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by Gary Sims
12/30/03
Not For Sale
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The Letters
Ephesians 3:1-12 – A Mystery Made Known
Key Verses: (NRSV)

1: “This is the reason that I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus.” – Paul is imprisoned, tortured, and persecuted because of his ministry to reveal the truth about Jesus Christ.
3: “and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation.” – Paul is referring to his own conversion while he was on the road to Damascus.
5: “In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind.” – God’s ultimate plan for humanity was not revealed until He had sent His only Son in human form, to live and die; to become sacrificial lamb for the entire world.
6: “the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” – The Mystery: The Messiah was sent, not to simply save one race of people. God created the entire universe and He sent His Son to save all of mankind.
8: “Although I am the very least of all the saints…” – Paul, the humble servant, recognizes his limitations and remembers his past. It is only through the grace he had received from God that he could accomplish his ministry.
10: “so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known…” – The word ‘church’ comes from the English translation of the Greek word ekklesia, which means to be “called out.” Paul is saying that the body of believers in Christ is ‘called out’ for the special purpose of sharing the universal message that gospel has to offer.
12: “in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.” – Our belief in Christ gives us full access to God.

Points to Contemplate:

Have you experienced the mystery of God’s grace? Paul stated that through his belief in Christ, the truth of God’s love was “made known.” Do you feel the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life, giving you guidance and the ability to do those things God is calling you to do? In what ways can you become more sensitive and trusting to the Spirit’s leading?
Are there groups of people today that your church excludes from God’s message of grace? Have you, in some way created an exclusive club similar to the way Jews excluded Gentiles? In your church are you sending messages that people have to be “like us” before they are welcome to attend? Must they wear a certain type of clothing or behave in certain manner in order to be included? Do you exclude the young because of your choice of music or worship style? Do you create barriers to families because of inadequate nurseries, changing tables, or children-oriented activities? Who are the ‘gentiles’ in your church community that are being kept from the gospel?
What is your church ‘called out’ to do? Paul’s gospel says, as the church, we are ‘called out’ to expand our horizons and to make our fellowship more inclusive. Today, make a special effort to expand your horizons. Where have your inherent biases, interests, and life-style choices created situations where you exclude others from your life? Do these exclusions limit your ability to fulfill God’s call for you into discipleship, stewardship, and ministry?

Promises of the Gospel:

God created the entire universe. The story of that creation was completed with the gift of Christ. Through our acceptance of Christ, all of God’s wisdom and love becomes available. We have become unified. There are no exclusions. The Great Commandments have become our beacons: Love God with our heart, mind, and soul; and love our neighbors as ourselves. As we are called to spread the good news of the gospel, the “mystery made known” we are to do so with the knowledge and the boldness that we are all heirs to the same body, the body of Christ.

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