April 1 God’s Purpose

Ephesians 1:9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
 
WE continue to move forward from Jesus’ resurrection. The past two days we have paused to consider God’s wondrous grace to save us. In his great love, he has graciously lavished his redemption into our souls. Why?
    Paul answers the “Why?” with God’s Purpose Statement: Jesus is the means to fulfil the Father’s “plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Wow! God’s great will, his eternal purpose is to bring all things under creation into his perfect holiness. The Creator is moving his broken creation back to creation’s holy perfection.
    The beginning of this plan is expressed in God’s words to Satan at the Fall. Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” “He” is Jesus, our Savior, who will come to destroy the head – the authority – of Satan on earth. Although Satan will strike Jesus, the Savior, born of a woman (not a woman and man) will triumph.
    Then ultimately God will restore his creation in the fullness of time. Revelation 21:1-3 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” 
    Do you see God’s magnificent purpose? He states it first in Genesis, the book of beginnings. He forms the patriarchs and the prophets to proclaim the coming Messiah. Jesus comes to be the way to God’s holy perfection. Then he creates the church. Through the church, God sends apostles and teachers to prepare God’s elect for the New Heaven. One day this will be our home.
    As anyone might ask you, “What is God’s will?” you can reply, “He is working to unite all the world in the fullness, the completion of time, to be under his perfect loving care. He is moving the world to suffer no more. He is moving the world to rejoice and be glad in his glory forevermore. Would you like to be part of God’s purposeful will?”
 
Prayer: Holy Father, thank you for your remarkable purpose to save me, to restore the earth and heavens to creation’s perfection. In Jesus’ name, amen.