Ephesians 1:9

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (Ephesians 1:9 NKJV).

Paul is explaining to the believers in Ephesus that God’s will had been a mystery up until this point, but that He was now revealing it to them.  In that revelation, Paul goes on to elaborate that this previously mysterious will had been formulated according to God’s good pleasure and purpose and it involved bringing all things back into one in Christ. 

I can only imagine how perplexing this teaching had to be for the church in the first century.  We have the benefit of the entire Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, as well as 2000+ years of great theological minds breaking down the events and intricacies of this unfolding revelation, and we still get a little confused as to what it all means. 

One thing is clear whether you were a first century or are a 21^st century believer – the central point of the mystery is Christ and that’s why we need to keep our eyes fixed and focused on Him.  That is where we find God’s will, God’s purpose, and God’s good pleasure – in Christ.  As I consider this truth in light of Hebrews 12:1-3, a nugget pops out that is definitely for me today:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 

The nugget is that the way to keep my soul refreshed and encouraged is to diligently pursue the unfolding mystery of Christ.  This is not, however, something that I can approach as a casual pursuit.  It requires me to press in as if my life depended upon it – which it does – getting rid of not just sin but even the small and insignificant weights that would tempt me to settle for good instead of best.

I will keep Jesus at the forefront of my mind, considering every word, action, and interaction as part of the purposeful and pleasurable will of God for me today.

Check out Gennarino's devotional on this same verse at:  Ephesians 1:9.