Meditations on Ephesians part 1
What is God’s plan?
In a previous post I asked the question ‘Does God have a plan?’ and introduced my song ‘Plan for the world.’ If you haven’t seen it click here. That song was written during a period of meditation on the book of Ephesians. Today, I’m going to turn to Ephesians to consider the same question further.
Previously, I talked about how life hurts, doesn’t make sense and how it’s totally natural to feel that this world is broken and it isn’t fair. I encouraged you to cry out to God when you don’t understand what he’s doing.
Since I wrote that blog, Russia have invaded Ukraine, and it seems appropriate to consider the question further in the light of this conflict. I want to think specifically about why God would allow evil to exist in people, and what he’s going to do about it.
Why does God allow evil?
I’m sure we’d all love it if evil people were swept from the face of the earth. But there’s a problem with that approach.
In human terms you and me might not look like bad people: we might be kind and friendly, we might look after others in need and give to charity. We probably sacrifice our own comfort for our kids. We are not like Putin – we haven’t invaded Ukraine. So, we’re ok, right?
The difficulty is this: I’m not comparing you or me to Putin. I’m comparing you to God. I’m comparing myself to God. And if I look inside my own heart, if I just consider some of the things I’ve said to my husband or my kids in the last month, I know that I fall way, way short of God’s standards.
God’s standard is perfection. Yet, we are all selfish, even in the good things we do we are often thinking about ourselves, and those who are willing to really, truly put others before themselves are rare indeed. Given the right amount of power, we might all turn out like the world’s dictators.
So, if God didn’t allow evil in people, he wouldn’t allow any of us to exist. However, I suspect that isn’t a good enough answer. It may leave you asking, “But, if he’s God, he must be able to do something about it?”
What is God going to do about it?
To answer this, I’m going to turn to Ephesians 1:3-10:
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfil his own good plan.
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. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
(Ephesians 1:3-10 NLT)
Did you catch it?
And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ.
(This is what my previous blog was suggesting – that we remember the big picture and how everything will be made right at the right time.)
What does Jesus Christ have to do with it?
Let’s unpack those verses:
- God loved us and chose us in Christ. Jesus is necessary for our choosing.
- He decided…to adopt us into his family…through Jesus. Jesus is the means of our adoption.
- He poured out glorious grace on those who belong to his Son. Jesus is the means of grace.
- He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son. Jesus’ death makes freedom possible.
- He forgave our sins through the blood of his Son. Jesus’ death makes forgiveness possible.
- He revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ. Jesus’ death was God’s will.
- He will bring everything under the authority of Christ. Jesus’ authoritative reign is our future.
In other words, the great mystery of the universe is that
Jesus is God’s plan.
God’s plan was and is Jesus Christ. God’s Son, Jesus, was the only one to meet God’s expectations. In Jesus, little failing people like me were chosen, loved, adopted, given grace, set free and forgiven. Jesus died for ME! This is staggering. I know I have done nothing worthy of God’s attention, let alone his love, death, grace, forgiveness and adoption!
But, in Jesus Christ, I have a future. I have a place as a daughter and heir with Jesus Christ in his future kingdom. I have a place in that kingdom where evil will not exist in my heart, or anyone else’s. It gives God great pleasure to give me that place. And, as an adopted heir, I won’t just be cleansed of evil; I will be given glory, treasure and blessing that rightfully belongs to Jesus because of what he has done for me.
What does this mean for you?
What can we take away from this? Loads! But I’ll suggest 2 things:
1. Are you on Jesus’ side?
Because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God.
The reality is that God is going to deal with evil one day, and you want to make sure you’re on the right side of the divide. So, are you siding with Jesus? Are you united with Christ?
That’s the big question, isn’t it? Do you know what Jesus Christ has done for you? Do you believe it? Have you given control of your life over to him? Do you have hope for eternity? If you haven’t, and you want to, please get in touch with me, I’d love to help.
2. Adoption gives us a very special blessing:
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son…that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,Father.”
Galatians 4: 4-6 (NIV)
As adopted children, we get given the Spirit of Christ to dwell in us. And this Spirit helps us with something.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15 (NIV)
If we trust in Jesus, we do not need to fear. We don’t need to have fear for the future, which is secure in Christ. We don’t need to fear slavery to evil because we’ve been freed from sin. We don’t need to fear God, because he is our “Abba,” our “Daddy”, and he loves us so much he planned the whole history of the world around our adoption.
In conclusion
This world is full of evil, and that can make us question God’s goodness. But before we do, we need to take a long look at our own hearts. We may not be as bad as Putin. But, compared to God – compared to Jesus – we are way below where we should be. That reality could fill us with fear. But it doesn’t need to. God has a plan, he is executing his plan, and his plan is Jesus. Jesus drives out all fear and invites us to be co-heirs with him in his future glory. We can face the fear of war safe in the knowledge that our eternal destiny is secure. If we are willing to trust him with it.
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