Ephesians 1:9-10

NASB	NLT	VOICE
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him,	9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ – which is to fulfill his own good plan.	9 He has enlightened us to the great mystery at the center of His will. With immense pleasure, He laid out His intentions through Jesus,
10 regarding His plan of the fullness on the times, to bring all things together in Chris, things in the heavens and things on the earth.	10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.	10 a plan that will climax when the time is right as He returns to create order and unity – both in heaven and on earth – when all things are brought together under the Anointed’s royal rule. In Him.

God’s Mystery Revealed

The mystery refers to the truths of God’s divine plan that were once hidden but is now shown through Jesus. Biblically, a mystery isn’t something that’s unknown but it’s something that was once hidden and now revealed by God. An example in when Paul talked about a mystery in Colossians 1 that revealed the inclusion of Gentles into God’s covenant. God revealing His will wasn’t due to anything we have done, but because God is powerful and gracious. God wants to share His plans with His creation. God works in us to do and act according of God’s goodness (see Philippians 2:13) The purpose of God is fulfilled through Jesus. Jesus is the center point of God’s salvation plan, showing that all through are united through Jesus. Christ is shown as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and promises.

The Mystery is Central to Christ

Christ is the key part in God revealing His will to us. The more we embrace a relationship with Him and understand His teachings, the more we will understand what God’s plan is for the world. A lot of the Old Testament can be understood through the teachings and actions of Jesus. The Old Testament for us today can be jarring, confusing, emotional, frustrating and more to understand in our world today because of the historical and cultural differences present there. I know this was a transition for me. What helped me better appreciate the purpose of the Old Testament was realizing that it would have been the foundational teachings for Jesus’s ministry. Jesus would have referenced and taught out of those book/scrolls to help them understand God’s way of life. Some theologians vary, but there are roughly anywhere from 200 to 400 prophecies about Jesus stated in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled approximately 300 Messianic prophecies that are referenced in the New Testament. There are over 300 Old Testament quotes that are explicitly stated in the New Testament. I share all this to say that the Old and New Testament are extremely connected and it’s important for us today that we don’t write it off.

Mystery Will Happen on God’s Time

God’s plan is going to happen according to God’s timetable. The “right time” suggests a culmination/completion of a specific period of time in history. All things being brought together points to where we will be restored to our Genesis 1-2 selves. We will no longer be disrupted by sins’ evil temptations. Christ’s work on the cross will reconcile all thing to Himself. Remember, we discussed how everything will be united under Christ and through Christ. Everything will be mandated under Christ’s peace and justice. It’s a current reality and a future hope. It’s everything we could want and everything we could hope for.

Coming Together in Unity

The church should be an example of everything that we could hope for in Christ’s unity. It should be full of people of all backgrounds coming together with their differences to unite under the teachings, commands, and ministries of Christ. We are called to live in harmony with one another. It’s not all about doing everything the same exact way as everyone else. God created us all uniquely in His image, sharing different gifts, talents, and abilities with each us for the unique path He created us for. Sometimes, it’s difficult to be harmony with the church. The church can be full of fighting, cliques, hypocrisy, and more. A bunch of broken and sinful people coming together to unite and do what’s right feels upside-down, but that’s Jesus’ ministry. Jesus calls us to live upside down from the world. To be counter-cultural in a culture that’s confused about how to do what is right. We must work hard to unite together, and that is found under the leadership and guidance of Jesus. Once we can come together there, we can come together in our city and in our world to be His hands and feet to further His divine plan.

Reflection Questions

1. What other mysteries have you learned about from the Bible?
2. Have you ever taken a spiritual assessments test before? What gifts have you learned God has gifted you? How have you used those gifts before?
3. What is one thing that your church has come together for? What is one thing that you wish your church would do for the community?

PRAY Action

Pray for the relationship that has given to each one of us through His Son.

Read Philippians 2:9-11.

Ask God how you can best spread the Gospel to people in your community.

You are united with Your Heavenly Father to do all things according to His purpose for you.

Next slice of manna: Aligned with God’s Will || 1 John 2:15-16 || Manna for the Mind #297