DAILY DEVOTION: EPHESIANS 1:9

By Stan Brown

Ephesians 1:9  He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

God has shared with us some things that He did not share with some of the most significant characters in the Bible such as Abraham, Moses, David and Elijah.  (Heb. 11:39   And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.)  Peter writes that it was not even revealed to the angels. (1Pet. 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things into which angels long to look).  Paul will deal with this in more detail in chapter three but for now it can be said that all peoples may be united together in Christ as each one accepts Him through faith.  It was always God’s kind intention to unite the world in Him.  In the Old Testament, He chose Israel to be His light that would draw all to Him.  Now we are chosen to be His message to the world.
 
It is through God’s kind intention or good pleasure that we may understand what it was that God chose to accomplish through Jesus (which He purposed in Him).  Paul had previously written to the Corinthians And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.  For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1Cor. 2:1-2).   God’s good pleasure results in the provision of His grace accomplished in Jesus. 
 
So, let’s keep it simple.  God has shared with you and me His plan that was made before time existed.  He loved us even then.  God determined that He in the person of the Son would enable us to spend eternity in close fellowship with Him.  His good pleasure was set forth in the sacrificial death of the Son.  This is how His love through grace has been super abundantly lavished upon us.  This truth seems so obvious to us today but that is only because He has chosen to reveal it to us in simple terms (for by grace you have been saved through faith).   The magnificence of this gift is almost commonplace to us today as we might simply say, ‘I accepted Jesus as my Savior’.  In its simplicity, there is nothing commonplace about this fantastic truth that God has revealed to us.  Wow, we belong to Him!!!