After praise and prayer, Paul gives us perspective. This is where we were, this is who we were and this was what we deserved. By we, in as much as Paul’s audience are Gentiles in Ephesus area, the conditions are applicable to us.
There is an approach that suggests the good news is based on bad news. In this case the bad news is very grim indeed. Yet the good news is so glorious that everything bad pales almost into insignificance all because of grace. We access this glorious news by faith, but the news is available to us because of grace. This grace stirs us to consider the eternal purpose of God. The saved by grace through faith factor is not just an individual deal, it’s a communal reality that states that we have been saved for a purpose. For the eternal purposes of God.
This glorious news is not just about us doing something on purpose. It’s about a work that brought about peace – peace between humanity and God. Peace between peoples who were apart. Peace that brings people who were without hope into an everlasting hope. Peace that allows strangers and foreigners to eternal promises now be an integral part of it. All through the body of Christ.
Putting things in perspective even before we get to deal with any actions is crucial. If we consider ourselves to just be wretches who are saved, we don’t see the bigger picture. If we think the deal is to be rescued from a fate worse than death, we don’t see the bigger picture. If we don’t take into account the glorious nature of who we are in Christ, because of Christ, for Christ then we sell ourselves well short.
Not only do we minimise things to keep it on an individualistic basis, we don’t see how it plays out in the role we play in the communal expression of God’s plan. We are saved for good works, we are built on great foundations. We are built by God to express His dwelling place on earth – not physical man-made structures, but a spiritual God-made structure where He lives through us for His glory.
In Christ we who were not a people are now a people. In Christ we are God’s dwelling place. In Christ people divided are people united to express the greatness of God in all His fullness.
There’s praise, there’s prayer and there’s this perspective to ponder. No wonder it’s a wonder what a wonderful God we serve.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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