As we continue our study in Ephesians, we become gold miners, and there the gold is abundant; we look at redemption, forgiveness, the eternal plan, election, grace; the overall plan of God and how it is to be lived out by the church. And as we study this overall plan of God, conceived from all eternity, manifested today in the church and to be expressed by Jesus in the future 'when the fullness of time is come,' I see that God is taking hold of my heart even more, and I pray that it will be the same for all. And how could it be otherwise, for through every word, the splendor of God's character and nature shines forth.
And as we decipher and analyze these designs that were on God's heart before the foundation of the world, the heart is seized with joy and wonder, with admiration, praise, and worship of God. According to the apostle, 'celebrating the glory of His grace.' We find ourselves at the junction of reason and mystery, we contemplate the eternal plans without yet grasping everything of the One who has neither beginning nor end. We see God, great, very great, beyond all description; transcendent, but also close, but also benevolent, but also showing consideration, including for me.
We meditate on God, we see goodness, we see perfect generosity; we meditate on God; as we should do, again, and again, and again, continuously, without respite. Unfortunately, we do too little of this and far too much of the other: meditating on ourselves, our rights, our desires, our expectations. Meditating on God, not on our ideas of Him, but as He is revealed in His word, as we immerse ourselves in it, is absolutely essential if we are to have a strong faith.
There is a radical change in thought pattern, an 'illumination of the eyes of our hearts' and an unconditional and unwavering allegiance to Him. One becomes truly aware of what a privilege it is to be identified with Him; it is no longer so much a question of our salvation or our blessing, but of His honor and if our blessing helps to increase His glory, then so be it. There is no longer a question of sneaking in a little sin here and there, no longer a question of disobeying in secret, of grumbling against the laws and commandments, oh no; it is now a question of getting up every day and saying 'what can I do to please you, Daddy' and abhorring any appearance of sin.
Obedience and holiness are no longer seen as legalism, but become dear and precious in our eyes; and repentance becomes a friend and ally, a traveling companion on the path of truth. Yes, as our vision of God grows, sin becomes an unfortunate distraction and ceases to be an irresistible seducer. The value we place on obedience is proportional to the awareness of the reality of God that we live and the state of our heart toward Him. We can live in God in such a way that we flee from everything that displeases us in Him, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love.
Each of us must choose whether or not we want to please this extraordinary Being we are getting to know and who has done so much for us and in us. It is up to each of us to choose whether to side with the One who has no equal in knowledge, beauty, wisdom, grace, majesty, in... As we see Him in His word, we naturally want to be with Him and fully identify with Him. His opinion matters more to us than any other, and when He says it is so, well, it is so for us too.
After all, Ephesians shows us that He has been thinking good and planning good things for us for a very, very, very long time. It seems to me that we can trust Him to know what is good for us and what is not, that we can trust Him with the simple, ordinary things of life when He has so generously given us everything else. The portrait of God that emerges from this book is one of generosity, an unsolicited generosity, for He did not wait for man to beg Him for a solution to the problem of sin; He had provided it Himself. And He persists in encouraging everyone to accept the solution He offers them. It seems to me that I can be reasonably certain that God means well for me; and if I can trust Him with my eternal destination, why should I not be able to trust Him with my present life?
Shalom!
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