God's Purpose, Plan and Providence for the Church

Introduction

It is my honor and privilege to stand before you on this beautiful Sunday morning as we celebrate a huge milestone in the life of Christ Reformed Baptist. On August 11th of this year, by the grace, provision, and plan of God, we gathered for our very first Lord’s Day Worship. We knew two things that first morning as we gathered, one, that God had brought each of us and our families through a variety of circumstances and situations to a place where we came together and were like minded in our desire to see a church, under the Lordship of Christ, centered around and subject to the sufficient and authoritative Word of God and, secondly, that there was much work to be done to achieve the vision that God had placed before us in forming a Reformed Baptist church in this area. Today, by the grace and to the glory of Almighty God, although there is still much work to be done, we have, with the affirmation of our Constitution and By-Laws, formally created the framework for this church and thus crossing a major hurdle in its young life.

In the gospel of Matthew, we are introduced to a profound concept—the term ekklesia, translated for us as "church." This term literally means "a calling out," emphasizing the idea of a people called out of the world by Christ Himself. These are the ones He described as those given to Him by the Father, the elect, chosen for His glory and purposes.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus provides a foundational description of the church: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Here, Christ speaks of the universal or invisible church, the collective body of all believers throughout time and space. This is beautifully summarized in the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, which states:

Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXVI. The Church

The catholic—that is, universal—church may be called invisible with respect to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace. It consists of the full number of the elect who have been, are, or will be gathered into one under Christ her head. The church is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

26:2 All people throughout the world who profess the faith of the gospel and obedience to God through Christ in keeping with the gospel are and may be called visible saints, as long as they do not destroy their own profession by any foundational errors or unholy living. All locala congregations ought to be made up of these.

This truth reminds us of the glorious reality that we, as believers, are part of something much larger than ourselves. We belong to the universal body of Christ—a family made up of the elect from every nation, every tribe, and every age, past, present, and future. This is a humbling and awe-inspiring truth.

Yet, while we are members of this universal body, Scripture also makes it clear that we are called to belong to local congregations. Throughout the New Testament, the term church most often refers to local bodies of believers—communities where the gospel is preached, the ordinances are observed, and mutual care and accountability are practiced.

Regardless of if we are talking about the universal or the local church there is a truth by which the entirety of the true church is bound , that we are the body of Christ. We are reminded that the church is not merely a human institution, nor is it a building where we gather once or twice a week. The church is the people of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, for Christ, and united under His headship. The church is the visible representation of Christ's rule and reign on earth and a should be a foretaste of His eternal kingdom.

In view of these truths we must ask ourselves: What does it truly mean for Christ to be the head of the church and for the church to be His body? How does this truth shapes our identity, our mission, and our relationship with one another? How do we respond to the glorious reality, that the church is not about us—it is all about Him?

Our text for today comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. The opening section of this letter is a beautiful reminder of the spiritual blessings that are in Christ Jesus for those “who are faithful in Christ Jesus.” So that we have the full context of the passage our reading will be the entirety of the first chapter but our focus will narrow down to verse 22-23 as we take a look at three key truths

1. The church is united under Christ's headship.

2. The church is the fullness of Christ.

3. The church exists to display the glory of Christ.

Text

Let us stand for the reading of God’ holy, inerrant, infallible, authoritative and sufficient word.

Ephesians 1 LSB

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him. In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him, so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength, which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Father, we thank You for Your Holy Word, for it’s principles, it’s promises, it’s directions, and it’s light. As we partake of Your Word this morning, may we lear more of Christ, remind us of how dear He is to us, by the washing of water with the Word. We are one with Him by faith according to Your Word. Lord we humbly ask that our hearts are form according to Your Word in the the image of Thy Son. Father, we pray that Your words are written on our hearts and inscribed upon our lips. We ask this morning that as we gather in this place for the purpose of uniting under the banner of Christ in tender ties to one another that our instruction, discipline, example, devotion be sanctified so that our church be a garden of the Lord, enriched with trees of righteousness of Your planting for your glory. Lord grant us the strength to be attentive to our condition and character, let our speech be edifying, our hearts diligent, let us fleeing from temptation, let us mortify our sin, and let us be concerned about the salvation of other, for Your names sake and Your glory above all. Father we ask these things in the blessed name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Subjection of All Things

Our consideration begins with the first phrase of this passage: "And he put all things under his feet." This is a declaration of Christ's supreme authority. After His death, resurrection, and ascension, God the Father exalted Jesus above every power and authority in heaven and on earth. There is nothing outside of His sovereign rule, no corner of the universe where His dominion does not extend. Notice that Ephesians 1:21 reads “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” And yet, in His infinite wisdom and grace, God has chosen to give Christ, who has dominion overall things, to the church - a people set apart for His glory - as its head.

