The eternal perspective

Ephesians 3:1-13 ESV

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.

Rev. Dwight Yoo

This passage is Paul's digression from his prayer for them. He talks about God's work in the context of his imprisonment.

The gospel is the surprise that keeps on  surprising.

God takes on flesh to save humanity. He takes on flesh, dies the death of a criminal, and lives the life we cannot live. The gospel is a mystery. It is not a message that is not immediately obvious.  Jesus defeats evil, sin, and death by dying. This is counter-intuitive. Dying on the cross is how God triumphs? This is not what we expect. Ask your average person, how do you get right with God? Do good, they would say. But that is not what the gospel tells us, it tells us that it comes by grace through faith. That is how salvation comes. God has to open the door. Not only is the gospel generally a mystery, but there are mysteries within portions of the gospel. God chooses the Jews and yet also chooses the gentiles... Jews are the chosen people of God, but the gentiles are also welcomed into the family of God. That somehow both Gentile and Jew are the same family. This was very difficult for the Jews to accept. It is another mystery.

The church is God's masterpiece.

God uses the church to display His manifold wisdom and power. God points to the church as a group consisting of people from various tribes, tongues, cultures, economic status, shapes, and sizes... as his masterpiece. And he will receive praise for this... not only from humans, but heavenly beings... angels and, perhaps, even demons. When the angels look at the church, it brings into light God's wisdom... it illuminates his power. The church often seems unimpressive to us. So is God wrong about the church? Probably not. It is our perspective that is off. We're looking at the back of a tapestry. Or we're zoomed in on an impressionist painting. It looks like a jumbled mess from here, but on the other side of eternity, we will be awed alongside the angels.

How does this comfort the Ephesians?

Paul tells them of these things so the Ephesian church would not worry about him. He is in jail by choice. He is not imprisoned by the Romans but rather by the grace of God. He is willing to give up everything for his witness because of what God had already done for him.

Paul knows that even when he loses, he will win. Suffering for Christ is okay because God will complete the work. God's plan will come to fruition regardless of setbacks, trials, and tribulation. Suffering brings God glory... and not only that, but it brings us glory. Imprisonment, suffering, and cancer will bring about good. The worst things in our lives will be used for good. They will be redeemed. And no matter what happens, the best is yet to come.

One in Christ

Ephesians 2:11-22 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have 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 members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Future faithfulness is fueled by Christ's finished work.

once ____, but now _____

Paul speaks of how we were before Christ and now what has changed.

The wonder of oneness

Back in this age, the Jews saw the world as two. Jew and gentile. Jews were called to be holy and separate. But this became the basis for a sense of superiority.

Not only that, but there were the Greeks. They saw themselves as enlightened and viewed the rest of the world as uneducated barbarians.

So there was often animosity between these two groups. Yet there was one place where they lived in peace together, the church. They greeted each other with a holy kiss as family. Paul exhorted them to celebrate this unity.

In our day and age, there are many divisions. Ferguson shows that we are not in a "post-racial" America. So many heated arguments on this. Or the influx of hipsters and young families into Philly and the impact on the poor families that have lived here. Where in the gospel in all this? The gospel is the one way to lasting unity and oneness. It can bring together divisive and hostile groups into community.

The way of oneness

The gospel tells us that we are all human, we are all sinners in need of a savior, and we are need Christ for life and hope.

Jews prided themselves on circumcision and their status as a holy people. But all of this was only available through the grace of God.

Christ gives Shalom, not just peace, but rather wholeness. Not only not hating and not living in hostility, but loving those around us. The Jews were following specific practices to show that they were different. But this became superiority. When Christ comes, he shows that we are all sinners in need of salvation. When we have self-righteous justification, we compare our righteousness against one another. But from God's perspective, it looks like we're comparing whose $h1t smells less. It's all worthless and pointless. Our righteousness is filthy rags.

In Christ, we are all in the family of God. We may be different in many ways, but we are family. Different income, socio-economic, culture, etc.

The chief identity of every Christian is being in Christ. This does not eliminate race, economic, and other differences. But it should not be what we find most value in. How does this look? Your identity shows up in who you hang out with. We only hang out with those like us. And additionally, we are afraid of anything that threatens our identity.

The "so what" of oneness

We should worship. We should be awed by what God has done. There is much of brokenness in this world, but the church is a new thing.

We should reach out to people from all walks of life. Do not root your identity in other things. Root it in Christ.

From Death To Life

Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Rev. Charles Han

Total Depravity -  corruption of every part of ourselves: mentally, physically, spiritually.
Before Christ, we were dead in our sins. So God resurrected us. Dead bodies don't need a bandage, a cast, or even resuscitation... they need resurrection. But why? Why would God resurrect those who hate him? Because God is rich in mercy and love.
Church is not about becoming nice people, or becoming more religious, or going to church regularly... it is about becoming new people. Being reborn.

The grace of God is not simply resurrection.

We are his workmanship. We are made for good works. This too is a gift from God. The faith you have is also a gift from God. Our obedience is not a response to God's grace; it is part of God's grace to you. Your salvation includes being rebirth as a new person, not just a small change in lifestyle.