The Eternal Purpose

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:11

Because God is Himself eternal, His purposes are eternal.  They exist from His eternity and proceed unto the eternity to which He is bringing us.  Within the context of the discussion of ‘the mystery of Christ’ upon which we have been dwelling, Paul declares that God has given him grace to preach Christ, and ‘to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.’ He then goes on to say that what he has been describing is ‘according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.’  What we conclude from this is that the proclamation of Christ and the effect it has, to gather together the Jews and the Gentiles into one body, makes the wisdom of God known to a group of people whom Paul identifies as ‘the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.’  These people, whoever they are, need to have the wisdom of God made clear to them, and God has chosen to do so by the effectual declaration of Christ.  This makes our preaching of Christ and the salvation of souls a matter of cosmic importance.  It is much more than what we see occurring on the tiny stage where we are playing our role.  By the preaching of Christ, and the salvation of souls, God makes use of us to accomplish His eternal purpose.

Our Good and Wise God,
we rejoice that You have an eternal purpose,
which you are accomplishing through Your people.
We praise You that all which You have begun
You will bring to a successful conclusion,
and that Christ will get all the glory.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning