Introduction
In Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the wizard Gandalf, speaking especially in reference to hobbits, says, “I have found that it’s the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” And it seems he knew then what was to come later. Late in the Lord of the Rings, an unlikely hero, a small hobbit named Frodo Baggins, is given the great task of carrying the One Ring to Mordor. Despite feeling inadequate and overwhelmed by the task, Frodo is chosen and equipped for this critical mission. And through his journey, and everyday faithfulness, he was able, little by little to pushback the darkness, and to eventually destroy it altogether.
Beloved, this is a picture of our mission. We may be small, but we are a part of something infinitely big. And our lives of ordinary faithfulness, kindness, and love, not only keep the darkness at bay, but little by little are leading to its utter destruction. As we seek to bring every area of life into joyful submission to the Lordship of Christ, we are pushing back the darkness and advancing the Kingdom of Light. And that, Lord willing, is what we are going to see in God’s Word today.
Paul has been taking us through Christian doctrine so that He can get us to Christian duty, and we’re almost to that point. The first three chapters of Ephesians focus on doctrine and the last three focus on duty. But, before Paul gets to the nitty gritty of how we are to live, he first wants us to understand the big picture, and that our lives are a part of that big picture. So, look with me at Ephesians 3:7-13.
Context
Last week we began looking at this chapter, and we saw that Paul was about to pray for the Ephesians, but stopped to emphasize all that he’s been saying one more time. And what he’s been saying is that everyone outside of Christ is without God and without hope, but all who are united to Jesus are united to His covenant heritage, His covenant culture, and His covenant hope. And both Jew and Gentile—people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and generation—can be and are united to Christ by faith. We were all once far off from God, and thus far off from hope; but now, in Christ, we, both Jew and Gentile, have been brought near.
When Jesus lived the perfect lawful and God glorifying life, He did so as the perfect Jew and perfect Gentile—the new/true better Adam and the new/true better Israel—in order to create in Himself one new man in place of the two. When Jesus died the sacrificial wrath-absorbing death, He killed the hostility between Jew and Gentile, and every other faction as well. When Jesus got up from the grave in His justifying, death-defeating resurrection, He tore down the dividing wall of hostility and reconciled sinners from every nation and generation—again, Jew and Gentile—to God, and therefore to one another as well. When we are dead to God—without God and without hope—we are alive to hostility and pride. But, when we have been made alive together with Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to righteousness. Therefore, hostility and pride are replaced by humility and peace.
Now it might seem ironic that Paul was preaching and teaching such things because Paul wrote this letter from prison… And one of the reasons he was in prison is because the Jews were so hostile. They thought he had let an Ephesian Gentile into the Temple, and they believed he was preaching against the Mosaic Law. Because he was not requiring Gentile Christians to be circumcised and to live as Old Covenant Jews, and because he was seeking to get the Jews to trust and obey Christ, they were so hostile that they had him imprisoned, though they really wanted him put to death. They accused Paul, a Pharisee, of embracing Gentiles and taking one beyond the Court of the Gentiles into the Temple, all while preaching that both Jews and Gentiles were one in Christ. That Christ had torn down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, and given all of His people free access to God. And indeed, he was preaching that. And though many of the Jews rejected Paul’s message, and were hostile to it, many received it and rejoiced in it. So, ironic or not, Paul knew that the message of the gospel and the result of the message are true even if some reject it, even if some are hostile. So, even from prison Paul is telling us that the gospel is a message of reconciliation. And he means it.
Paul has been stressing that we are indeed alive with Christ. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells within us, empowering us to know Jesus, love Jesus, and live for Jesus… to embrace God’s gospel and God’s Law from the heart. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in power, where He rules, reigns, and intercedes for us. And we are so united to Him that we are seated with Him in the heavenly places, and are thus enabled to bring every area of life under His Lordship. We are now enabled to live all of life for the Glory of Christ, the good of His people, and the life of the world. In and through Christ, by the Spirit, we have access to God. We are now at peace with God, and now that peace is to flow out to one another. Again, pride and hostility have been replaced by peace and humility. And we live that out in and through our embrace and application of all of God’s Word.
