Have you ever been given a special assignment to carry out, one that you felt you didn’t deserve to be given, perhaps because you had failed miserably before? You are determined that you will do a faithful job. In our Scripture passage for today from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he writes of the special assignment and the divine mysteries that God entrusted him to bring to the world.
As our passage begins, Paul reveals that this letter was written to the Ephesians while he was in prison (vs. 1). Paul had been imprisoned several times throughout his ministry, in Philippi, in Jerusalem, and now in Rome. Each time was because he was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Empire. Even though he was imprisoned, Paul never became discouraged or gave up hope. He knew beyond any doubt that God was still in control. As fellow believers, even in our darkest hours, we too, need to remember that God is always in control.
Paul had been given the special assignment by God to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles (vs. 2). Paul had not chosen this task. God didn’t give Paul a list of jobs He had open, and let him choose whichever one he liked best. God has a job for each one of us, as well. He knows our talents and unique abilities, as He’s the one who gave them to us, so He won’t make any mistakes. He knew that Paul was the best one for this task of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire, and Paul responded with obedience.
In addition to spreading the Gospel, Paul was also commissioned by God to reveal the mystery of how the Gentiles were fellow-heirs with the Jews of God’s love and promises (vs. 3-11). There were many truths that were hidden in the Old Testament that were later revealed in the New Testament. These are called “mysteries” in the Epistles of Paul. One of these mysteries was that Jews and Gentiles would be brought together in one body in Christ. Paul was faithful to God in carrying out this assignment, even though it often brought him into dangerous circumstances with the Jewish community.
Paul might have wondered why God would entrust him with this vital and essential work of bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles throughout the Empire, as he could never forget how he had tried to destroy the church and silence this very Gospel that he is now preaching. He called himself the very least of all of the apostles (vs. 8). Paul knew, though, that God had forgiven him. He not only forgave Paul, He had now given him this special job, supplying him with all of the ability and grace He would need to carry out it out.
God’s love and forgiveness is just one of the “unsearchable riches” Paul speaks of here in verse 8. The Lord God’s riches are beyond calculation. They are immeasurable, beyond our greatest dreams. Jesus is a greater Savior then we can ever imagine, and He is the one who can supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).
As Paul closes up our passage in verse 12, he tells his readers, which includes us today, that we, as born-again believers, now have the awesome privilege to be able to approach God and come into His presence. God is not remote or inaccessible. We can approach Him in and through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:16). We can do so in prayer with freedom, confidence, and without fear because we are His children through our union with Christ. Remember God’s promises! They will strengthen our faith to believe in Him for all of our needs.
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