THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF DIVINE COUNSELS ON EARTH
(Suggested Reading: Eph. 2)
In the first chapter we were introduced to seven blessings of the individual believer flowing from God's thoughts from the will of God to bless us. The first three of these seven blessings are concerned with our relationship to our God and Father we were chosen in Christ in a past eternity, predestinated to sonship and accepted in the Beloved One. Because of the dignity in which this relationship places us, we are to receive an inheritance suited to this relationship a subject around which four further blessings center. Thus the secret of the will of God is unveiled. This secret, hidden in the Godhead, was that Christ and we are jointly to rule the universe when the kingdom is established in power. While we wait for the kingdom to come we have the Holy Spirit as the seal of the soul's salvation and as the pledge that we shall receive bodies of glory (without which we could not inherit the kingdom).
Then the Apostle, almost as in a reverie, gently opens his first prayer. He prays that these things might be understood in the heart's affections then that the mighty power God has to accomplish His will might be known. He demonstrated that power by raising Christ from among the dead and seating that Man on His throne in heaven. That is the measure of God's power and that power works for us. God's counsels to seat man in heavenly places are centered around Christ and have found their fulfillment in Him. Because He is seated in heavenly places, so are we, in God's eyes, for we are united to Him. In man's eyes though, the union can't be seen. It is a union between an unseen Christ in heaven and His visible members (believers) on earth, both comprising the Church, which is the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit, the bond of union, is unseen.*1 Because of this, Christ is sometimes spoken of as "the mystic Man" and the Church as "the mystic body of Christ." Paul now breaks away from the heavenly setting of Chapter 1 to the earthly setting of Chapter 2. The transition is necessary to understand the Church as it is now. The Head has been shown to be in heaven in Chapter 1 now we move on to the subject of the members on earth in Chapter 2.
So the second chapter is concerned with earth, not heaven. Chapter 2 tells us how God gives partial effect to His counsels on earth through the Church at the present time for the power and the glory of the kingdom in 1:10 are still future. Chapter 2 Completes the trinitarian linkage of heaven and earth. Chapter 1 gave us the individual relationship of believers to the Father and the corporate relationship of the Church to Christ as Man in heaven. Chapter 2 presents the Holy Spirit on earth in the house relationship*2 now. Indeed it is on this note Chapter 2 ends "in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." But it was not always so. If Chapter 2 closes with the Holy Spirit it opens with Satan the unholy spirit under whose influence man, dead in trespasses and sins is shown to be. Between these two extremes is the story of the chapter God's work to bring us to Himself.
Grace—the Principle on Which God Acts to Implement His Counsels
In the first chapter the great thought was the will of God to bless us. But that was in heaven. In the second chapter we are on earth where God's will is opposed. Otherwise why pray "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?" So in the second chapter the subject of concern is how the will of God is to be brought about, since man both Jew and Gentile is shown to be lost, ruined, and controlled by Satan, who opposes the will of God to bless man. In the second chapter, then, Paul unfolds the principle on which God can bless us and the work God Himself has done in and for us when we were helpless to do anything for ourselves. In the third chapter, to go a little ahead of our subject, Paul tells us the method of blessing based on the principle of grace in the second chapter i.e. the preaching of the gospel under his ministry.
The Whole Adam Race—Jew and Gentile—Is Shown to Be Under Satan's Influence
As the first chapter opens with God, the second chapter opens with Satan. Satan is the evil one who has challenged God's throne, who opposes His will, and who has enlisted man in the flesh under his banner. In Chapter 2 he opposes the will of God on earth in Chapter 6 he opposes the will of God in heaven. Since heaven and earth speak of the universe in Scripture, Satan is revealed as the universal foe of God and man. He is a foe too who is armed with authority. He is the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. The sons of disobedience are the whole Adam race in its natural state. The Gentiles are dead in trespasses and sins, subject to Satan's authority and activity. But the Jews the "we also" of verse 3, are no better.*3
The Apostle views the believers at Ephesus as preponderantly Gentile, opening his first verse with his moral estimate of the Gentiles "and you...who were dead in trespasses and sins." But in the third verse he tells the Ephesians that the Jews "we also" indulged their fleshly desires "doing what the flesh and the thoughts willed to do, and were children by nature of wrath, even as the rest." From the Book of Acts we learn that there were many Jews at Ephesus. So a common condemnation fell on both Jews and Gentiles there. If the Gentiles were directly under Satan's power, the Jews were just as much children of wrath as the Gentiles.