Last week we saw that this is all a part of the mystery of Christ… That is, the mystery that has now been and is being revealed, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. So, the mystery of Christ is directly linked to the gospel of Christ. And along with this gospel mystery is a gospel mission. God is not simply after one nation, but every nation. God’s grand plan of redemption is to unite all things to Himself, and to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea, in and through Christ and His church. God has redeemed Jew and Gentile, and is reconciling them both to Himself, and is likewise reconciling all things to Himself. And that’s why Paul gladly gave himself to this mission, even though it landed him in prison… He was a part of something much bigger than himself, and so he joyfully lived for Christ and advanced the gospel of Christ, come what may. And that brings us to our passage today.
Ephesians 3:7-13
In verses 7 and 8 we read, “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. 8 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…” Paul was a Pharisee. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, who had a violent zeal for the Lord that led him to persecute the church. Before he came to know Christ he dragged Christians off to prison, and perhaps worse. But, Christ met him on the Road to Damascus, and called him to account for persecuting His people. And though Christ had mercy upon him and forgave him, in many ways it seems as though Paul never quite forgave himself. In 1 Corinthians 15:9 Paul calls himself the least of the apostles, but here he calls himself the least of all the saints, that is, the least of all Christians. This is true humility on Paul’s part, and he shows such humility time and time again.
In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul said, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Paul is a great example of a hostile and prideful sinner becoming a humble and peaceful saint. Even though he was made a minister of the gospel according to the gift of God’s grace, he knew, and continued to boast that it was all due to God’s grace, and no merit of his own. And we ought to identify with Paul here. On the one hand, we too can say that we are the worst of sinners… For each one of us are the worst sinner we know. We know all of the secret sins that we’ve committed, or thought about committing. We know all of those things we’ve said and done and thought about saying and doing. We know more about our own sinfulness than anyone else’s, and thus have cause for great humility.
But, because we know we are great sinners, we also know that God’s grace is great. We know that God is mighty to save and transform because he has done it with us. He has saved the worst of sinners. And he has called us and equipped us to be and to do for His good pleasure. Everything we have and everything we are as redeemed Christians is owing to the gift of God’s sovereign grace. It all has come and it all has happened ultimately by the working of His power, not our own. And it’s all because of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
Notice what Paul says here, that grace was given him to be a minister of the gospel, to preach to the Gentiles, that is to the nations, the unsearchable riches of Christ. This was all a gift to Paul according to God’s grace, that is, in accordance with God’s grace. Paul, his calling, the gospel he was called to preach, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and all of the effects of Christ and His gospel are all in accordance with the grace of God. In other words, it is because of who the infinitely glorious God of the universe is that all of this is a reality; it is in accordance with Him.
As I read earlier from Exodus 34:6, “the LORD, [is] a God [that is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” This is simply who He is. And His grace and the gifts of His grace are in accordance with who He is. As Paul said earlier in Ephesians 2:4-5, it is because God is rich in mercy that He loves us and saves us by His grace. Life, breath, and everything, especially our salvation all flow from God’s riches: the riches of His mercy, and the unsearchable, that is the unmeasurable and inexhaustible riches of Christ.
Jesus is God incarnate. He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the exact imprint of His nature. And because the nature of God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, Jesus is all of that incarnate. He is the riches of God’s grace in a person. And in and through Him, all the riches of God’s grace come.
