Mystery of God’s Grace
August 19, 2022
Commentary
God treated me with kindness (v. 7). His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the good news. I am the least important of all God’s people (v. 8). But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that cannot be measured. God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind (v. 9). Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom (v. 10).
God did this according to his eternal plan (v. 11). And he was able to do what he had planned because of all that Christ Jesus our Lord had done. Christ now gives us courage and confidence, so that we can come to God by faith (v. 12). That’s why you should not be discouraged when I suffer for you. After all, it will bring honor to you (v. 13).
Paul never got over the fact that God’s Spirit touched his life in spite of who he was and what he had been doing to Christians. It was only God’s grace that could transform a Pharisee into an Apostle, and from a persecutor of Christians into a minister of the gospel. Paul was simply overwhelmed with God’s grace as he stated that he was “less than the least of all saints” (v. 8). This does not mean that his self-confidence was destroyed, or his zeal was diminished but that his confidence was in the Lord and not in himself. This is where Christians become confused and interpret meekness as weakness. Paul was telling the Ephesian Christians not to get discouraged and give up (v. 3). His being in prison did not mean that the Word of God was limited or that God had failed in any way.
Application
Am I a person who thanks the Lord for the difficult times in my life? These times only prove how much God wants to do things in my life.
Ephesians 3:7– 13 (NET)
7 I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. 8 To me—less than the least of all the saints —this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 9 and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan —the mystery that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. 10 The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access to God by way of Christ’s faithfulness. 13 For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.