All things in Christ

Nothing Higher than God

When confronted with the mysteries of this world, it is difficult to fathom the lengths to which God has brought forth His creation. Man has for thousands of years attempted to understand God to the fullest.

In my futile attempts to believe I could make sense of the things which are godly, I have only realized that we scratch the surface when we begin to see God as beyond us and holier or set apart from us.

However, this should also bring us comfort and reassurance. When we are confronted with the idea of destruction, decay, and death, we need that reassurance. I am thankful that God’s ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than mine (Isaiah 55:8).

Where I may at times feel confused or lost, God is omniscient. He knows all and is capable of understanding all. His perfection is higher than we are capable of understanding.

Logical Conundrums

People are logical people who are confronted with dilemmas which philosophers throughout the ages have attempted to solve. The concept of an all knowing God presents people with the problems of solving philosophical problems.

One of those problems is the existence of evil, or things which appear to be inherently wrong with the world. We can all see things that should not be and wonder at times where God is during those times.

There are many things which need to be revealed by God. As the one who exists eternally outside of space and time, only God is capable of knowing what He has reasoned. Only what He allows people to know through the revelation of His word and His Son, Jesus Christ are what we are capable of understanding.

The Holy Spirit works to bring us that awareness as He points to the works of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:1 NASB95

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:

Ephesians 1:2 NASB95

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 NASB95

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,

Ephesians 1:4 NASB95

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

Ephesians 1:5 NASB95

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Ephesians 1:6 NASB95

to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:7 NASB95

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 1:8 NASB95

which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

Ephesians 1:9 NASB95

He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

Ephesians 1:10 (NASB95)

with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

Paul’s apostleship is in Christ

Paul does not lift himself above Christ. His partnership in the union of the body of Christ is his recognition that at a previous time, he was against Christ.

Only by God’s will does Paul become aware of the nature of his previous being. Hamilton mentions that Paul’s introduction is to show the change he went through from persecutor of the church to one who is now summed up in the belonging with Christ.

Hamilton, Ian. 2017. Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books. Accessed July 10, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Believers are Saints in Christ

When Paul addresses the people of Ephesus, he addresses them as saints. What determines their sainthood? When we think of saints, we may think of someone who exhibits good characteristics. Ones which resemble the character of Christ.

However, Paul knows that those who profess their belief in Christ are saints. It is not those who have achieved the highest imitation of Christ but those who have been given the grace of God to be aware of who Christ is.

Their identity of being a saint is summed up in Christ.

Heavens are summed up In Christ

Paul continues moving outward from himself, to others, to the heavens themselves. As he points out that it is God who is the one who gives the blessings of the heavens to those of the world, he continues to add to the fulness of Christ.

There are many religions in the world. Ones which proclaim that different blessings are given from different gods. Paul addresses the fact that there is only one source of those blessings which are poured out from heaven.

Jesus Christ is the source of those blessings and to the source those blessings will return.

All glory, honor, and blessings will be returned to Jesus Christ.

Holiness is in Christ

Paul begins the letter to the Ephesians with the goal of ensuring that holiness is only found in Christ. Where it is often thought that holiness is found by works or other means, Paul’s focus is that people look to Jesus Christ for their source of holiness.

God’s will is the highest power in existence. Logically, if God is the highest, most powerful idea, thought, spirit, source of being, then there is nothing that can outperform, out think, or elude God’s will.

People may believe there are multiple parallel universes. We must allow our finite minds to ponder the idea so that we can think of the logical conclusion that God must exist outside of His creation.

Holiness is being separate, apart from, wholly other than. God’s pouring out His grace and holiness upon the world is his allowance of our finite minds to comprehend the separateness of Himself from the universe.

Therefore, the logical conclusion from this aspect is to recognize that there would be a separate being outside of any world that is capable of creation ex nihilo (from nothing).

Perfection is in Christ

Many people have said they could have done it better. They could have created a universe, world, earth better than the creation they see. With the sin, destruction and fallen nature of our world, they do not see the perfection in the balance of a God who allows both free will to decide He exists and the ability to choose to ignore His grace.

God’s perfection is summed up in Christ. Where the world has issues, the solution is in Christ. From the beginning of time, Paul is logically following that the solution was always in Christ.

Time and Eternity are in Christ

From before time began, Paul expresses the idea that God knowing everything means that He knew ahead of the existence of His creation what the perfect universe, world, and follow through would be.

Since Jesus Christ was always with God the Father and He always knew of the Father’s plan, that His humility and sacrifice was always the predestined plan for creation.

This is why we have the prophecy given to Adam and Eve that

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Death is defeated in Christ

Paul’s conclusion is that all things are summed up in Christ. If the creation of the world is to glorify God, then the acts of the Son to glorify the Father’s will through the redemption of those lost in sin are vital in understanding our relationship to God.

His love surpasses the fallen nature of the world. Paul pleads with people to recognize this throughout the rest of Ephesians. His foundation is placed on the fact that everything rests in Christ.

All Mystery is solved in Christ

Either something is for Christ or against Him. While it may appear there are many factions, religions, thoughts, and feelings which lead people to believe there are many ways to heaven, there are not.

As mentioned before, if all things are eventually summed up in Christ and this world will disappear, there can logically only be one place in eternal existence.

Those mysteries are solved in the redemption of the world in Christ.

Administration in Christ

Leading your life outside of the will of God is not allowing the fulness of Christ to be exhibited to the world. If the future administration of the world is found in Christ, there will be a reckoning for the decisions to guide your life in a different manner.

Paul mentions that the future administration of both the heavens and the earth will fall under the rule of the rightful king in Christ.

Your life is in Christ

At every point of your life, you are summed up in Christ. The allowance of you to choose whether to follow in Christ or go against him is the free will allowed by God’s love to freely choose.

The struggle many have had throughout the ages is to recognize the difference between free will and God knowing ahead of time whether the person will choose to follow Him or not.

Predestination gives some the idea they have no choice in the matter. However, if we look to see that the most perfect way to allow love, grace, and the fulness of perfection is to follow God.

Just as Paul recognized that at some point he was going against the will of God, he also recognized that God’s grace was allowing him to recognize the love that compels one to be fulfilled in Christ.

Worship in Christ

Our lives too can be fulfilled in Christ. Worship is obedience to all that is in Christ.

Wheeler and Whaley provide a great argument that the church has attempted to separate secular life from church life.

The Great Commission to Worship

Copyright © 2011 by David Wheeler and Vernon Whaley [David Wheeler and Vernon M. Whaley (2012). The Great Commission to Worship. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com]

If all aspects of our life are summed up in Christ, then every aspect of our life should reflect the decisions that we are in the body of Christ.

As we go into the world, there will be times where we should be reminded that God has lavished His grace upon the world. Our worship should carry over into all aspects of our lives if we do believe in His grace. We long for the fulness of the administration in Christ.