In Ephesians 3:6 Paul said that we Gentiles are fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. And that’s because, as 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, all the promises of God find their yes and amen in Christ, especially all the great gospel promises. As I said earlier, Jesus is the new and true better Adam, and the new and true better Israel who redeems and reconciles sinners to God and to one another. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings who rules, reigns, and intercedes for us, so that we can live for Him. And this is all a part of the gospel. In Christ we can live for Christ and with Christ forever. We can be free from the penalty of sin and the power of sin, and one day from the very presence of sin; and we can glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And we can partake in all of that even now, by grace through faith. And not just we, but every nation and generation. This is all a part of the riches of God’s grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. And really it’s just the tip of the iceberg. These riches are unsearchable. Time would fail us to try to list them out. But make no mistake, all who repent and believe the gospel will enjoy these riches now, and forevermore.
The gospel is the good news about the person and work of Jesus Christ—His life, death, resurrection and ascension. But it’s also the good news that Jesus is Lord. That Christ is King. And as the King He is reconciling all things to Himself. He is making peace, and bringing all of creation into right submission to His Lordship. And in Christ and under His Lordship is not only where salvation is found, but true joy, because He is infinitely rich and glorious in and of Himself. As those made in God’s image, created to glorify Him and to enjoy Him, He is the One in whom we ultimately and truly delight. Whether we realize or not, that is the case. He is truly glorious, and all of us ultimately and truly long for Him. As Augustine said, God made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.
The riches of Christ are unsearchable, not because we can’t search them, or taste and see that they are good, but because we can’t exhaust them. So, two great realities are seen here in the first part of our passage: our great sinfulness, and Christ’s great sufficiency. With that in mind, heed the words of that great Scottish pastor, Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne, who said, “Learn much of your own heart; and when you have learned all you can, remember you have seen but a few yards into a pit that is unfathomable…. Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief! Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in his beams. Feel his all-seeing eye settled on you in love, and repose in his almighty arms…. Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh.” For that is what the unsearchable riches of Christ bring.
Now, from here, after stressing the grace of God and his calling to preach the gospel, the mystery of Christ, and the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles, Paul goes on in verses 9 and 10 to say, that he’s doing all of this, “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” You see, this isn’t merely about individual salvation, or our own personal battle with sin. This isn’t merely about our own hearts or just our own families or churches. This is so much bigger than that.
The gospel, the mystery of Christ, and the unsearchable riches of Christ that are now being lavished on Jew and Gentile in the New Covenant, are about bringing to light, that is, making known for everyone God’s plan that spans and unfolds across the ages. Like God’s mercy and His grace, this plan has its origin in God Himself. As Paul said back in Ephesians 1:4, God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In eternity past, before the ages began, God made a Covenant of Redemption with Himself, making a plan to create and to redeem, and recreate for His glory and our good. As Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9, God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
God created all things with His grand plan of redemption in view. Creation is the arena God chose to magnify the glory of His Son. God graciously created us, and then we wickedly fell from grace, but now Christ has come to graciously redeem and restore us back to grace so that we could live for Him. And in and through Him, and our living for Him, something truly amazing and impactful is happening—the manifold wisdom of God is being made known. Through the church—that is, not just the institution of the church, but the body of Christ that are agents of God’s Kingdom in this world, called to take all things captive for Christ… Through the church God is making known His manifold wisdom. He is reconciling sinners from every nation and generation, from all walks of life, to Himself and to one another. And this is all a part of and pointing to His grand plan of reconciling all things to Himself.
When Paul says manifold here think multifaceted. Think of a diamond that is both simple and yet complexed, and depending on the light and the angle of the light, more and more beauty is beheld and enjoyed. And that’s very much how the manifold wisdom of God is, especially as it’s connected to the gospel. The gospel is both simple and complexed. It’s simple enough for a child to understand, and complexed and deep enough for the oldest and wisest to get lost in its glories. Indeed, the gospel points us to the infinite glory and wisdom of God.
Now consider the wisdom of God. The idea behind that word wisdom is on the one hand, simply God’s wisdom… that He is wise, and He knows what He’s doing… That His Law is righteous and good, and that His gospel is truly amazing. That His Word is complete, perfect, and absolute Truth, flowing from His perfect nature and character. That His grand plan of redemption is truly glorious. But on there other hand, behind this idea of wisdom is the One who is at the very center of God’s grand plan of redemption, Jesus Himself.
