Episode Transcript
According to His Eternal Purpose
The number of Christians who have an understanding of God’s eternal purpose is few and the reason is simple. It is a truth that is normally relegated to the realm of theology, and is therefore considered by the majority of believers to be irrelevant to everyday life and experience. Yet the revelation of the purpose of God for the universe, for this planet, for mankind in general, and for the redeemed in particular is one of the major themes of the Bible. One wonders why the Holy Spirit has gone to such lengths to give us this revelation of God’s heart and mind if it is impractical and basically irrelevant to everyday life.
In particular the Ephesian letter of the apostle Paul deals with this whole question of God’s eternal purpose. It is generally recognized by believing theologians and Bible teachers to be the high-water mark of divine revelation in the New Testament. So tremendous is this revelation that the phrases and words seem to flow out of the apostle like a great river, overwhelming the mind. It is an illustration of what he himself described as an opened door of utterance or articulation to communicate the mystery of the gospel and the mystery of Christ (see Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3). Still to this day the breadth and the length, the height and the depth of the revelation which the Holy Spirit communicated through this man of God overpower us: it brings us face to face with the infinity of God.
Even with the most superficial reading of the Ephesian letter, it becomes apparent that it concerns divine purpose and the will of God from eternity to eternity. The word “purpose” and the phrase “the will of God” lie at the heart of what Paul, by the Holy Spirit, is communicating. Furthermore, that purpose and will of God are always declared to be centered in the person of the Lord Jesus, and those whom He saves and joins to Himself. The phrase which the Holy Spirit empowered the apostle Paul to use in writing this letter is pregnant with significance and meaning: “according to the eternal purpose which [God] purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11, NASB “carried out”). If we believe in the divine authority and inspiration of the Word of God, this phrase becomes a window into the heart and the mind of God.
Paul had already declared in the first chapter that God was “making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him ... to sum up all things in Christ.” He went on to write that those who were saved by the grace of God were being “made a heritage ... according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:9, 11).
It is clear that this matter of God’s eternal purpose is of vital importance to the Church of God, to the work of God, and to the child of God. Is it any wonder that Satan has made it one of his supreme strategies to keep the redeemed ignorant of this purpose? It is sad that this strategy has been so successful, for the ignorance of it is widespread.
Indeed, for many Christian believers, the concept of the Christian life is more of a routine than a day-to-day experience of His life and power. The commonly held idea is that when we have been converted, we should pray at least once a day; we should also read the Bible once a day; we should attend church at least once a week; and if we are very spiritual and devoted, we should seek to win others to Christ. Then at some point, we will go to be forever with the Lord, somewhere in the atmosphere. There in a kind of glorified night gown, and with harp in hand, we will be part of an eternal Hallelujah choir!
Is it any wonder that the sophisticated world around us ridicules such a concept! Is this truly the gospel? Did the Father, at enormous cost, send the Son to be the Savior of the world for merely this? Has the Lord Jesus endured the cross, taking upon Himself all the iniquity and sin of the world, tasting death for every man, with so limited a goal in view? Apart from any other consideration, what kind of character has the God who would be satisfied for an endless eternity with an endless choir singing His endless praises!
In stating this I do not for a moment wish to ridicule what are, after all, biblical figures of speech. The Word of God does speak of “harps” and “white garments” and unbelievable worship and praise! It is the fact that those figures of speech are often not understood that is so serious. My intention is not to diminish the value of prayer, or Bible study, or the assembling of ourselves together with other believers, or evangelism; and it is certainly not my aim to devalue genuine worship in spirit and in truth. Nevertheless, to be ignorant of God’s eternal purpose, when you have a Bible in your hands, is folly of the first order! Such ignorance is not bliss, but foolishness. If God has an eternal purpose and has saved us according to that purpose, and has given us the revelation of it in His Word, and sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to bring revelation and illumination to us, it is surely incumbent upon the child of God to seek Him for understanding of that purpose. It is, after all, the birthright of every true child of God to have such enlightenment.
Why did God create this universe and this earth, which at our present extent of knowledge is unique? What was His aim and goal in its creation? Why did He create mankind? And when man fell short of His glory through sin, why did He persevere and provide salvation? Is that salvation an end in itself, or is it a means to an end, with everything provided within it to reach the final goal? And how can I be involved in the fulfillment of that purpose? If any single one of the readers of this book should become clearer on these issues, it would make its writing worthwhile!
Many Christians believe that God’s eternal purpose is salvation and, in a very real sense, that is true. No one can be involved in the fulfillment of that purpose without a personal experience of His salvation. God, however, had an original purpose before man fell, and His salvation is the glorious and powerful means to return us to it, and to involve us in its fulfillment. It is entirely noteworthy that the Bible ends with a wedding: the marriage of the Lamb and the wife of the Lamb. To some, it may seem a strange way for the Word of God to reach its conclusion. That wedding, in one sense, is the end of one whole long and painful phase in divine history: the purpose of God has reached its fulfillment in it. However, it is also the beginning of a new, glorious and eternal phase: the outworking of that fulfillment.
“I Make All Things New”
What does it mean when the Lord says in the last chapters of the Bible,
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Revelation 21:2–5
If this world, so sin-marred and defaced, still reveals His power, His beauty, and His intelligence, even in its fallen state, what will it be when the former things have passed away and He makes all things new?
It is abundantly clear that the Lord intends to go on to even more wonderful works. It was the impact of this truth which caused the apostle Paul to write those marvelous words: but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit ... I Corinthians 2:7–10 NASB
The amazing beauty of this planet, its complex and intricate design, even in its fallen and disfigured state, causes us to worship the Creator. It is, however, a paralyzed creation! Concerning this, the apostle Paul declares,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. Romans 8:18–22 NASB
By any reckoning, this is an extraordinary revelation. Through it we understand that this whole natural creation is in slavery to corruption, trapped within an endless cycle of futility and groaning with the labor pains of childbirth. What will it be, and what will it become, when it is released into “the freedom of the glory of the children of God”? The dramatic manner in which the Word of God describes it, is in itself significant. Labor pains normally lead to birth!
