Now Made Manifest

TWIN CITIES GRACE FELLOWSHIP

Sermon 16 · That Which May Be Known — Section 3: God Hath Revealed (Series Finale)

Now Made Manifest

The three covenants of promise fulfilled and the mystery now disclosed in full

Key Text: Ephesians 3:3–6

The mystery hid in God from before the foundation of the world is now made manifest through Paul: the Abrahamic blessing reaching Gentiles as fellowheirs, the Davidic throne sharing its heavenly session with His body, and the New Covenant's Spirit now ministered to Jew and Gentile alike — all three covenants of promise fulfilled in Christ and now disclosed in a dimension no prophet, psalmist, or patriarch ever saw: one new man, Jew and Gentile, fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel.

Series Threads in This Sermon:

• Redemption — the determinate means counseled before the world began, accomplished in Christ, now administered to Jew and Gentile through Paul, the able minister of the new covenant

• Eternal Purpose — the gathering of all things in Christ, inaugurated in the body of Christ seated in heavenly places, moving toward the dispensation of the fulness of times

INTRODUCTION

OPENING

• Sixteen sermons ago we asked: that which may be known of God — what is it, and how is it known? We have spent this series answering: establishing what God determined in His eternal counsel (Section 2), then tracing how He progressively disclosed it from Eden through the prophets, through the fulness of time, through the cross and resurrection and ascension (Section 3).

• Last week we watched every covenant find its yes in Christ — the Abrahamic seed fulfilled, the Davidic throne established in the heavenly places, the New Covenant ratified in His blood, and Christ ascended to the right hand of God far above all principality and power.

• We closed with the weightiest unanswered question of the series: what is the mystery hidden in God from before the foundation of the world, which angels desire to look into and no prophet ever disclosed? This morning, that mystery is made manifest.

• Consider what this means: prophets searched for this and did not see it; kings and righteous men longed to see what we are about to receive (Luke 10:24); angels cannot look fully into it (1 Peter 1:12). We are not in a lesser chapter of redemptive history — we are in the chapter every prior witness was straining to glimpse.

ROADMAP

• Four movements: the Abrahamic covenant — from blessing to fellowheirs; the Davidic covenant — from the throne to the heavenly session shared; the New Covenant — Paul, able minister, the Spirit now for the Gentiles; and the synthesis — one new man, the mystery named.

• We will then step back from this sermon — and from all sixteen — and see together where we now stand. This is the most privileged disclosure of the entire series. Receive it.

SERMON

I. The Abrahamic Covenant: From Blessing to Fellowheirs

STATE

• God swore to Abraham that in his seed all nations would be blessed. Christ, the seed, fulfilled that blessing.

• But Paul discloses what no covenant text ever stated outright — Gentiles are not merely recipients of blessing from outside the family; they are fellowheirs inside it.

ANCHOR

• Paul states the content of the mystery directly — and the first element is inheritance.

"That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." — Ephesians 3:6

DEVELOP

A. What Was Sworn and Fulfilled

• God promised Abraham: in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Christ, the singular seed, fulfilled that promise — the seed born, the blessing accomplished in His Person and work.

• Galatians 3:16 makes it precise: the promises were spoken to Abraham's seed, not seeds as of many, but as of one — which is Christ.

Cross-ref: Genesis 12:3 — in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed | Galatians 3:16 — to thy seed, which is Christ

B. What the Mystery Now Adds — Fellowheirs, Not Merely Blessed

• The prophets declared that nations would be blessed through Abraham's seed. They did not disclose that Gentile believers would themselves become Abraham's seed, full heirs of the promise, standing where Israel stands — inside the family, not blessed from outside it.

• Galatians 3:28-29 — there is neither Jew nor Greek; if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. The inheritance is not for Israel alone received from outside; it is shared inside the same family.

Cross-ref: Galatians 3:28-29 — if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise | Ephesians 3:6 — fellowheirs, of the same body, partakers of his promise

C. The Spirit Through Faith — Abrahamic and New Covenant Joined

• Galatians 3:14 binds both covenant threads in one verse: the blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles through Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

• The Spirit Jeremiah promised to Israel's heart is now received by Gentile faith. Heirs receive what is promised — and the promised inheritance includes the Spirit.

Cross-ref: Galatians 3:14 — that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith

LAND

What was fulfilled: the seed came; the nations are blessed in Him. What is now manifest: Gentiles are fellowheirs — not blessed from outside the family but standing inside it as Abraham's seed by faith. A standing no covenant text, psalmist, or prophet ever stated.

TRANSITION If the Abrahamic covenant discloses Gentiles as fellowheirs, the Davidic covenant discloses something just as unexpected — the throne itself is shared.

II. The Davidic Covenant: From the Throne to the Heavenly Session Shared

STATE

• Last week we saw Christ ascend to the right hand of God in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power — the inaugural fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, heavenward not earthward.

• What the mystery now discloses is that His body is seated there with Him.