As 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, Christ Jesus became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption… Just as Christ is the grace of God and the glory of God incarnate, so too is He the wisdom of God incarnate. So these verses are telling us that part of the reason God created the universe is so that the glory of God in Christ would be made known, put on public display, or magnified in and through His church… in and through redeemed sinners like you and me.
According to Paul here, we are making the manifold wisdom of God known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Now, some say that means angels, some say it means demons, some say it means those in power, and some say it means the angels and the demons that are controlling those in power. And the theories go on and on. Given what Paul has already said about those who are dead in their sin being under the power of the prince of the air, and given what he will say about spiritual warfare against the rulers, authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places… I tend to think he means all of that. I think he means angels, demons, and the nations and people under their sway. Which might sound a bit astonishing to you if you don’t think much about angels and demons. But what ought to astonish you even more so, is that God chose to make known His manifold wisdom to such creatures in and through us.
What we see here is that not only does everything exist for the glory of Christ, but that God created all things with this great plan to magnify His glory and display His wisdom to the universe, to the heavens, to people, nations, angels, and demons even, in and through the church. That means that the church, God’s people, are at the very heart of the reason God created the universe. The heavens declare the glory of God to us, but we declare the glory of God to the heavens. And we don’t just declare it, we make it known. We make known the manifold wisdom of God through everything we are and everything we do.
Here in the book of Ephesians Paul says that the church is those who are united to Christ, and in Christ we are the bride of Christ, the family and household of God, indeed we are God’s holy nation and His temple being built up for His glory. And part of the reason God’s Word uses those metaphors to refer to His church is because the church is to set the pattern for the world. As we come together as an institution under the right preaching and teaching of God’s Word, and the right administration of the sacraments, in fellowship with one another, we are equipped to go and to be and to do for God’s glory in all of life.
The church is God’s holy nation called to disciple the nations by baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded. The church is where the nations of the world learn to be God fearing and God glorifying nations in Christ. The church is the family of God, the household of God that shows us what every household is to be and do. The church is where every spouse and every parent and every child goes to learn how to embrace their calling as a spouse, a parent, or child. The church is the body of Christ that teaches us how to glorify God in our body. It’s where we all go to see what individual faithfulness looks like. The church is to be at the heart of the life of every Christian because through the church God is equipping us to live life, all of life, for God’s glory, the good of His people, and the life of His world. The church sets the pattern for the world. But, how we live out in the world is also in view here.
We display the manifold wisdom of God to all when we bring all areas of life into right submission to the Lordship of Christ, when we believe and apply all of God’s Word to all of life. We magnify the glory of Christ and point the watching world to His wisdom and glory when we live for His glory in all things. It’s not just about Sunday, though the Lord’s Day is crucial… But it’s about every day in every way submitted to King Jesus. It’s about making known to the nations and the powers over the nations that Christ is Lord, and that they must bow the knee to Him. And this is why Paul goes where he goes next.
In verses 11-13 Paul says, “11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” So, our making known God’s wisdom, our bringing every area of life into joyful submission to Christ, our living lives marked by peace and humility instead of pride and hostility, is all a part of the eternal purpose that God has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord. The purpose of reconciling all things to Himself in and through Jesus Christ, and for His glory. His eternal purpose of making all things new in Christ. Our obedience, our faithfulness is a part of that. This church, our lives, and God’s Kingdom on earth, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem to the world, are all a part of God’s eternal purpose in Christ. Every act of faithfulness, whether in the privacy of your own home, in the church, or the public square, no matter what it is, if you are walking in obedience to the Lord, seeking to glorify Him, it is eternally meaningful. It is a part of something infinitely big. It is pushing back the domain of darkness and advancing the light of the Kingdom. It is partaking in making all things new.
