We are continuing our study of Ephesians 1 today and picking up at the end of verse 8 and beginning of verse 9, depending on your translation.
“In all wisdom and insight 9He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” Ephesians 1:8-9
This is speaking of God’s wisdom, but I wanted to tell you something while we are on the subject of wisdom. Do you know that the greatest thing we as Christians can long to possess in Christ is wisdom? Wisdom is the ability to look at life from God’s perspective. The book of Proverbs is absolutely overflowing with admonitions to seek wisdom and tells us of the multiple rewards there are in this life for being wise. There are over 200 references to “wisdom” in the Bible!
The second chapter of 1 Corinthians makes clear to us the kind of wisdom we should be pursuing:
Verse 6,7 of this same passage says, “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory…”
This dovetails perfectly with something else I wanted to cover today from Ephesians 1:9-10 regarding the mystery of God’s will. You and I dear believer are a part of that mystery. Our salvation was something that was kept a secret to the saints of old. This age of grace that we live in, where Gentiles are offered the same fellowship with God through our adoption as his sons and daughters, and that we would be saved from sin and damnation through His son was something that God the Father did not reveal until the appropriate time for Him to reveal it.
The Jewish rulers did not know this, nor did they have wisdom to understand it or they would not have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ! (1Cor. 2:8-10)
God has made known to us the mystery of His will through our relationship in Christ. His intention is that those outside the Hebrew race are to be a part of His family through our adoption as sons (Ephesians 2:14). This is a beautiful picture of God’s love for us! These verses highlight that God has always intended Christ to be the Redeemer, the centerpiece of all creation. One day in the future He will be revealed as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and all who believe in Him we come with Him in triumphant procession.
In Him 11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12to the end that we who were the first to hope in £Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
Because of Christ our future is secure. We can live life knowing without any fear or doubt who we belong to, what our purpose is here, and where we are headed when we leave this life. We have a wonderful inheritance awaiting us! Not one of gold or silver, but of riches that are indescribable. Think on this: we will inherit all that belongs to Jesus Christ. We are co-heirs, remember? What He inherits, we inherit! His riches are our riches!
What is our inheritance? That is what we will look at tomorrow!