don't. Seek after the Lord Jesus Christ, his blood and his righteousness, and things will be added to you by the grace of God as he gives you providential blessings to enjoy that are lawful to enjoy. But seek after Christ and him alone.
All of your gadgetry and all of your music and all of your idolization of whoever will not come with you into the eternal state. We do not live in a pagan universe where people can throw coins on our eyes and we can bring them to pay the ferryman to cross the River Styx. We live in God's Christian universe where those outside of Christ will pass in to a godless and joyless eternity. You need to listen to me.
Hell can never be communicated, and the judgment and condemnation of God can never be communicated enough to where it adequately communicates the grave and severe situation that it really is. Just imagine, no more smiles. No more friendly faces of your family. No more passing pleasures of sin.
It's been hot lately. There's no more quenching of the thirst with water. No more suppressing the pains of hunger and all of these things. The horrors of hell, we've just scratched the surface.
So why in this lower world would you latch on to the madness of earthly pleasures and just set Christ aside as if He's just someone that's there that can be considered later down the road? Don't tarry. Don't dangle. Don't wait for a day.
You could walk out of here today. A tree could fall on you. A bus could hit you. You could be stricken with an aneurysm.
Today is the day of salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Earthly treasures pass away and are cast off just as you will be if you are not safe in Christ. Own the treasure.
Be those who are described in 1 Peter 2, 7. Therefore, to you who believe He is precious, but to those who are disobedient, He is a stumbling block. Don't be those who are characterized as disobedient, as those who reject the only precious treasure in our world and universe. Be those who see Christ as precious, as he is the only treasure in our treasury.
Paul's focus of his apostleship is seen and there is an ethnic and demographic focus. There is the Christological and evangelical focus. And thirdly, there was an acknowledgment of the importance of the times that he and they, the Ephesians, were in. I'll say that again.
There was an acknowledgment of the importance of the times that he and they were in. Notice what Paul writes again back at Ephesians 3.
Acknowledging the Fulness of the Times
and verse 9, to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that now. So, you see, Paul acknowledged the reality that they were at the outset, at the inauguration, if you will, that time of the new creation where the promised Messiah had come And where he is now, where he has now set up this glorious community of Jew and Gentile as one new man in him and is growing his church, that church which Hades cannot destroy and cannot prevail against. He realized that they were now at that fulfillment in those last days of that era where all that was wrapped up in the mystery of Old Covenant religion has now been revealed by the holy apostles and prophets. There was an acknowledgment of the fact that they were in that time when the fullness of the times had come and where the full disclosure of Jesus Christ in gospel realities were being made.
And they were, notice the language here, fellowshiping in the mystery. Verse 9, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery. Perhaps in your reading you thought what that means. That simply means what Paul had written at verse 6, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel.
So that is the fellowship of the mystery that Jew and Gentile are now one new man in Christ Jesus. both the blessed beneficiaries of God's condescending covenantal blessings and promises. So the focus of Paul's apostleship, again, ethnic, Christological and acknowledging the times. Thirdly, the divine objective of the apostolic enterprise. The divine objective of the apostolic enterprise.
Notice at verse 10, to the intent that now The manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. That is the divine objective of the apostolic enterprise. First of note in this,
The Church as Testifying Body
God wants to have a church that testifies to his grace and brings him praise. We see the church here as central as that testifying body. that testifies to the grace, the wisdom and the power of God, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church. You know, it's popular and it's hip these days to to denigrate the church and to to sort of reduce the role of the church and the prominence of the church in Christianity. It's all about D groups and small groups and, you know, all being really edified, not in the church, but away from the church in our own little fellowshipping gatherings.
Not to say that those things are bad, because it is good to fellowship. But I hope this would indict those of us who see either the family as exalted above the church, small groups exalted above the church, anything else exalted above the church. It is in the church. It is by the church that God makes known to elect angels and all intelligent creatures his manifold wisdom, his glorious grace, which is to the end of his praise.
The importance of the church is set forth here with great clarity. It is in the church and it is by the church that God shines forth his multifaceted wisdom and glory. You know, when we consider the mindset of some, Where where it's, you know, the church is OK. Yeah, you know, the church is great.
I kind of feel like I'm more edified away from, you know, the church. And, you know, I don't really have to go to the church as an individual Christian. I, you know, I don't really need the church. I can worship in my home and I don't really need to come a whole lot.
Well, you see that. Well, hopefully it's not the church's fault. Hopefully the church, though fallible, is contributing to an environment where God can be praised and Christ can be honored. But you see, there is a mindset today where I can be an individual, an isolationist.
I don't need the church. Well, that is an affront to Christ's finished sacrifice upon Calvary's tree. To say I don't need the church is to cast the blood of Jesus Christ under the mud of confusion and madness. In Hebrews chapter 10, Paul After opening up with the author of Hebrews, Paul opens up there the glorious, finished, once for all atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then says, therefore, do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, which is the manner of some.
To hold church in this negative, maybe not negative, but a lesser light than the Bible sets it forth is to do violence to the particular redemption of the perfect Savior. We are to hold in high esteem the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, because it is God's intention that the manifold wisdom that he has and shows in perfection may be made known by the church. So love the church. Glory in the reality that God has blessed you as a participant in his church.