This is why Paul tells the Ephesians not to lose heart over what he’s suffering—his imprisonment and the like. He says it’s for their glory. It’s all a part of something much bigger. It’s all doing something that matters for eternity. It’s all a part of seeking to bring every area of life into joyful submission to the Lordship of Christ. And so Paul gladly embraces suffering for Christ. He gladly embraces whatever comes his way on the path of faithfulness, because he knows it is all worth it… eternally worth it.
No doubt, just because it’s worth it doesn’t make it easy. Faithfulness is hard. Following Christ is worth it, but it’s hard. Which is why Paul reminds us that we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Christ. As the church of God with the Great Prophet, Priest, and King who sits at the right hand of the Father ruling, reigning, and interceding for us, Jesus Himself, we can boldly approach the throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need. The Christian life is hard, but we can live it by God’s grace. We can fight sin, pursue holiness, and seek to take all things captive for Christ by God’s grace. We can cry out to God in boldness, knowing that we are a part of His household, and He hears His children’s cries, and He cares. He will answer us. He will help us. For He cares for us.
The author of Amazing Grace, John Newton, once said, “Thou art coming to a King, so with thee large petitions bring, for His grace and power are such that none can ever ask too much.” Now, that doesn’t mean God will grant us whatever we want. But He will give us all we need for life and godliness, for life lived for His glory. And that’s what we’re called to here—a life lived for the King. A life that puts God’s grace and the reconciliation that the gospel brings on display. A life that magnifies the glory of Christ, making His glory and wisdom known from the least to the greatest, from nation to nation, to every angel and demon, to every king and peasant. It is a big task, but it is our task, it is our calling. And by God’s grace we can live in faithfulness to it.
Conclusion
Now let me close with some practical application from this passage. First, let us seek to be people who are marked by humility and gratitude. While it is true that we are sinners, the very worst sinners we know, it’s also true that Christ is an all-sufficient Savior. Because we have sinned against an infinitely holy God, we deserve God’s infinite wrath, yet in Christ we are give mercy, grace, and infinite riches. May that humble us, but may it also amaze us, and move us to great gratitude.
Secondly, may we seek to steward our lives like Paul did, and like he’s calling us to here. Faithfulness is always worth it, come what may. May we seek to bring every area of our lives into joyful submission to Christ. May we steward the grace and the gospel that we’ve received by advancing it out into every sphere of life—our homes, our neighborhoods, the workplace, education, society, and of course the church. And may we do so with boldness and confidence, knowing that our Father hears our prayers, cares for us, and joyfully grants us mercy and grace to help us.
And lastly, may we be a people who are marked by unity. We are those who have been brought into the great mystery of Christ that takes hostility and pride and replaces it with humility and peace. And that combination of humility and peace, brings about reconciliation and unity. But, we have to live that out. In a day when people look for any reason to divide, may we seek to unite. May we fight pride. May we seek to not be easily offended, remembering that we are the worst sinner we know. Indeed, what can anyone say about us that is worst than what the cross of Jesus has already said? It says that our sin is so bad that the Son of God had to die to save us from it. Lay down your pride, and be vulnerable. Unite with your brothers and sister in Christ. Be at peace with your family and friends. Seek to live in line with God’s Word, and seek to be at peace with all. Seek to put the reconciliation of God and the peace of the gospel on display as you live a life marked by unity.
Again, in and through Christ we are a part of His church and a part of His Kingdom, called to live for His glory. And by His grace we can. We can make known His manifold wisdom in and through our lives, in hopes that all would be reconciled to Him. That’s what we’re after. We want all creatures of our God and King to be rightly reconciled to Him, and to magnify His glory with us. So, let’s give ourselves to living in light of that. Let’s give ourselves to making His manifold wisdom known. For that is what our lives are all about. Even our small lives, in a small church, in a small town, are a part of something infinitely big… It all matters for the glory of God, the good of His people, and the life of His world. May we never forget it.