Ephesians 1:9-10
“For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
Part of what belongs to us under the “riches of his grace” is the knowledge of the mystery of his will, that is, God’s great purpose and plan which was once hidden but is now revealed to us in Jesus. The purpose is that all things will be united in Christ. In the fullness of time, all things will be submitted to the Lordship of Christ.
Again, this is God’s purpose: Jesus as Lord of everything, and God is glorified. Paul summarizes it beautifully in Philippians:
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2.9-11)
Paul’s big message in this passage is that God has revealed to us the plan to accomplish his purpose. What is amazing is that we have such a prominent place in God’s plan! Indeed, we are agents and ambassadors of the plan. Jesus calls us to himself and then commissions us to be agents and ambassadors of his plan in our time and place in history.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5.17-20)
We are followers of Jesus, and Jesus is Lord of all things. We represent him. He works in us and through us to reach the world. Therefore, we should think and act strategically. We should be wise in the way we do our jobs, in the way we interact with others, and how live our lives. Our actions should be thoughtful, intentional, and purposeful. We should be constantly mindful that we are ambassadors for Christ.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1.8)
Do you understand God’s purpose and plan? Do you understand your role in God’s purpose and plan? Are you living and working in alignment with God’s plan?
