Tuesday: God’s Grand Christ-centered Plan
What is God’s “plan for the fullness of time,” and how extensive is its reach? Ephesians 1:9-10.
Paul uses three labels for God’s plan. It is (1) “the mystery of his will,”(2) “his purpose,” and (3) “a plan for the fullness of time” (ESV). What is God’s ultimate, final plan? To unite everything, everywhere, in Jesus.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
The term that Paul uses to describe the plan is a picturesque one (Greek, anakephalaiosasthai), to “head up” or to “sum up” all things in Christ. In ancient accounting practice, you would “add up” a column of figures and place the total at the top. Jesus heads God’s final, eschatological plan. This Christ-centered plan was crafted “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) and is so broad that it encompasses all time (“the fullness of the times,” NKJV) and space (“all things … things in heaven and things on earth,” ESV). Paul announces unity in Christ as the grand, divine goal for the universe.
In discussing God’s “plan for the fullness of time” (Ephesians 1:10, ESV), Paul shares the theme that he will weave through the letter. God begins His plan to unify all things, rooted in the death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of Jesus (Ephesians 1:15-2:10), by founding the church and unifying disparate elements of humankind, Jews and Gentiles, in it (Ephesians 2:11-3:13).
In this way, the church signals to the evil powers that God’s plan is underway and their divisive rule will end (Ephesians 3:10). As the Bible says elsewhere: “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12, NKJV).
The last half of Paul’s letter opens with a passionate call to unity (Ephesians 4:1-16) and continues with a lengthy exhortation to avoid behavior that damages unity and, instead, to build solidarity with fellow believers (Ephesians 4:17-6:9). Paul concludes with the rousing image of the church as a unified army, participating with vigor in waging peace in Christ’s name (Ephesians 6:10-20).
| How can you acknowledge and celebrate that the redemption you have experienced in Christ Jesus is part of something sweeping and grand, an integral part of God’s studied and ultimate plan to unite all things in Christ? |
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I spend a lot of time photographing birds and I belong to a wonderful loosely connected group of fellow bird photographers. We are about as diverse a group as you can possibly get. A couple of them are highly trained ornithologists which years of experience backed up by academic degrees. Several of them are Seventh-day Adventists. There are two old blokes who get out with their walkers and mobility devices. Then there are three young women who are heavily tatooed and talk like they have never been past 5th grade. A woman who is head of theology at a well-known University. An Irish gay man. Several Asian men and women. Some of them use cameras worth nearly $30,000, while others have cheap travel compact cameras. And if you looked at the brand names you would find Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, and more.
In short, we are a pretty diverse mob. We all adhere to a birdwatching code of ethics, but otherwise, we are quite diverse. Some of them are happy just getting a photograph of a bird that gets them identification while others are intent on getting exquisite pin-sharp action shots of birds that are hard to photograph. In spite of our differences, we are tremendously supportive of one another. We communicate about what we have seen and share our photos with one another. We enjoy one another's company and we are welcoming to others who want to join us. Birding is our passion. Your age, education, religion, sexuality, ethnicity, and skin decoration are of no consequence in this game.
Are Christians as passionately focused on Christ?
Perhaps this is not the question your story calls for, a rhetorical one.
Instead of asking us to compare to Christ, let's ask,
"Does our passion for Christ include his creation, which can require our keen observation, our time, a code of ethics, even for birds?"
My dad was a birder. He was so well known that British visitors would call from the Port in Melbourne and ask to see mallee fowl and their nests. He loved God and loved birds.
Sounds like a great description of how our church should be; more supportive and less focused on conforming to the “standard”.
Maurice, what a stunning point.
If your birding group was a church, it is one that I would eagerly and comfortably join. I had this flash into my mind: that the pictures those in the church would be after are the expressions of God's love that they find whilst seeking. (That is what all those birds are—expressions of God's love.) And then we would get together and encourage each other with all those wonderful pictures. (Hebrews 10:23-25.)
I know the title of this weeks lesson is, God's Grand, Christ Centered Plan. Now I do believe that the title could also be, God's plan for us, be in Christ.
Ephesians 1:1.
Ephesians 1:3.
Ephesians 1:10.
Ephesians 1:12.
The challenge for this week also is, what does it mean to be in Christ?
It may be hard to accept, however hard, we must surrender, if you prefer collaborate, our life to/with Christ totally. Turn over ownership to Him, and be steadfast about it. Let Him make us christlike.
Isaiah 64:8.
Then our prayer will be:
Lord, take our heart; for we cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for we cannot keep it for Thee. Save us in spite of ourself, our weak, unchristlike self. Mold us, fashion us, raise us into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through our soul. Christ Object Lessons, 159.3
Again, the challenge this week is to answer, what does it mean to be in Christ?
What is your take on being in Christ?
In closing for today, our prayer is:
Have thine own way Lord,
Have thine own way.
Thou art the Potter,
We are the clay.
Mold us and make us,
After Thy will,
While we are waiting,
Yeilded and still.
Amen!
In this world which is divided, without Jesus Christ there is no unity, there is only brokenness, tensions, fragmentation and disconnection. There is disunity in families, society, churches etc.
Let us yearn for unity and connection which is God’s end goal. Christ the great unifier, heals all disconnections. There is harmonious completion in Christ as he integrates all ,without any exception, under Him thus restoring the original harmony.Our redemption is also God’s plan to unite and restore all things in Christ.
With Jesus at the centre,we can see redemption.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
Christ represents the force that can bind us all. An unprecedented feeling that can be a motor of change. Why are we blocked from receiving this grace? Grown-ups seem more complicated to accept the new; why should we continue this pattern? After some experience, may we not make the same mistakes as when we were younger, and let us rationally accept that there is power in us to choose. Choose life today!
Acknowledging and celebrating our redemption as part of God's grand plan encompasses a broad spectrum of practices and attitudes. This includes immersing ourselves in Scripture to grasp the full narrative of God's redemptive plan, from the Genesis account to the prophetic words in Revelation. Prayer allows us to express gratitude for our redemption, seek a better understanding of our role in God's plan, and request guidance on active participation. Worship, both individual and communal, serves as a potent platform to appreciate God's plan, while living out our faith enables us to tangibly experience our role in His grand design. Being part of a faith community provides support, mutual learning, and the reassurance of shared redemption. Reflecting on God's faithfulness in our lives offers a personal glimpse into His broader plan, strengthening our trust in His commitment to it. Ultimately, the knowledge that this grand plan is ongoing and that our redemption is merely a glimpse of the ultimate unity and restoration God will bring, imbues us with hope. This awareness of our place in God's larger context deepens our understanding of His boundless love, wisdom, and power, fostering increased faith and more profound worship.