"When I think of all this..."
This phrase may seem inconsequential. What amount of substance can it offer to a hungry soul? Still, as we let it linger in the mind and expand to its full potential, we find limitless depth and enlightenment!
Paul has engaged the most profound mystery, that is the mystery of Christ and His Church. He sets his pen to masterfully expound on the revelation of her, the bride, the object of such affection and sacrifice She is the chosen and adopted one, the redeemed and delivered, the dwelling place of God’s Spirit, the intersecting point through which heaven comes to earth and all things unite under one Sovereign Lord.
Paul revels in the absurdity of it all, in the great mystery of what God has done through Jesus Christ. He drew the world into Himself, bringing those who were far off near into the epicenter of His heart. He gave them every spiritual blessing under heaven, opening the storehouse of endless treasures made available to us in Christ (3:8), “to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (3:10).
When he thinks of all this…
Ephesians 3:14-21 is written as a response to all that comes before in Ephesians 1:1-3:13. It is widely accepted that Paul is writing to the global church, not just the church in Ephesus. He holds nothing back as he casts the glorious vision of this new thing called the Church to which he has been called. Never before has heaven been so close and accessible than when Jesus’ Spirit invaded the lives of everyday human beings like you and me.
When was the last time you felt awe around the provocative idea of our salvation? That regular people like us, sinners who fall and fail and make mistakes, would be called sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ, be granted freedom and forgiveness of all wrongdoing and given authority in heavenly places?
How often do you think of the great mystery and awesome wonder of all that it means to be her, the bride, the apple of the Lord’s eye, and the one for whom he died?
When I think of all this…
Remember these words today, keep coming back to them, and allow your imagination to swell as you consider the wonders that are available to you in and through Jesus Christ.
When I think of all this…
Father, I am available to receive your wisdom, your insight, and the gift of understanding you provide. Let your Spirit administer your Word to my inner being, and may it not return to You void, but work something wonderful in me that brings glory to your name.