His Eternal and Timeless Purpose

Ephesians Study

Chapter 3

Ephesians 3:11-3:13 

Amplified Bible:

11 This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).

13 So I ask you not to lose heart [not to faint or become despondent through fear] at what I am suffering in your behalf. [Rather glory in it] for it is an honor to you.

The drama of the ages has an eternal and timeless purpose, realized and carried into effect in the person of Christ Jesus.  God’s plan and purpose has been since the foundation of the world.  Think on the communion.   He sat with a group of people who would leave him, betray him, and hide for fear of the Jews.  He broke bread and drink with these people.  He died for these people.  It was not about us and our perfection or sinlessness.  It was about His.  This so touches my heart.  I spent years striving for perfection.  I already had it in Him.  

What we lost in the Garden of Eden was our identity.  God breathed into dirt to make a child of God.  After the resurrection, Christ breathed the same spirit into man and reclaimed us as God’s children.  How beautiful.  

Because of Him we can be confident that we can approach God without fear.  We have the opposite here also of man hiding from God because of the fall.  We do not have to hide now…we can come boldly into His presence.  Again, our original intent has been restored.  

Paul says do not lose heart at what he was suffering for their behalf…glory in it…it is an honor to you.  Paul’s suffering, as great as it was, was nothing compared to Christ’s.  It was a visual aid for the people.  The disciples lost heart and hid for fear of the Jews at the crucifixion.  Paul tells them not to lose heart at his suffering for their behalf.  Most often, we lose heart at our own suffering.  Our suffering is not on behalf of another.  Paul says that it is an honor.  

Our vision needs to be enhanced and anointed.  We need a paradigm shift from self-centeredness to being other-centered. Sometimes we suffer from guilt because of what happened to Jesus.  This does Him no glory.  We are told to glory in the cross.  We are not to lose heart.  We are not to feel our unworthiness.  It is not an issue to Him.  When Jesus was resurrected one of His first acts was to tell Mary to tell “His brethren” that He would see them later in the day.  He called this group that was gathered for fear of the Jews His brethren.  Our circumstances do not define the love of God; the crucifixion defines the love of God.  Do not reduce the  Bible to a bunch of principles when it is about relationship with Him.  

Sin had been dealt with head on at the cross.  Now, He sees all others as a reflection of Him.  We have His fullness.  We have His mind.  We have His heart.  He breathes on us His Spirit..restored as in our original creation.  He gives us back His original intent…to be in His image (Romans 8). It is about Him…not us.   

We are told not to lose heart [not to faint or become despondent through fear]…another way of saying depressed and disappointed by our own behavior.  Look away from self and realize that Christ considers it an honor to give Himself for the Father and the children.  There is so much more than a legal issue going on…this is the love of heaven.  

Traditions, creeds, theology, and the Western mind turns this into a legal transaction.  When you rescue your kids, you have to silence the Accuser.  God is not the bad guy.  He is not the one who accuses us.  He is not the one who condemns.  Paul shows us this in his example.  Those who imprisoned Paul are a model of Satan.  John 16:33 tells us that in this world we will have trouble, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  Paul is a wonderful example of overcoming prison from the inside out.  He had an internal victory that manifested itself to his world.  May our prisons do the same for us.