God has not exhausted His creative genius, having nothing more to produce or to create in the future! He has certainly not retired, with no more to do than to vegetate! He is awaiting the appointed date of that wedding, when He will begin to fulfill what He originally intended.
The Need to Walk Wisely
Toward the end of the Ephesian letter, Paul writes:
Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 5:15–17
Carefully note the “therefore” and the “wherefore.” Paul is connecting what he is now writing with the revelation in this letter of God’s eternal purpose. He speaks of walking not as unwise but as wise. In the Word of God, “walking” always implies something practical and relevant, the practical outworking of spiritual truth. Children of God are to walk in the light of the revelation of God’s purpose. Paul declares that we need to be “wise walkers”! Only those who in evil days walk wisely will redeem the time in which they live. Paul continues: “wherefore, be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” The reference here to the will of God is generally understood as relating to our personal and family needs: What should I do? What path should I take? What career should I pursue? What college should I choose? Where should I live? Whom should I marry? What community of believers should I join? All of these matters are vital and important, and in facing them we obviously need to know the will of God. However, to have an understanding of God’s overall and eternal purpose is to put all of these issues into a proper perspective. In fact, more often than not, a lot of our queries would be answered by such an understanding. The fact that Paul uses the words “wise” and “unwise,” and “foolish” emphasizes this. Therefore it seems clear to me that the apostle is speaking of God’s eternal purpose when he says, “be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” With such an understanding of His eternal purpose, we are to walk.
“A Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ”
We should also note Paul’s prayer burden which he expressed in the early part of this letter:
For this cause I also ... cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe ... Ephesians 1:15–19
The Difference Between Wisdom and Knowledge
The apostle’s words reveal a burden for the believers at Ephesus. He was deeply concerned that the revelation of God’s eternal purpose could become mere head knowledge, mere theology, or simply essential divine truth with no practical outworking or experience. Apparently, he was so troubled by this possibility that he felt he should let the believers know the burden that was driving him to pray for them. We can only praise the Lord that he expressed this concern, for it corrects a mentality amongst some Christian believers, and even servants of the Lord, that we can study doctrine academically without the need of spiritual illumination and understanding.
This has very great and vital importance for us in the twenty-first century. The ignorance today of God’s eternal purpose is largely due to the fact that we do not see any need to seek the Lord for understanding of it. Paul speaks of a “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus” being granted to us. Wisdom is more than knowledge. Knowledge is to do with facts; wisdom is to do with how to handle those facts.
Years ago when I lived in Richmond, Surrey, England, outside of my study in Halford House was a magnificent fuchsia standard tree. Every year it was loaded with bloom. On one particular year, the buds all developed and then suddenly fell off. The bush then produced more bloom, and again the same thing happened. Within the fellowship were two much revered botanists, both of them working at the Herbarium in the famous Kew Gardens; and I asked them for their help. Interestingly,they both went through the same procedure: they plucked a leaf, held it up to the light, scratched its trunk, and sought to expose a root. Both of them gave me a run-down of the history of this species of fuchsia, which was almost encyclopedic, and explained the various possible diseases from which it could be suffering. When, however, I asked what I should do, both of them were stumped. One of them even said, “Well, it will either live or die!”
Adjacent to Halford House was a market garden run by Dan Archer, a Derbyshire man and a gardener of no small character! In fact, he was the personality upon which was based the famous long-running BBC series called The Archers. I asked Dan Archer to come down and have a look at the fuchsia, which he did. He went through much the same procedure as the botanists and then said, “This bush needs a daily tablespoon of Epsom salts for two weeks.” Now these salts are a purgative, used for human “inner cleanliness”! Naturally, I thought he was joking! No, he said, he was not joking, for that was what the bush needed. I felt that I could not bear the whole fellowship knowing that I was dosing the fuchsia bush with Epsom salts, so I asked the sister in charge of the house if she would do it, and she fulfilled the required duty! The fuchsia recovered literally within a month, and once again gave everyone great pleasure. Here we see the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is to do with facts; wisdom is how to handle the facts: what to do with them.
When Paul speaks of a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, he is not speaking of head knowledge. He is speaking of experiencing Him in an ever deeper and fuller way, life changing in its impact. For this we need both divine wisdom and divine revelation. This revelation is not extra to the Word of God, but it is the Holy Spirit’s illumination of that Word.
In fact, the Lord Jesus promised,
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth ... He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you. John 16:13–14
Without the Holy Spirit, we have only a mentally received knowledge of the truth. We have no living experience of it: and our lives and our beings are left unaffected and unchanged. When, however, the Holy Spirit takes the truth as it is in the Lord Jesus and “declares it” to us, the Word of Christ dwells in us; we receive an implanted word (see Colossians 3:16; James 1:21).
For those who read these words and feel somehow that they have no understanding of God’s eternal purpose but desire to have such an understanding, the words of the Lord Jesus are clear:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7–8
He also said,
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes ... Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:25, 29
A little infant, a babe, knows nothing. It is hard for adults, especially intelligent ones, to humble themselves and become as little children; but there is no alternative. The Lord stated it simply: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.” It is a double yoke, and when we humble ourselves enough to accept that yoke, we discover Him beside us, and we learn of Him. Could there be, in this universe, anything more wonderful than to be yoked with the Lord Jesus, and to learn of Him through all the up and down experiences of everyday life?
