What will he talk about?
Let me say it again. In Ephesians size matters. Paul
isn’t content with talking about mercy or grace or love or power. He
adds superlatives. He talks about the exceeding greatness or riches of
or the greatness of or the unimaginable nature of God’s love or mercy or
power or grace. The will of God, he tells us, stretches from one
eternity to another and the stage on which we shows himself (limited
though it is) is the entire universe. The God we’re face to face with in
Ephesians beggars description and his wisdom is something the
principalities and powers in the spiritual realm must be instructed in
and are privileged to catch a glimpse of (3:10).
And when he speaks what will he speak about? When he stretches his
omnipotent muscles what is it that he will work to accomplish? What will
he do with all that wisdom and power? Why will he die and rise again in
and as Jesus Christ?
He will talk about unity, about oneness, about reconciliation. He
will create an elect company that will proclaim to the world his divine
intention and purpose. He will say to Gentile believers that it’s
important that they become one with Jewish believers and that they live a
life that proclaims God’s purpose to destroy alienation and reconcile
the world to himself.
The series of ones in 4:4-6 is like a handful of nails being driven
into a board and the sound is the sound of something being built! God
has built a house and in that house his Spirit dwells and proclaims to
principalities and powers in this world and out of it that God is
against alienation, that God is the sin-destroyer and the mender of
broken hearts, broken nations and a broken world.
When sin entered the universe cracked right down the middle and fell
into two jagged halves. And the fracture line that began in Eden ran all
the way to the ends of the universe but the jagged ravine, visible in
the visible creation was the visible mark of a rupture more profound and
fundamental than the gash in the material cosmos. It was alienation
from God. And all our sin, all our oppression, all our filth and greed
and bitterness is the proof of our family alienation from the Holy
Father.
In Jesus Christ he came to deal with that! And did! And will!