Secondly, God,
Angels Beholding God's Wisdom Anew
God's divine objective in the apostolic enterprise is that elect angels in heaven may behold the wisdom of God in a new way. That the language is somewhat difficult and it has been interpreted differently to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Surely God's wisdom is and will be seen by all intelligent creatures, the elect angels, as well as the fallen angels, the believers in Christ Jesus, as well as those who are not believers in Christ Jesus. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ. to the glory of God the Father, some forced by the immensity and the majesty of Christ as King, some in glorious salvific submission, they being already in Christ Jesus on that great day.
But suffice it to say, I side with Calvin, who says here that the elect angels in heaven are in view. He says, and this is an indictment upon us, but related, if the calling of the Gentiles draws the attention and excites the reverence of angels, how shameful that it should be slighted or disdained by men upon earth. You see, the angels, remember, who are not the redemptive recipients of God's grace. Rejoice in the manifold, the multifaceted, the multicolored wisdom of God.
Isn't that amazing? And it should indict us for those who can so often be marked by languor and coldness. We'll remember everything else save for our bloodied and resurrected Savior. You see, the angels, who are not even the recipients of Christ's atoning work and of God's special, particular, redemptive graces, nevertheless, they rejoice. and they glory in the manifold wisdom disclosed by God through the church.
So the church serves as a testifying agent to make known to the elect angels in heaven of new things in the wisdom and in the plan of God. We need to understand here that angels are not omniscient. We ought not to impute too much to angels as far as intelligence and knowledge. I'm not saying that we don't appreciate their service, their being and their reality.
They are ministering spirits sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Hebrews 114. But they are not omniscient. It was not made known to them in its full disclosure and to its full intention, the gospel of Jesus Christ, prior to Christ's coming and performing that work of redemption.
It was wrapped up in this mystery of Christ. It was hidden in previous ages, but now with the coming of Christ, it has been made, it has been disclosed. Not only now to Gentiles, but by virtue of the church, it's been made known. God's wisdom has been made known in a new way to elect angels.
So the divine objective of the apostolic enterprise is seen again in the church testifying to his grace, unto his praise, and that the elect angels in heaven may behold the wisdom of God in a new way. And I think we see evidence of that before we move on. And before we move on, we see evidence of that in the book of Revelation. Revelation seven.
In Revelation seven, we see the reality that God is praised by angels. For the saving purposes seen in Christ and his gospel in verse eleven of Revelation seven, all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessing and honor and wisdom. Thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever.
Amen. Prior to that, the angels singing here, the angels along with every creature singing in Revelation 5.13. Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. The angels' song, one of the things that if you ever want to read I mean, there's lots of good sermons out there to read.
But one of Spurgeon's best, in my mind, second best, actually, is his sermon on Luke 2, 14, where he's preaching of that, the infancy narrative of Jesus. He's preaching on the angel's song, glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, goodwill toward men. And he acknowledges in his introduction to the sermon that the angels, heavenly singing built note upon note and stanza upon stanza as creation and providence moved towards the redemption by Christ. But you see, prior to Christ's coming, they did not have or their song did not contain the fullness of glorious lyrics that it did when his announced coming was given by them.
They were made known the wisdom of God as he dispatched them to announce to the shepherds, there is a Savior born this day in the city of David, Christ the Lord. And so the angels glory in the reality that Gentiles now have been added in God's plan to covenant blessings and promises. They glory in their God in a new way by his disclosure through Christ and his church. Fourthly, The eternal nature of God's plan.
The eternal nature of God's plan is seen here in verse 11. Just picking up before that, though, might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord. This, I would submit, is one of the most important verses in the Bible. I said one of the most important verses in the Bible.
For our interpretation of the Bible's presentation, all that it presents, God has an eternal purpose in Christ Jesus before the world was. Remember, we noted that this morning, that before the foundation of the world, God decreed that Jesus Christ would come in the fullness of the times to perfectly secure the salvation of a multitude that no man can number unto the praise of God. So God enters into creation, that is, he creates everything, and he enters into providential history in order to bring about that predetermined end. He had an eternal purpose in Christ Jesus before the world was everything, all of time and history, and everything else serves that redemptive purpose in Christ Jesus.
So why would we want to be His enemy? We have a purposive God. We have a purposive God. What does that mean?
All these fancy words that we spit out from the pulpit. Purposive. That means we have a God of a perfect planning mind. You know, we are, by God's grace, by his creative power, bearers of his image.
You know that we have derivative planning that comes from God. When we wake up in the morning, we don't do this. We don't get up out of our bed, step off and then walk until we hit a wall, react and then start walking until we hit another wall. What I'm getting at is that when we wake up, we have a plan, don't we?
We are stupid creatures, but we're not so stupid that we don't have a plan and then work everything so that that plan can come to fulfillment. We get up, we know there's a wall, we know we need to get to our toothbrush, so we avoid the wall and we go through the door. We brush our teeth. We know that we have to get to work, so we make sure that there's fuel in the car.
