The Wisdom of God Revealed according to
His Decrees
By Nick Bibile
Ephesians 3
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace
was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ,
9and to make all see what is the
fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has
been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;[ 10to
the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the
church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11according
to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Last week we saw the unsearchable riches of God that is manifested to children of God. Today we are going to continue.
Verse 9. To make all see, all means not all the people can see but all here is those elected Gentiles and Jews the mystery, is something hidden before now revealed to the church to the fellowship.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
What is this mystery that is being hidden to the church now being revealed? It is the gospel. Unsearchable riches of Christ is found in the gospel. Now we can see or we are enlightened and brought to light by the gospel of grace. We were in darkness but by the grace of God by his choice we were brought to the light, to an understanding.
"For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, is the same who hath shined in our hearts, to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
(2 Corinthians 4:6)
This mystery of God the gospel of God
came through Christ Jesus.
Joh
The gospel of grace was hidden from the beginning of ages
now revealed through Christ Jesus. It is the same Christ Jesus who created all
things and same Christ Jesus who revealed the will of God to us. So the hidden
mystery is really the grace of God in the gospel, we will see this more clearly
later.
10to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be
made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly
places.
Who are the principalities and powers in heavenly places
here? Not the earthly rulers and powers nor the evil angels who fell from
heaven the demonic powers but the good angels.
What Paul is saying here through the church this wisdom of
God will be known to the angels. Preaching of the gospel was not conveyed to
the devils but to the angels. But how come the angels come to know this
manifold wisdom of God through the church?
Let me put it this way like in a drama. God is the author.
He wrote the script. We are the actors and angels are the audience. The drama
unfolds across the centuries from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the
prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, the apostles. Jesus is the center of the
drama. You and I are the players in this drama, Satan is the enemy to stop the
work and the audience is the angels saying wow, unbelievable, amazing!
John Calvin put it this way, let me quote.
"The church, composed both of Jews and Gentiles, is a
mirror, in which angels behold the astonishing wisdom of God displayed in a
manner unknown to them before. They see a work which is new to them, and the
reason of which was hid in God. In this manner, and not by learning anything
from the lips of men, do they make progress."
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed,
that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are
now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the
Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Let me explain further. The angels are
in heaven where God dwells. They are holy as they are in the presence of God. Yet
they do not walk in faith. The preaching of the gospel is given to the church
not to the angels. Let me put this in a picture.
We who were totally wicked, sinful, living
in darkness enjoying the pleasure of this world, we were against God’s will at
enmity with God. Angels looking down at us will never expect vile sinners like
us would be saved. But God who is the author did not use the holy perfect
angels to preach the gospel. But used poor weak men as his instruments which
angels would have been astonished. How
can they succeed when there is a powerful enemy, Satan and his demons all over
so powerful than all these weak human beings?
Those who preached the gospel are ridiculed, mocked and persecuted but
the outcome is amazing, it’s not the people who call them selves good and
religious being saved but totally sinful and wicked are being saved. Angels
watch this and say wow the amazing wisdom of God!
Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say
unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the
We can learn a lesson on evangelism in
the ministry of Jesus. He put priority in preaching the gospel to the poor.
Mt
Mt
Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent
me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
The power of the gospel is such that
God can use weak vessels like us to bring sinners to Christ, make sinners to
saints.
Secular history concentrates on the
changing of the map of the world as one nation defeats another, the rise and
the fall of empires. The Bible speaks of the church, there are no territorial
frontiers, this church is in the fore front battling against the powers of
darkness bringing rebels who will repent and making them to saints, changing
lives by the precious blood of Jesus.
The angels who are in the very presence
of God did not know this mystery of God. Now it is being revealed when they see
sinners coming to Christ by the proclamation of the gospel by people like us.
As I said before the angels are like the audience and when a wicked sinful
sinner is converted to Christ the angels in heaven rejoice.
Lu
11according
to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The author of salvation the person who
wrote the script is none other than God himself. When you say according to the
eternal purpose it means according to the decree of God. It means that things
come to pass according to God’s divine purpose rather than by chance. To deny
the decrees of God is practically to dethrone him. It put God as a helpless
spectator and the church trying to help God. This is not true.
When you look many of the churches
today do not understand this amazing grace of God. Many think that man has the power of man where
man has the power to say yes or no to the gospel, God is begging and weeping
them to come to him. This is not the God of the Bible. God planed, he purposed
and predetermined. If God had not purposed the blessings of salvation then we
owe thanks to others and not to God. But the Bible is clear in this verse.
“According to the eternal purpose which
he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” See Ephesians 1:9
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself.
The entire salvation is displayed by
the great wisdom of God, according to his purpose. He purposed that some would
be saved and some not and we cannot ask God why not all saved? If all are saved
all will go to heaven and we have dealt with this subject before.
God was not taken out of balance when
Adam sinned, he did not say my plan was foiled by the enemy now I have to go to
plan B, God is not changing his plans all the time, if he does then he is like
man does not know what will happen in the future. Then how can we trust in God
if he himself is not sure of the future. But the scripture is declares other
wise.
Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change
not.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of
old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall
stand, and I will do all my pleasure:.
Ac
God’s secret will is the rule of his
actions. His revealed will is the rule of our actions. The secret will of God
is his program according to all things comes to pass. His revealed will gives
us our program according to which we are to work.
De 29:29 The secret things belong unto
the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our
children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Now in closing, the covenant of grace
was made in heaven before the foundation of the world.
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
All the glory goes to the one who wrote
the script in the drama, the author of the book of salvation, and the one who
performed salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, his coming into
this world, sufferings and death, the mediator, the one who forgave our sins
and made is cleaned, made us righteous before God and we are called the
children of God. Oh! How precious is his grace.
“His providence unfolds the book, and
makes his counsels shine. Each opening leaf and every stroke fulfills some deep
design.”
“In thy fair Book of life and grace,
oh, may I find my name. Recorded in some humble place. Beneath my Lord the
Lamb.” (Isaac Watts)
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto
our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world
knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.
All the glory and honor goes to God and
our Lord Jesus Christ. The author of salvation and the performer of salvation.
Re
12 Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and
on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are
in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the
four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and
ever.