This should humble us. The same Jesus who upholds the universe by the word of His power is the head of the church. The church is His body, inseparably connected to Him, filled with His presence, and empowered by His Spirit to carry out His mission. In giving Christ as the head of the church, and reminding us that He has dominion overall things, God also demonstrates His provision for the church.

United Under the Headship of Christ

As we approach verses 22 and 23 Paul takes great care to lay down for us a foundational structure defining for us who we are as individual believers that ultimately make up the body of Christ. He begins by reminding us of first that God has chosen us, not as a consolation prize, but literally before the foundation of the earth, desiring to bring us to reconciliation to Himself through adoption through Christ. He draws out that we have received every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, we have been redeemed, made an inheritance, sealed and ultimately indwelt by the Holy Spirit....all to the praise of His glory according to His good pleasure.

Once this foundation is laid, Paul tells the church at Ephesus that after hearing of their faith in Christ and their love for the saints, continues to lift them up in prayer which culminates in the demonstration that we, those who believe, the church are united under the headship of Christ. It is extremely important however, that we note what Paul says in verse 15 regarding the people to whom he is writing and about whom he “does not cease in giving thanks”. Specifically, there are two conditions here which distinctly define these individuals; their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints.

The faith that Paul refers to here in verse 15 is faith that saves and faith that sustains. First and foremost, that faith acknowledges Jesus as Lord. Let me be clear, Jesus is Lord, with or without your acknowledgement of that fact. Often times in church we have used and heard used the statement that we need to “make Jesus Lord of our lives” a statement that generates in us the idea that He needs our permission to be Lord…I assure you, He needs no such permission, He is Lord, note in verse 22, which refers back to the Psalms, it says that everything has been put into subjection (as subjects in a kingdom) under His feet, the Lordship of Christ is given and maintained by the authority of the Father. That being said, however, faith does mean that we acknowledge or recognize the truth of Christ Lordship:

Romans 10:9 LSB

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Acts 16:31 LSB

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.”

The church, as a body of individual believers, therefore must be founded on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is only sustained and continues in that same faith in the Lordship of Christ.

The second defining quality or mark of a true Christian is love for all the saints. Love within the Body of Christ is of paramount importance, it is the very thing by which the world will know that we are Christians. Often times within the church we equalize love, a dangerous step, a step that is NOT in line with what scripture teaches. Without a doubt we are to love, and without a doubt the demonstration of that love was first made by God, Himself, but what is not demonstrated or taught, at any point in scripture, is that God loves everyone in the same way. There is a kernel of truth in the statement that God loves everyone, in that He does not reign down immediate judgement on us for who we are, but this is NOT the love that defines us as believers. John 13:35 ““By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” So, the primary love, the foundational love within the Church is love for God which is then displayed within the body.

1 John 3:16–18 LSB

By this we have known love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

The love within the body of the church must be a genuine and sacrificial love. We see in Revelation 2:2–4 Christ, writing to the church at Ephesus says “‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot bear with those who are evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, you also have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” The believers at Ephesus ultimately became so hyper-focused on observance that they failed in their love, and in so doing became nothing more than a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

John MacArthur sums it up in this way “True salvation goes from the head and the heart of the believer out to other believers and out to the world to touch unbelievers in Christ’s name, True salvation produces true love, and true love does “not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” Again, the church, as a body of individual believers, must be founded and sustained by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ out of which love naturally grows within that body to the point where we become one under His headship, not just one with each other, but one with Christ, united with Him as a head is united with the body.