ANCHOR

• Paul tells us plainly — the throne is not occupied by Christ alone.

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." — Ephesians 2:6

DEVELOP

A. What Was Sworn and Fulfilled

• God swore to David: thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever; thy throne shall be established for ever (2 Samuel 7:16). The Son ascended and received dominion far above all rule and authority.

• The ascension is the inaugural Davidic fulfillment — but heavenward, not earthward. He is the better David on the better throne. David's was earthly; Christ's is in the heavenly places, far above all.

Cross-ref: 2 Samuel 7:16 — thy throne shall be established for ever | Ephesians 1:20-21 — set at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power

B. What the Mystery Now Adds — The Body Seated with Him

• No psalm, no prophet, no covenant text ever said that others would sit with the Son on His throne in the heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6 discloses it: raised up together, seated together — a position no prior witness described.

• The body of Christ is positionally placed with Him now. The principalities and powers He is exalted above are still active (Ephesians 6:12) — but the church's seated position is no less real for that.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 2:6 — hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus | Colossians 3:1-3 — your life is hid with Christ in God

C. The Principalities and Powers Watch the Church

• Ephesians 3:10 adds the staggering scope: through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is now being made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.

• The very powers Christ is exalted above are watching what the mystery is producing. The church is not merely the recipient of the mystery — it is the display of it.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 3:10 — that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God | Ephesians 1:21 — far above all principality and power and might and dominion

LAND

What was fulfilled: the Son reigns at God's right hand far above all rule and authority; the Davidic throne established in the heavenly places. What is now manifest: the body of Christ is seated there with Him — and the very principalities and powers He is exalted above are watching the church as the display of God's manifold wisdom.

TRANSITION The throne is shared. Now watch what the mystery discloses about the New Covenant Jeremiah addressed to the house of Israel — and who Paul was made able to minister it to.

III. The New Covenant: Paul, Able Minister; the Spirit Now for the Gentiles

STATE

• Jeremiah promised a New Covenant to the house of Israel — forgiveness, the law written on the heart, the Spirit within. We saw it ratified in Christ's blood in Sermon 15.

• What the mystery now discloses is that Paul ministers this testament in force to Jew and Gentile alike, and the Spirit promised to Abraham's seed now writes on Gentile hearts.

ANCHOR

• Paul names his own ministry directly — not of the letter, but of the spirit; an able minister of the new testament.

"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." — 2 Corinthians 3:6

DEVELOP

A. What Was Sworn and Fulfilled

• Jeremiah declared: I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people; I will forgive their iniquity (Jeremiah 31:33-34). Christ ratified it in His blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15). The mediator came; the covenant is sealed.

Cross-ref: Jeremiah 31:33-34 — I will write my law in their hearts | Hebrews 9:15 — mediator of the new testament, that they might receive the promise of eternal inheritance

B. What the Mystery Now Adds — Paul, Able Minister to the Gentiles

• The covenant Jeremiah addressed to Israel, Paul now administers to all who believe. God made us able ministers — not of the letter but of the spirit. The life-giving ministry of the New Covenant is extended beyond its original address.

• Paul's commission is precisely this: to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery (Ephesians 3:9). He is the steward of what was kept secret and is now disclosed.

Cross-ref: 2 Corinthians 3:6 — able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter but of the spirit | Ephesians 3:7-9 — given to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery

C. The Spirit Promised to Abraham, Now for the Gentiles

• Galatians 3:14 joins the Abrahamic and New Covenant threads in one verse: the blessing of Abraham comes on the Gentiles through Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

• The eternal life and the Spirit's inward writing that Jeremiah addressed to Israel's heart are now received by Gentile faith. The Spirit's ministry — conforming, writing, sealing — operates in Gentile hearts exactly as promised.

Cross-ref: Galatians 3:14 — the blessing of Abraham upon the Gentiles; the promise of the Spirit through faith | Ezekiel 36:26-27 — a new heart; I will put my spirit within you

LAND

What was fulfilled: the New Covenant ratified in Christ's blood; forgiveness and the Spirit secured for all who believe. What is now manifest: Paul, the able minister of that covenant, administers it to Jew and Gentile alike — the eternal life and the Spirit's inward writing that Jeremiah addressed to Israel now received by Gentile faith, exactly as the blessing of Abraham promised.

TRANSITION Three covenants. Three dimensions no prophet ever named. Now Paul states what holds them all together — one new man, one body, Jew and Gentile reconciled in Christ.

IV. One New Man: The Mystery Named

STATE

• Fellowheirs of Abraham's promise, sharers of the Davidic throne in the heavenly places, partakers of the New Covenant's Spirit — all three converge in one declaration.

• Jew and Gentile, formerly divided by the law, are now one new man in Christ.

ANCHOR

• Paul gives the fullest statement of the mystery's content — the middle wall broken down, both made one, one access to the Father by one Spirit.