God Intervenes for Us in Mercy, Grace, and Power
How beautiful are these simple words "but God" which tell us that God would not leave us as we were. Mercy is for individuals, grace, more collective, gives us freely what we do not deserve. Power overthrows our natural state. God was rich in mercy and loved "us" (both Jews and Gentiles) with a great love even when we (both Jews and Gentiles) were dead in sins, "has quickened us together with Christ by grace you are saved, and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Sin had united Jew and Gentile to crucify Christ. They were dead in sins. Just as God saw them in Christ according to His attributes in Chapter 1 so in Chapter 2 we are told that they once walked according to Satan. Grace now comes in to take those who were morally dead and raise them up together that is, resurrect them morally as God had done actually to Christ and finally again to correspond to what God had done actually to Christ go beyond resurrection to ascension "has raised us up together and has made us sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus." "Together" tells us that the power of God in resurrection and ascension has been used on us as it was on Christ for we were dead to God but now are seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Scripture never says we are seated in heavenly places with Christ it would be folly to believe that. For we are not seated with Christ in heaven at all we are very much on earth. The expression "in Christ" is the mind of God visualizing us in His place in His purposes. Those seated are at rest.
“Rest of the saints above
Jerusalem of God
Who in thy palaces of love
Thy golden streets have trod?”
Thus God, having fully considered the common depravity of Jew and Gentile, has elevated to a common glory, on the principle of grace, those He called out of them to dwell with Him as saints in light. This magnifies the Father of glory. "That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast" 2:7-9. "He who glories" says Paul, "let him glory in the Lord" 1 Cor. 1:32. Eternal ages will never exhaust the praises which will ascend to our God and Father for the exceeding riches of His grace.
“O God of matchless grace
We sing unto Thy name
We stand accepted in the place
That none but Christ could claim.
Our willing hearts have heard Thy voice,
And in Thy mercy we rejoice.”
The Seven Unities Characteristic of Our Heavenly Calling
This subject is introduced here because we have had a rich unfolding of the mind of God to bless us. This was followed by a brief summary of our opposition to His will, and our inability to produce works to please Him. So He must do all the work to bring us into the good of our heavenly calling the expression of His mind toward us in choice, sonship and acceptance in Christ. This heavenly calling is characterized by seven unities (which have their counterpart in seven further unities at the close of the doctrine in Ephesians, which are characteristic of Christianity on earth. The revelation of God is the great thing which produces unity. Chaos, division, breakup, are the sad fruits of ignorance of God.
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The Seven Unities of the Believer's Heavenly Calling
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The new creation in man unifies those who were once divided
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A New Place
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"has made us sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus" v.6
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A New Creation
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"for we are His workmanship having been created in Christ Jesus" v.10
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A New Man
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"that He might form the two in Himself into one new men" v.15
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A New Corporate
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Unit The One Body
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of Christ One
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"and might reconcile both in one body to God by the cross" v.16
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The new creation in man and unity in man
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and unity of worship in the House of God
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the dwelling place of the Holy spirit
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One Spirit
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"for through Him we have both access by one Spirit to the Father" v.18
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One Temple
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"in whom all the building fitted together increases to a holy temple in the Lord" v.21
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One Dwelling
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Place for
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the Holy Spirit "in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit " v.22
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In the first four unities the pervading thought is that God, in new creation, gathers together in Christ what was once scattered. So in verse 6 Jew and Gentile, who could not worship together in the old place the Temple are made to sit down together in a new place "the heavenlies" an expression suggesting wide ranging scope in heavenly realms. In verse 10 the old creation is superseded by a new one of which Christ Himself is the beginning Rev. 3:1414And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14). In verses 15 and 16 two things are brought together into one forming two in Himself into one new man v.15 then in v.16 one body but composed of Head and members. Once the last new thing is introduced that is the work of God finished the results of it become apparent in the last three unities. These flow not only from the work of new creation but the last part of that work the introduction here of the Church as the one body of Christ which opens the way, so to speak, for the thought of united worship in the House of God. There is one Spirit verse 18 the power of access to the Father in worship and two figurative edifices for worship the Holy Temple verse 21 and the tabernacle verse 22. These figures respectively convey the broad thoughts of worship and God dwelling with man the latter complementing verse 6 where we dwell where God is a wondrous combination of thought. We will now examine these subjects in more detail following the four and three pattern in which the Spirit has given these seven unities to us.
The four new things which comprise the unity of the new creation-The first of the four new things is the new place heaven. The old place was the Temple the only place on earth where the Lord had placed His Name Deut. 12 and 14. The Jew lost his privileged temple for rejecting the One who was greater than the temple. They resisted Christ on earth thinking that if the people believed on Him "the Romans will come and take away both OUR PLACE" (note their place not God's) "and our nation" John 11:4848If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. (John 11:48). Then when Christ went to heaven they said about His witness Stephen "this man ceases not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place”
Acts 6:1313And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: (Acts 6:13). But Stephen looked up and saw Jesus in glory and knew that was the new place for the Christian. So do we. If we are intelligent in our worship we know that though in a practical way it has to originate on earth, we truly worship in heaven. Ephesians commences with the counsels of God and views believers as already in heavenly places in Christ in God's presence. Divine counsels are immutable and nothing can stand in the way of their fulfillment. How we arrive at the heavenly places, therefore, is ignored in Ephesians. Actually, earth is merely a brief transfer point for us, linking a past eternity (our origin) to a future eternity (our destiny). We are heavenly men because of divine counsels in a past eternity, the wisdom of which will be displayed in a future eternity "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Only God could unite, and elevate to a common glory, Jews and Gentiles who were united against Him in sins. In this way the overflowing grace of God will be declared to all created intelligences in a future eternity.
