Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 7)

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, 'When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. 'In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Paul now speaks on the unity that is found in the body of Christ (the church). Paul continually talks about love being the motivation behind everything we do as believers. Understanding that God has made grace available to us as a gift through the subsequent life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (v.7) will help us realize who truly is in control. Because of Jesus' great love for us and His great sacrifice of Himself, we can now experience a truly wonderfully, grace filled, Holy Spirit led existence.

If love is the driving factor in the church, then everything we say and do should be clothed in love...especially where issues of methodology and practice are seen differently. We are all called to be witness of God's grace and message of reconciliation, but the ways we go about doing that may be different, actually should be different. The issue is not the message, but how we proclaim it. We are all created with different gifts and talents, and we are all called to reach different people, in different contexts, with differing ways of communicating the Gospel. Understanding our diversity within the body of Christ will help us to keep love the focus, and most likely help us realize how God wants to use us in the culture He has placed us in.

Final Thought– May we build on the essential things we agree on, in love, to build the church up (v.16), and be gracious to others when secondary matters are discussed.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 6)

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 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."

Paul's prayer is that since God has Sovereign control over everything, we should look to Jesus because He is the fullness of God, essentially the fullness of God Dwelling in human form/flesh. We look to Jesus for strength to understand the vast love, grace, mercy and Sovereignty of God. Not only is Jesus the example we look to, but the very source of who and what we are looking to. Paul's desire is that we all would be filled with the fullness of God, receiving it because we have experienced the love of Jesus that surpasses all human knowledge.

This work is clearly done by God, through Jesus, imparted to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we realize that we have no part in the "doing" or "work" it frees us up to focus on God as ultimate. He will do the work through us as vessels when He's ready, and how He desires. Our responsibility is to continually look to Jesus for everything, realizing that God works through Jesus to impart what he has for us.

Paul's encouragement is for us to be strengthened with God's power (by keeping Him Ultimate in our lives) so that three things can happen in our lives:

1) So that Jesus will Dwell in our hearts through Faith.
Jesus wants to take up residence in our lives, and Paul prays that we would desire to have Jesus dwell in us. The motivation is for loving relationship, the outcome is a deeper relationship and understanding of who Jesus is and what faith in Jesus looks like in our lives.

2) So that we can comprehend the love of Jesus.
Again, the driving factor is love. When Jesus begins to dwell in us, we begin to experience the amazing depths of God's essence. When we realize how much God loves us, how much He sacrificed when Jesus had to die for me and my sins, so that I could be reconciled back to God, I have a deeper love for others. No sacrifice is greater than Jesus' sacrifice and therefore (because I have personally experienced His love) I should desire to love others regardless of what they have done to me. Through the working of the Spirit, we are enabled and empowered to love in this sacrificial way, which draws us into partnership with God in His mission of reconciling the world.

3) So that we may be filled up to all the Fullness of God.
When we experience the fullness of God, it leads to a greater understanding of God and his works. Experiencing the fullness of God brings us to a realization of who we are, who Jesus is, what God has done for us through Jesus, and how we are empowered by the Spirit to live out the reality of God being ultimate in our lives. God wants to give us understanding of spiritual matters, He wants us to know Him deeper and fuller, and He desires to equip us for mission. Some people believe that God doesn't want us to know things, yet Paul makes it very clear that God desires to teach us and for us to learn more about Him. This brings God great glory and honor, and makes Godliness a reachable goal.

Final Thought– Try to understand and experience how powerful God truly is. Rest in His Sovereignty, knowing that His will will be done, and that it will be perfect. Truly purse and desire God's glory, and you will find yourself filled with the Fullness of God.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 5)

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 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. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory."

God's Sovereign will is realized and experienced through Jesus revealing the mystery of God's grace. God chose this specific time to send Jesus and the full revelation of God's sovereign plan. It's interesting to me how Paul explains that the fullness of Jesus hadn't been previously revealed, but was now (in Paul's time). It must have been hard for God's people before Jesus showed up, to understand and have complete revelation of God's plan. Like Paul, I'm so thankful that He sent Jesus when He did and gave life to me when He did.

It's great to know that everyone (both Jew & Gentile) are accepted by God on the basis of God's sovereign election through the work of Jesus! I'm so thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, and for God choosing to make me an heir for eternity! Do you have the same appreciation for God's timing and call for your life?

Final Thought– Continue to walk close with Jesus in this season of joy that we're in. Stay as close as you can to Him and accept that God's plan is perfect and designed to draw us closer to Him. Regardless of what our circumstances and situations look like today, we must remember that they are ordained by God to work for His glory and praise. God's redemptive plan has been revealed in and through Jesus, so rest in Him and take refuge in the truth that God has provided us a way to be reconciled to Him.