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us... for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace... For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." — Ephesians 2:14-18

DEVELOP

A. The Middle Wall Broken Down

• The law that separated Jew and Gentile — circumcision, dietary law, the courts of the temple — is abolished in His flesh (Ephesians 2:14-15). Not relocated, not softened — removed. What divided is gone.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. The newness is total; the one new man stands where division stood.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 2:14-15 — broken down the middle wall of partition; having abolished in his flesh the enmity | 2 Corinthians 5:17 — if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature

B. One Body, One Spirit, One Access to the Father

• Both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Not two doors, not two standing, not two bodies — one. The mystery is not merely that Gentiles are included but that both are created into something entirely new: the one new man in Christ.

• Ephesians 4:4-6 — one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. The oneness is total and comprehensive.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 2:18 — through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father | Ephesians 4:4-6 — one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism

C. Inaugurated Now; Consummated Then

• The new man exists now — the body of Christ already seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), already built together as a habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).

• But the dispensation of the fulness of times, when all things in heaven and earth are actually gathered in Christ (Ephesians 1:10), is still future. The mystery is being lived; its full consummation is still ahead.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 2:19-22 — fellowcitizens; built together for an habitation of God | Ephesians 1:10 — in the dispensation of the fulness of times, gather together in one all things in Christ

LAND

Now made manifest: one new man, Jew and Gentile, the middle wall broken down, both reconciled unto God in one body by the cross. Fellowheirs of the Abrahamic promise, seated together in the Davidic throne's heavenly session, partakers of the New Covenant's Spirit — all three covenants disclosed in a dimension no prior witness saw. Inaugurated now; the fulness of times still coming.

TRANSITION We have traced sixteen sermons across three sections. It is time to step back and see, together, where we now stand.

THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD: LOOKING BACK

Section 1 — Finding Out God

• We began by asking how God may be known at all — that which may be known of God is manifest, for God hath shewed it unto them (Romans 1:19). We learned the how before we learned the what: revelation in creation, in conscience, and ultimately in Christ.

Section 2 — The Determinate Counsel

• We saw the Son as the first content of God's counsel — before creation, before redemption, before any program. Christ before all things, by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-17).

• We saw the eternal purpose: to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10) — not redemption alone, but a cosmic gathering under His headship.

• We saw redemption itself — not the goal, but the determinate means: the propitiation set forth in His blood, that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth (Romans 3:25-26).

Section 3 — God Hath Revealed

• We traced the disclosure from Eden — dominion, family, and government as the first revelation of the eternal purpose; the seed of the woman as the first revelation of redemption.

• We saw the secret and the revealed accumulate through Abraham, the law, and the Psalms — Deuteronomy 29:29 as the governing principle: the secret things belong to the LORD, the revealed things to us.

• We saw centuries of witness in the prophets — Isaiah 42:9: the former things come to pass, and new things declared before they spring forth.

• We saw the fulness of time arrive — Galatians 4:4: every covenant fulfilled in Christ, His ascension inaugurating a heavenly dominion no prophet fully described.

• And this morning, we saw the mystery made manifest — Ephesians 3:3-6: Gentiles fellowheirs, the body seated with Christ above all principality, the Spirit ministered to all who believe, Jew and Gentile one new man.

Where We Now Stand

Consider what this means. The prophets searched diligently for these things and did not see them (1 Peter 1:10-11). Angels desire to look into them and cannot (1 Peter 1:12). Kings and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not (Luke 10:24). You are not living in a smaller chapter of redemptive history than Abraham, David, or Isaiah. You are living in the chapter every one of them was straining to glimpse — the dispensation of the grace of God (Ephesians 3:2), the very mystery that was hid in God and is now disclosed in full.

Christ is today seated at the right hand of God far above all principality and power — and you are seated with Him there. The Spirit promised to Abraham, written on the heart as Jeremiah foresaw, is at this moment ministering within you. The new creation is not future only — you are already the new man, already a fellowcitizen, already built together as a habitation of God through the Spirit. You are not waiting for the eternal purpose to begin. You are inside it, now, in the dispensation of the fulness of times not yet consummated but inaugurated in a mystery sense. What was hidden in God before the foundation of the world is the air you breathe as a believer. Walk worthy of it. That is the whole counsel of God.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You — not for a doctrine, but for a Person, and not merely for a Person, but for the staggering privilege of standing inside what You hid in Yourself from before the foundation of the world. We thank You that the Son was before all things, that Your eternal purpose was to gather all things in Him, that redemption was the means and not the end. We thank You for Eden's first promise, for Abraham's faith, for David's throne, for the prophets who searched diligently for what we now hold plainly. We thank You that the fulness of time came, that Christ ascended far above all principality and power, and that the mystery hid in You is now made manifest: that we, Gentiles once strangers, are fellowheirs, of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel. Keep us from ever treating this as ordinary. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places this very hour. Your Spirit is writing on our hearts this very hour. Let us walk worthy of so great a calling, until the dispensation of the fulness of times when all things in heaven and earth are gathered together in Him. In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen. Amen.