Most genuine Christians
know that in Christ they have salvation from judgment, but few take note of
God’s “eternal purpose” for them goes far beyond. My own
view of God’s “eternal purpose” involving believers has become
greatly enlarged as I’ve prepared this series. We will see that
God’s “eternal purpose” involves an important role for the “saved”
in eternity, for those who “love God… who are the called
according to His (eternal) PURPOSE” (Romans 8:28 below).
2 Timothy 1:9
(God) Who hath saved us, and
CALLED US with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus BEFORE THE
WORLD BEGAN,
Romans 8:28 And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are THE CALLED ACCORDING to HIS
PURPOSE … 30… them He also GLORIFIED.”
For “the body
of Christ” God’s “eternal purpose” extends from “BEFORE
the world began” (1Tim 1:9 above) and points to the
culmination, in the endless “AGES TO COME” (Eph. 2:7
below).
Ephesians
2:5-7 Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath (already)
quickened us (made “the body of Christ” alive) together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And
HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER, and MADE US SIT
TOGETHER IN (THE) HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST
JESUS: 7(Intending)
THAT IN THE AGES TO COME he might shew
(display, Darby Bible) the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness TOWARD US through Christ Jesus.
Above Paul says; “(God)
HATH RAISED US (the body of Christ) UP TO SIT IN THE
HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST”… intending that He
might “SHEW,” or “DISPLAY,” “the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us” (Eph 2:7).
The obvious question
then might be: WHO IS THE PARTY to whom God will “shew (or
display) the exceeding riches His grace in His kindness toward the body of
Christ”?
We need to look
further to find the answer to this far reaching question.
We can know
the answer to this question only because the Apostle Paul says God has
“made known unto us the mystery (musterion,
secret plan) of His will… which He hath purposed in
Himself” for “IN THE DISPNENSATION OF THE
FULNESS OF TIMES,” the consummation of the ages.
Ephesians
1:9-10 Having made known unto us the mystery (secret) of
his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself: 10 (Intending)
That IN THE DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES (the consummation of
the ages) he might gather together in one ALL THINGS in Christ,
both which are IN HEAVEN, AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH; even
IN HIM (fixed “under Christ’s headship,” see NIV):
Thus, as “the
beginning” involved the creation of both the “the heavens and
the earth,” so will the consummation, when God then will “gather
together in one ALL THINGS in Christ,
both WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN, and which are ON EARTH…”
(V10 above).
The “ALL THINGS”
of which Paul writes in Ephesians 1:10, 22 and Colossians 1:16, 20 refers to
the “principality, and power, and might, and dominion” (Eph 1:21).
These are the present realms of Lucifer and the fallen
angelic host, “the rulers of darkness in high (epouranios,
heavenly) places” (Eph 6:12), with whom we contend today.
Now please read Paul’s
prayer in Eph 1:16-23. Paul prayed that the Ephesian believers might have
“revelation” to “know” or perceive
“the hope of (their) calling” and
“the glory of His inheritance” that is vested “in
the saints.” The prayer goes on that the believers might know the
“exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to
the working of his mighty power.” Paul then makes clear
that the “body (of Christ)” with “The
Head” (Christ), was “raised up together, and
made us sit together IN HEAVENLY PLACES in
Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6), “FAR ABOVE ALL
PRINCIPALITY, AND POWER, AND MIGHT, AND DOMINION,” the angelic
host that currently rule in “THIS WORLD (aion, age)”
and those that will rule in the “world (age)
which is to come” (Eph 1:20-23).
Ephesians
1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
from the dead, and SET HIM at his own right hand IN
THE HEAVENLY PLACES,
21
FAR ABOVE
ALL PRINCIPALITY (arche, the highest ranking of the
heavenly host under God), AND
POWER (exousia,
the authorized), AND MIGHT (dunamis,
the empowered), AND DOMINION
(kyriotes, heavenly governments), AND
EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD (aion, age),
but ALSO IN THAT (age) WHICH
IS TO COME:
22
And hath put ALL (THESE) THINGS
under his feet, and gave him (Christ) to
be THE HEAD over all things to THE CHURCH,
23 WHICH IS HIS
(Christ’s) BODY, the fulness of him that filleth all in
all.
In Ephesians 3:9 below
Paul goes onto reveal God’s “intent” that “from
the BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HATH BEEN HID IN GOD” until it
was revealed to him.
Ephesians
3:9-11 And to make all men see what is
the fellowship of THE MYSTERY (secret plan), which from the
beginning of the world HATH BEEN HID IN GOD, who created all things
by Jesus Christ: 10 TO THE
INTENT THAT NOW UNTO THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN HEAVENLY
PLACES might be known BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdom
of God, 11 according to
the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our lord:
Here above we see the “INTENT”
of God is that “BY THE (Christ-filled) CHURCH,”
Lucifer and his fallen angelic hosts who still occupy the heavenly
governmental sphere today, here referred to as “THE
PRINCIPALITIES, AND POWERS IN (the) HEAVENLY PLACES,”
are now observing “THE
MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD, 11 ACCORDING
TO THE ETERNAL PURPOSE WHICH HE PURPOSED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR
LORD.”
The average Christian has
a view merely toward their salvation and the happenings within their own
lives upon the earth. By contrast, God’s ultimate “intent”
for the “body of Christ” clearly points us toward the “HEAVENLY
PLACES” (spheres of the heavenly government).
God’s ultimate “intent” involves “the Head (Christ)”
working through “the church, which is His body” (Eph
1:22-23), reigning over the sphere of the “PRINCIPALITIES
… POWERS… THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD (age)…
SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES.” (Eph 6:12).
In (2 Tim 2:10) Paul
writes to Timothy, not just of salvation, but of “salvation…
WITH ETERNAL GLORY”; that is salvation
together with reigning and functioning in the eternal heavenly
sphere. In eternity the “saved,” the members of “the
body of Christ” will enjoy “glory”; glory being both the
place that is our ultimate home that we call “heaven” (Philip 3:20), and
also as their sphere of governing and reigning over “principality,
power, might, and dominion.”
Paul then also writes to
Timothy; “If we suffer, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM…”
(2Timothy 2:12a). The words “reign
with Him” here means to “act as co-regents” with Christ. Our
sufferings today prepare us for reigning in the moral rectitude
(rightness) and in the wisdom that we have learned of God directly. We must
come to learn God’s love in Christ (Eph 4:20) and His grace, mercy,
faithfulness, sovereignty, all-sufficiency, and power. We learn through our
personal experiences of suffering and enduring life’s situation on this
earth with and by the indwelling life of the “Spirit of Christ (Rom
8:9-10). Romans 8:17 And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together.
God planned “before
the world began” and then worked through the cross of Christ with the
intent of saving and recovering a body of believers among mankind, and “…
TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF… whether they be things
in EARTH” or things in HEAVEN (
Col
1:20).
Thus, we see that God is
mightily purposeful, seeing to it that“… all things are working…
according to His eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ” (Rom
8:28).
This then is
preview into this study series.