The second new thing is man viewed as God's workmanship. If God begins a work, once more it must be a new creation. Indeed it is. It is not the original creation of man but a new work in and for man. The new creation is a leading subject in the second chapter. Unlike Romans, where man is looked at as responsible, Ephesians considers him dead in sins 2:5 and a dead man isn't responsible. The two presentations are not in conflict but given to show in one case man's responsibility to obey the gospel and in the other case that man is so dead in sins that he needs a new creation there is no life to revive. This new creation which man needs so badly is a moral creation. It is a work of God in a soul dead toward Him. At the end of time there will be a physical new creation of the heavens and the earth to align them with the moral effects of the new creation in man. Christ is the beginning of the new creation "these things says the Amen...the beginning of the creation of God" Rev. 3:1414And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14). Also, “if any one be in Christ" (and we are told we are in Christ 1:3) "there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" 2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17). The new creation is the inverse of the old creation. The old creation began with the heavens and the earth Gen. 1:22And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2) and ended with the creation of man Gen. 1:2727So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27); the new creation begins with a new Man Rev. 3:1414And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14) and ends with a new heaven and a new earth Rev. 21:11And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1).*4 Now this new creation is entirely God's work we have no part in it. The Apostle sets man's works aside "not of works lest any man should boast." That is because we are seated in heavenly places in Christ and "no flesh should boast before God" 1 Cor. 1:2929That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29). No, the workmanship is all of God. But once God has done His work in us we can begin our work. For God had a purpose in creating us anew "created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”
The third new thing is one new man out of two Jew and Gentile. It seemed impossible to the Jew that God could do such a thing as this to the Gentiles. A Jew in the Church would instinctively sense that he was breaking the law by associating with Gentiles. But now he is no longer a Jew. The great thought here is that Jew and Gentile are one. Now Paul made it clear at the beginning of this chapter that though the Gentiles were under Satan's power, the Jews "were by nature the children of wrath even as others." But while the Jews were morally as far away from God as the Gentiles, positionally this was not so. God's Temple was at Jerusalem alone. And so Paul takes up the question of how God can set aside their special privileges and bring the Gentiles into one new man out of two. First he points out the positional distance of the Gentiles from God 2:11-12 but then he clearly shows how the distance has been bridged. The blood of Christ has removed all positional distinction. This is his argument in 2:13-16. He alludes to the barrier separating Jew from Gentile in the Temple area, calling it "the middle wall of partition" only to tell us that Christ has broken it down. It was His blood which did this, through which alone man could have peace with God and by which Jew and Gentile were made one. The system of ordinances the law separated Jew and Gentile. But Christ has abolished this in His flesh and made peace by making one new man from two.
The fourth new thing is "one body." It is not only that the positional distinction between Jew and Gentile has been removed but "there is one body" 4:4 that is the Church with Christ the Head in heaven and His members here on earth. The chasm separating Jew and Gentile from one another was as nothing compared to the chasm separating both from God. But now man is reconciled to God through the work of the cross. Distance has been changed to nearness. This being so, what should logically follow but approach and worship. This is the subject of the last three of the seven unities characterizing our heavenly calling.
Three features of the house of God on earth In 2:14 the Apostle stated that Christ is our peace; in 2:15 that He has made peace; in 2:17 that He has come and preached peace to both Jew and Gentile. So the Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow citizens with the (Jewish) saints and of the household of God. The great characteristic of the house of God is praise and worship. This involves the whole Trinity, for it is through Christ both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Praise and worship is the golden link binding together the House of God which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth see 1 Tim. 3:1515But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15). The Church is viewed as the body of Christ in v.16, a Holy Temple in v.21 and the present dwelling place of God in the Spirit v.22 a figure which corresponds to the tabernacle in the wilderness. We will now consider these last two figures the Holy Temple and the tabernacle.
