God’s Redemptive Plan

​Ephesians 1: 3 – 14
 
Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, unlike his other more personal epistles, sounds more like a discourse to be read out possibly by several churches. The first half of it handles the theological blessedness of God’s salvific theme where he introduces the basis and the grace of salvation relative to the individual (Eph 1:3-8a, 13-14). The second half (Eph 4-6), he applies the practical application of salvation to the Christian life, and in between, Paul opens a panorama of God’s plan for all of creation (Eph 1: 8a-12). We will focus on the latter. Our salvation is just the beginning of this great mysterious journey with Yahweh, and even though there remains much to be done in the human lifespan, we are not to be totally fixated on the here and now, without keeping in view God’s ultimate purpose. 
 
God’s plan for the ages to come encompasses the impermanence of the heavens and the earth in contrast with God’s own eternal words (Matt 24:35). We know that creation is labouring under great strains from the Fall (Rom 8:18-23) but will eventually be redeemed (Eph 1:8a-10). It seemed astonishing that on this tiniest of planets, all of creation was judged because of minuscule man’s disobedience to God (Gen 3; cf., Rom 3:23), generating a colossal damning impact, still being felt throughout the universe. The truth is we have not an inkling of what or how a redeemed creation would look like – we simply have never been there! However, He has chosen to reveal to His people His thoughts, at least in bare outline, as they could never have deduced themselves - where the entire historical course of the universe, both seen and unseen, will find its organizational principle around Christ. Paul will explain later what he means by this: through the resurrection and ascension of Christ, God has conquered all powers inimical to his purposes and placed them, vanquished, at Christ’s feet (Eph 1:20–22a). The Father has given this conquering Christ to his body, the church (Eph 1:22b–23), and the church is herself comprised of believers drawn from people groups formerly alienated both from God (Eph 2:1–10) and from one another (Eph 2:11–22). Christ will, therefore, be head over all things (1:22), especially the church (Eph 4:15; 5:23; cf., 1 Cor 15:28; Phil 2:10; Col 1:20). 
 
Under the stewardship of God (viz., administration), the timing of His redemptive plan has already been set in motion. It is exhilarating to realize that as believers, we are amid this recovery – the healing advance from spiritual death to life, in individuals and families, in nations and ultimately creation, and when the time is right, the Father will hand everything over to His Son (Eph 1:10). When Paul wrote about God’s salvific blessings to the Ephesian believers, the tone set was one in which the Father blesses His children (Eph 1:3), but when he referred later to the Creator’s eternal plan, the nuance is centred on God as King. The inevitable implication of kingship is the necessity of our total obedience and submission to our Lord. If we are to participate in His plan towards ‘summing up of all things in Christ’ (cf., Col 1: 15-23), of being the salt in every nook and corner of societal life, of being a consistent and irrefutable Christ-light shining with boldness wherever we are found, and of being part of a kingdom imbued with agape that is derived from His Spirit (1 Cor 13:4-7), there is a need to prioritize this journey’s focus with God by surrendering ourselves to Him and following Him. This is never an easy task, but by keeping our eyes daily on Jesus (Heb 12:1-2) with unrelenting devotion, He will change us into His likeness.