Today,we want to continue in Ephesians 1. Now remember the chapter starts with twolong sentences. The first long sentence begins in verse 2 through verse 6, andtells us how God our Father has given us a great spiritual blessing in the factthat He has chosen us, He has adopted us, and He has accepted us in Christ. Allbecause of what His Son Jesus Christ has done for us. We are a blessed people.We're rich in Christ. That's the theme of the book.

Thenin verses 7-10, we have another long sentence. And this is what Jesus Christthe Son is continuing to do for us even today. We have redemption through Hisblood. We have forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. Yesterdaywe talked about how through His grace He made to abound toward us in all wisdomand prudence. We have the wisdom of God and the discernment of God to do what'sright to please Him.

Todaywe are looking specifically at verses 9-10: ”Having made known to us themystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed inHimself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gathertogether in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are inearth in Him”. And that's the last part of this big sentence. What we findout here is that not only has He redeemed and forgiven us, He has also madeknown to us “the mystery of His will”.

Thisletter has much to say about God's plan for His people. A plan that was noteven fully known even in Paul's day. The word mystery that we read here, and isused several times in the book, has nothing to do with something eerie. Itactually means in the Scripture a “sacred secret” once hidden but now revealedto God's people. We believers are part of God's inner circle. We are able toshare in the secret that God one day will unite everything in Christ. Eversince sin came into the world, things have been falling apart, as you well know.First man was separated from God (Genesis 3). Then man was separated from manas Cain killed Abel (Genesis 4). People tried to maintain some kind of unity bybuilding the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. But God judged them and scatteredthem across the world.

Godcalled Abraham and put a difference between the Jew and the Gentile. Adifference that was maintained until Christ's death on the cross. Sin istearing everything apart. But in Christ, God will gather everything together inthe accumulation of the ages. We are a part as His church, even as Gentiles ofHis eternal program. He unites all things in Christ. What a blessing that themystery of God's will, bringing everything back together in Christ will befulfilled one day when Jesus Christ comes back again and sets up His kingdom.

That'sGod's plan for the ages. Oneness in Jesus Christ. No matter who we are, rich orpoor, educated, uneducated, no matter our language, our culture, we are allrich in Christ. And one day we will experience that final unity. But even now,we can have that unity because we're in Christ. It doesn't matter whether we'refrom India or China or America or Africa or South America. It doesn't matter. AsI go to different places in the world, there is this oneness despite ourlanguage barriers in Christ.

Thisis the will of God that we can have this unity in Christ. This is the will ofGod that we can be saved from the sin that separates us. God is not willingthat any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Myfriend, what a great blessing we have in Christ today. And we ought to enjoythis blessing of unity, knowing the will and plan of God for the ages. Amystery that was hidden but now is made known to us in Christ.

Godbless!