Note, He, Christ, the one to whom all things have been placed in subjection, was given to the church defining and describing for us just how vital this union, removal of the head means certain death for the body. Care must be taken here to understand that in no way is the universal church ever in danger of failing, however, there is danger, as evidenced by the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, of local congregations failing and falling away. In each case the symptoms may differ, but the rot at the root is always the same, they have cut off the head, the source, without which the body dies.

The Church is the Fullness of Christ

Paul, in regards to the body, states in verse 22 that this body, the church, is “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” This statement has been the source of much debate regarding what it truly means. For our purpose here this morning we are going to begin with the second half of the clause and work our way backwards. The end of the verse, stating “Him who fills all in all” is not a challenge to intellectually understand as much as it is a challenge to grasp in its fullness. Earlier, as Paul begins to pray for the believers at Ephesus he asks in verse 17 that the Father may give them “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation”. He does this “so that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

First off, Paul is not asking that they, we or he receive more of anything. Earlier, he states, rather emphatically that we have received “every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ”. At the close of this section he reiterates that by saying that Christ is all in all, again demonstrating that we have received everything. Peter, writing in 2 Peter 1:3 “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” also demonstrates that we have been given everything.

So, if we have, as both Paul and Peter have written, we have received all things, then why pray this prayer… The truth is quite simple really, it is not a matter of us needing more of Christ, more of the Holy Spirit, more blessings or a higher and deeper life; it is a matter of, in the words of MacArthur, a “lack of insight and wisdom to understand and use [what we have already been given] properly.

1 Corinthians 2:9–12 LSB

But just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” But to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the depths graciously given to us by God,

This lack of comprehension that we have been given everything we need is the very thread that the serpent pulled in the garden when he tempts Adam and Eve to question the word of God; it is same thing that cause Peter to begin to sink when he was out of the boat and walking on the water; this lack causes us to remove our focus from the source of our provision and focus it in on the provisions themselves. In other words, we begin to feel as if what we have been given is inadequate.

In 2 Corinthians 6:12 Paul writes to the church at Corinth, “You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.” Our feelings, or our emotions, become the restraining factor as we contort scripture according to our feelings. Once again MacArthur is helpful as he states “instead of their emotions being controlled by God’s truth, their emotions distorted their understanding of His truth.” We see this happening in social clubs disguised under the heading of church all across our country at this very moment.

In asking for this wisdom and revelation, Paul is asking simply that our eyes are opened to the reality of what we have been granted, that our focus and our attention be, not on the provision itself, but the provider, the source, the one who fills all in all. Paul leads into that final clause with the statement that the body of Christ, the church, is the fullness of Him...

As intellectually simplistic as it is to understand that Christ fills all in all, this statement is just the opposite, in fact, this is paradoxical language, meaning that scripture is here stating two truths that seem to contradict each other, that seem to be in fact, absurd, but in reality express truth. The verse seems to say that without the church, Christ is incomplete…in fact this has been one of the basis for theological discussion and disagreement on the true meaning of the text here. I think it is important that as we approach this verse we do so with great care, but also in a manner in which we continually keep before us the reality that there are, within Scripture, twin truths that run parallel to each other (think of the Sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man).

It is also important that we remember that Paul uses the analogy of head and body here to convey an important truth, the body is the complement to the head and the head is the complement to the body; this is the fulfillment…Spurgeon wrote:

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. IX The Mighty Power Which Creates and Sustains Faith (No. 534)

You know how the union stands—“I in them, and thou in me.” We must be like our Head. Is he crowned—we must be crowned too. He is a good husband; he will enjoy nothing without his spouse. When she was poor, he became poor for her sake; when she was despised, he was spit upon too; and now that he is in heaven, he must have her there. If he sits on a throne, she must have a throne too; if he has fulness of joy, and honour, and glory for ever—then so must she. He will not be in heaven, and leave her behind; and he will not enjoy a single privilege of heaven, without her being a sharer with him.

We do need to be reminded that Christ has no true need of us, God, by very definition is self-sustaining and does not need anything. Which makes the truth of this statement even more glorious. In referencing this truth Calvin writes:

Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians Chapter 1

This is the highest honour of the Church, that, until He is united to us, the Son of God reckons himself in some measure imperfect. What consolation is it for us to learn, that, not until we are along with him, does he possess all his parts, or wish to be regarded as complete!