The Church is first viewed under the figure of a temple under construction only it is a Holy Temple. The old temple at Jerusalem had passed away as far as God was concerned in 2:14. Its great characteristic was the separation of Jew and Gentile in worship. The great characteristic of the Holy Temple is that Jew and Gentile are united in worship v.18, 19. Another feature is that it is growing. When did the growth begin and when does it end, you ask. Well the building commenced on the Day of Pentecost, for there was no Church before that. On that day the Holy Spirit filled all the house where they were sitting see Acts 2:22And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2). Peter was prominent then because it was the Lord who revealed the truth of the Church to him as a building "and I say also unto you that you are Peter and upon this rock I WILL BUILD My Church" Matt. 16:1818And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18). The rock on which Christ builds His Church is the confession of His Person as the eternal Son of the living God Matt. 16:1616And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16). And so Peter writes "to whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious you also as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices... wherefore also...I lay in Zion a corner stone" 1 Peter 2:4-64To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1 Peter 2:4‑6). The spiritual sacrifices are praise and worship 2:18. The Holy Temple is a figure of the church which the Lord gave to Peter on earth hence the suitability of using this figure in our second chapter, which concerns the Church on earth. The temple building, then, is not a material one made up of dressed stones and mortar, but a figure of spiritual things a holy temple whose living stones are believers. It is harmoniously proportioned, which infers a master plan. In this plan the Apostles and (New Testament) prophets*5 are the living stones who make up the foundation. But Jesus Christ is the cornerstone just as He is the Head of the body and the bridegroom of the bride. These three figures all speak of union the cornerstone unites two walls the Head is united to the members the bridegroom to the bride. The Apostles and prophets bear witness specifically to the death and resurrection of Christ an indestructible foundation truth. Then come all other believers living stones put into the places assigned to them in the divine blueprint. Although we are living stones we vary in size, shape, and location in the building just as much as real stones would. Paul says the building is growing, which tells us that construction is still in progress in this world. It will not halt until the last soul is saved and the Lord comes again for His Church. Then it will be ready for occupancy as a Holy Temple. How blessed are the ways of God.
“In Him it is ordained to raise
A Temple to Jehovah's praise,
Composed of all the saints who own
No Savior but the 'Living Stone'
View the vast building, see it rise
The work how great! the plan how wise!
O wondrous fabric! power unknown!
That rears it on the 'Living Stone.'”
The closing feature is the Church as the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. This view corresponds to the tabernacle where God dwelt with Israel in their desert journey from Egypt to Canaan. Now that Christ is largely rejected by His ancient people, the Holy Spirit dwells with a Church which is predominantly Gentile. Although there have always been Jews in it "from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, My Name shall be great among the Gentiles" Mal. 1:1111For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11). The great thought in the tabernacle was that God would dwell there with man. "He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation" Israel sang after their deliverance at the Red Sea Ex. 15:22The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2). So they built a tabernacle and God dwelt among them, marking His presence with a cloudy pillar. It was all grace, based upon the future shedding of the blood of Christ see Rom. 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25) without which God could not dwell with sinful man. Now the mighty work is done and God dwells in the Church by His Spirit. As a more spiritual mind than mine has put it "the Spirit dwells in the Church; she becomes the vase of that which nothing can contain.”*6
What Hath God Wrought?
God had predetermined the blessing of man in Christ in a past eternity. Can we now, at this juncture, ask ourselves the question to what extent has He carried out His will in other words what hath God wrought? Num. 23:2323Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! (Numbers 23:23). Clearly He hasn't yet given us the promised inheritance our share of Christ's universal rule. We know His Son as the Creator of all things and our Redeemer. But again we ask the question what hath God wrought of His eternal purposes? Well, He has secured our heavenly calling when man and Satan opposed it. Truly we are chosen in Christ, predestinated to sonship and accepted in the Beloved One.
But God has also wrought a wondrous work in sending His blessed Holy Spirit down to earth to dwell with us 2:22 precursor of the time when we shall go to heaven to dwell with our Father 1:4. The Apostle 'John writes "and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him" 1 John 4:1616And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16). That blessed portion is for the individual here it is collective. The Church, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit now shall dwell with the Father later in yonder glory. Surely we can thank God for the presence of the Holy Spirit with us now.
“What moved Thee to impart
Thy Spirit from above
Therewith to fill our heart
With heavenly peace and love.
'Twas love, unbounded love to us
Moved Thee to give Thy Spirit thus.”
God knows the end from the beginning so that when He wills anything it is as good as done.*7 So the question "what hath God wrought" has really many answers. He has brought us into relationship with Himself this is our heavenly calling choice, sonship and acceptance. He has predestinated us to an inheritance 1:11 Christ's future rule of the universe. He dwells with us now on earth as we shall with Him in heaven one day. The presence of God with us produces worship which is uninhibited the whole Godhead is linked together in it "for through Him" (Jesus) "we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" 2:18.
We might then summarize the results of God's work in bringing His counsels to fruition as UNIVERSAL RULE and UNIVERSAL WORSHIP. When Christ rules over this universe with His Church the whole universe will be filled with the praise of His glory.