Today in God's Word—March 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
March 27, Ephesians 3
Do you enjoy a mystery? Some of the most popular books and movies ever made are representatives of this enduring genre.
Mystery stories have been favorites of readers in different cultures around the world for centuries. In the most common form, a first person narrator takes you along as he solves the mystery, or an omniscient narrator unfolds the unknown little by little until at last the mystery is solved. When the story is finished, the mystery becomes knowledge.
God hinted at the mystery of Christ through promises and prophecies spanning centuries. Israel’s prophets were given clues and details to pass along to the people, but not even the angels knew what God would do. Finally through Spirit-guided apostles and prophets, the plan for redeeming the fallen race was revealed. It was no longer a mystery, but good news to be shared: Gentiles were fellow heirs with Jews, all members of the same body, both groups partakers of the promise in Christ!
This may seem like old news to those of us who’ve heard it all our lives, but it was an astounding mystery to Paul’s contemporaries, who saw a distinct line of separation between Jews and Gentiles. Jews, who had known about God and his covenant with them for centuries, had developed a haughty sense of exclusivism. Gentile believers in God, outside the covenant looking in, had been, at best, second class citizens in Jewish culture. When Paul and others began stressing the absolute equality of Jews and Gentiles in
Christ, the information was a mystery revealed.
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is a good pattern for our own prayers. You and I still need the specific things Paul sought for these young believers. He asked that they might be fortified with God’s power in their inner being. He prayed that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith. He sought the stability and security that would come from being firmly grounded in God’s love. He wanted them to know the awesome dimensions of God’s love that extended beyond their ability to comprehend.
Paul’s requests were specific and bold. Have you considered the incredible privilege of making such requests before the throne of God who is able to do far more than you can ask or imagine? Too often, our prayers must sound like the man who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus: “If you can do anything about it....” He can! The unlimited power of a sovereign God is at work in our lives. That fact prompted Paul to ascribe all the glory possible throughout time and eternity to God.
If you’re in Christ, you’re in on the mystery and you have access to God. Don’t let familiarity rob you of the wonder of being included in Christ. And do not allow faithlessness to keep you from asking for what your heart desires, trusting God’s good will for you and relying on his power to give you the very best.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament, Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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