He goes on to say in a sermon about this passage:

A Treasury of Great Preaching The Eighth Sermon on the First Chapter (Ephesians) (John Calvin)

What are we? How can he fare better by being joined to us? It is just as if the sun were joined with a stinking mire. For what have we but infection and filthiness? We are so corrupted by Adam’s sin that it is horrible to think about it. How then can we bring any such perfection to God Although there is nothing but frailty in us, although we are perverse and evil, although there is nothing in us but all manner of filth, and in short, although we are loathsome in his sight, yet, in spite of this, it is his will to have us joined to him, yes, even on the condition that he should be perfected [accompli Fr.] in us by our being united in that manner. As if a father should say, My house seems empty to me, when I do not see my child in it. A husband will say, I seem to be only half a man when my wife is not with me.

After the same manner God says that he does not consider himself full and perfect, except by gathering us to himself and by making us all one with himself. He takes his whole pleasure in us, and will have his glory shine forth in us, so that his beams may shine out on all sides. And although the whole glory is in himself, yet he will have it seen that it is his will that we should have our part and portion of it. Thus you see, in effect, what St. Paul meant by calling the church the fulness of God and of Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, the church is currently the visible manifestation of Christ on this earth, again the body under the headship of Christ, responsible for faithfully representing Christ.

The Church Exists to Display the Glory of Christ

As the visible representation of the head we are to be careful to guard that image. We, the church, exist to display God’s glory to the world. This should give us pause, especially as we consider the effect that God’s glory has on people. In the wilderness, as Moses comes into the presence of God, he is so effected that his face radiates the glory, so much that he has to veil his face in the presence of others so that they can bear to look at him.

Exodus 34:29–35 LSB

Now it happened when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. Then Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them everything that Yahweh had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. Then Moses finished speaking with them and put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and then he would come out and speak to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, and the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would return the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

notice that they were, according to verse 30, afraid to come near to him. It was not Moses that frightened them. It was not the fact that his skin shone that terrified them, it was the fact that what he was reflecting was the very glory of the Most High God!! When His glory enters into the presence of sinful, fallen humanity there is always a visceral reaction, a recoiling from glory. We see this demonstrated in the gospels, especially in Christ’s encounter with legion. To humanity, Christ’s glory was veiled, but the demons immediately saw it and were terrified. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

As individual believers, we are being transformed into His image, for His glory, and as that transformation occurs we should be reflecting and radiating the glory of God to those around us. As the church gathers, for the glory of God, we should be reflecting and radiating that glory to the world, because our whole reason for existence is His glory.

Conclusion

In closing, we are left with a stunning truth: the church is not a peripheral entity in God’s plan; it is central to His purposes. Christ, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, is the head of the church, His body. We are His fullness—the visible representation of His rule and His reign—and we exist for one ultimate purpose: to display His glory.

Let me ask you: are you living in light of this truth? Do you see yourself, not merely as an individual, but as an integral part of the body of Christ? Are you striving to make the local church a reflection of His love, His holiness, and His mission?

We have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light to proclaim His excellencies (1 Peter 2:9). But so often, we get distracted. We let personal preferences, pride, and even apathy creep into our hearts and divide us from one another or decrease our devotion to Christ. When the church neglects its calling to reflect the glory of Christ, we obscure His light to a world in desperate need of Him.

Here is your challenge: take a hard look at your relationship with Christ and His church.

Are you fully submitted to His headship in your life? Or are there areas where you are still trying to cling to control?

Are you committed to loving and serving the body of Christ in tangible, sacrificial ways? Or has your participation in the local church become superficial or self-serving?

Are you intentional about reflecting His glory in your daily life? Or have you allowed the concerns of the world to dim that reflection?

Remember, the church is not about us—it is all about Him. He has placed us together as His body to show the world His beauty, His power, and His redemptive grace. A calling that we cannot take lightly.

This week, I challenge you to ask God to enlighten the eyes of your heart as to where you need to grow in faith, love, and devotion to His church. Pray for His wisdom and power to help you live in alignment with the truth that Christ is your head, and you are part of His body. As we each commit to this and to each other, we can be a church that truly displays the glory of Christ—a church that not even the gates of Hades can overpower.

Let’s be that church. For His name's sake, and His glory alone.