We have our keys. We plan, unto a desired end, to arrive at our desk so that we can answer phone calls or do whatever we do. We have a purposive mind. Well, we extend that microcosmic reality to God's macrocosmic glory, and we find a God that works by a purposive mind.
Before the foundation of the world, he had an eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. He creates and he governs providence unto that glorious end. He had, or according to, the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a glorious thing that we have a purposive God.
He's not reacting. He's not caught unawares or off guard. Our God plans and He executes to the praise of His glorious grace. And His purposes, again, are in Christ Jesus.
There's that repeated Christocentrism. Kids, it's all about Jesus. It really is all about Jesus. That's what we're going to keep telling you.
We pray that at a young age you will own our God and bless the name of our Redeemer. It's all about Jesus Christ. The eternal nature of God's plan is seen in his purposes being in Christ Jesus according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. And notice what he adds here.
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. As Christians, we have boldness. Now, this isn't some sort of untamed courage. This isn't that bravado that Peter had.
This isn't some sort of boldness that is seen in our own stature and in our own nature. But rather, because of Christ's saving work, we can have that boldness in reverential awe and humility to approach God, to come to Him, to boldly approach that throne of grace and bear out our petitions and sing our joys. We can with boldness approach our glorious God. We have boldness.
We have access and confidence through faith in him. You see, in the old covenant, there was a divinely designed non-access to God in that covenant reality. Remember, they had that whole priestly system and the various divisions of the tabernacle first and then the temple. Access to God was laborious in the old covenant in that old covenant reality.
But now by Jesus Christ, all of those articles of old covenant religion have been fulfilled. And now we have this boldness and we have this access through Christ, the mediator to our glorious God, the father, boldness and access with confidence through faith in him.
Application: Do Not Lose Heart
And now, lastly, the application of this theology. Fifthly, and lastly, the application of this theology. Notice verse 13. Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
In this in this section, Paul is writing all of this and he's bringing it to bear in this. Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. It's not wonderful that the mind of the apostle Paul, he's writing all this in prison. He it's not he doesn't have like our prisons today where the prisoners make more money than we do and they get TVs and, you know, people feeding them grapes.
He was in a he was in a prison where the only way you could get the necessities was to have people who loved you and knew you who could be dispatched to bring you those things. It was a horrible place to be in, humanly speaking. And yet Paul is concerned about their not losing heart. Isn't that the heart and the mind of a pastor called by Christ?
I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations. No, which is your glory, that his very being in prison, yes, was unto the end that he might inscripturate by the Holy Spirit over half of the New Testament for that glorious deposit of gospel truth. But it is also for the end of the salvation and the encouragement of the people to whom he writes. If Paul was not in prison, if Paul was not the recipient of the bruising hands of wicked men, we wouldn't be standing here today if we can trace our Christian lineage back to this glorious proclaimer of Christian truths.
We are not to, they were not to lose heart at tribulation, persecution, trial, whatever came upon the early apostles, whatever came upon them. Don't lose heart. Why? Because what Stephen said, behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of God standing at the right hand of God.
Christ is standing to intercede for his people. He is subduing those who oppose him, crushing them under his feet, and he will conquer for his people. Do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Brethren, one of the things that will close with before we pray by means of application, it always ought to be or it very often should be an applicatory point for the preacher.
What Paul closes with here, we are to have great comfort in theology. I fear I fear that very often, you know, theology can kind of cause us to do this, especially on a hot day when, you know, we're in Chilliwack and it hasn't been the coolest temperature and we've got chairs that aren't the most comfortable, that should probably keep us away. But sometimes the environment can't be conducive to worship. Nevertheless, it's not an excuse.
Theology ought to serve as a joy, joyful encouragement and as a glorious comfort when we have a purpose of God. who has planned perfectly to save a multitude by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, when we know that Christ is that center of everything that happens, He is the beginning, the end, the amen, the everything, we can have comfort when ungodly rulers rise up, we can have comfort when family members die, we can have comfort when maladies come upon us, we can have comfort whenever the trial, travail, and persecution that comes upon us comes. Whenever these things happen, we can have comfort because we have a purpose of God. That our triune God sits in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases. That everything that happens, God works for the good of those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Have great comfort. Don't lose heart in this lower world because we have a God who works according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You again for Your Scriptures. We thank You for what You reveal in Your Holy Word concerning our Savior. We thank You for this event so many years ago The gospel was opened up in its full disclosure, proclaimed to include Gentiles in your redemptive plan. We thank you that we as Gentiles, once in the flesh, are now your covenant people by virtue of the saving work of Jesus Christ and your grace.
We thank you again that we are the beneficiaries of men like Paul, empowered by you in the early church to spread the message of Jesus Christ. We just pray that you would help us in whatever sphere and at whatever level to be those who are about the unsearchable and unfathomable riches and wealth of Jesus, that we might have occasion to tell others of Him. You would help us not to be marked by a languor and a coldness in remembering our precious Redeemer and remembering everything else, but that He would be that sole and only treasure in our eternal treasury. We might march forward proclaiming those riches, and Lord God, that we might live unto Your glory.
We just pray that You would go with us now, and might all that we do be done unto the praise of Your grace. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.