THE BIG PICTURE, OR THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WILL

Once, years ago, when I was reading Ephesians chapter 1, suddenly in my mind I had a picture - like looking into space, as if all the stars, galaxies, people, heavenly and earthly things, tangible and intangible things - everything - was aspiring towards a distant point of light, leaving traces оф light behind. This distant point, this Center was Jesus Christ. Before my eyes it had been depicted  a pale image of the Center, of the focus of a Large Picture called "The Mystery of God's Will ."

"Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him: " Ephesians 1:3-10


So many times I've read this passage, but among the many words expressing admiration and excitement of the amazing providence of God, in all the details on how, why, for what reason, somehow eluded me what was the essence of the meaning of this passage:



" Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ... hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will ... he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; in him: "


So this was the secret of God's Will - ALL IN JESUS ​​CHRIST !
No one and nothing could thwart God's Will. If it's His will this to happen , it WILL happen. The question is, what does this mean to me ...

God has revealed His will to His chosen ones for a purpose! And that purpose is to implement His Will "in the dispensation of the fulness of times" !
Anyone whom God "hath made abundantly supplied all wisdom and understanding? " begins to feel how his brain is about to explode - The Almighty Sovereign God deigned to reveal us his will to implement it, when the times come! God deigned  to let us participate in the implementation of His Will ! If I knew how to put a sound effect in the blog , I would put the sound of an explosion ...

Now, before our pride starts to rise up about this great privilege, Paul has already stated that we have no merit for this and God has chosen us only "according to the good pleasure of HIS will."
Now, before our prideit starts to rise up again because God "who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself",  Paul explains, for what purpose God has done  all of this - " To the praise of the glory of his grace", " according to the riches of his grace."

I sincerely hope, finally, these verses - for every blessing in the heavenly places, choosing us before the foundation of the world, our sanctification unto flawless, adoption of us - begin to acquire their true meaning and true significance precisely in the context in which they are placed.
This clarification is necessary because of their numerous abuses and wrong uses for completely different purposes, from the purpose that God had in mind - to the praise of his glorious grace, and according to the riches of His grace .

And for another reason - Paul clarifies how it has been possible to obtain this valuable grace, "wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" - "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins."

Just amazing how in just eight verses is concentrated the most important, most precious mystery of God - God in favor of his own will, has chosen people, even before the creation of the world, redeems them through the blood of His Beloved Son Himself, adopts them, blesses them with every heavenly blessing, by allowing them to participate in the implementation of His own Will - to collect everything in Jesus Christ - according to the riches of His grace, and to the praise of His glorious grace!

Here's what looks like the picture in general strokes through the eyes of God.

And how we usually see this picture? - " Yey, we are blessed with every blessing in the heavenly places, we have the right of every blessing, we have been adopted, chosen before the foundation of the world: We are children of God, we no longer can sin because Jesus already took our sins from us, we have the right to live as Royal children even God wants us to live so, we are little gods ! "

A huge difference! A picture from God's sight, and the other picture - from the human sight...

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

 ... [ SELAH ]


If we long to see the Big Picture, which is God's Will, with our place in it, maybe we should first ask God to reveal us the Mystery of his Will.
Only when we realize who God is indeed and who we are and what we have been chosen for and called to, why and for what purpose, only then we could start arrange the puzzle of the Big Picture.
God has not left us in blindness and ignorance - He left us an Instruction, a Manual for His creation called Man, with detailed instructions, emergency instructions, descriptions of the various possible uses of the various models of His work and plenty of useful information. This comprehensive , powerful instruction is the very Word of God that was in the beginning, by which all happened, and without which nothing happened!

All the pieces necessary for us to arrange the puzzle of the Big Picture are there. Even the whole picture is there, but with our myopic, near to blindness eyes,  we can neither comprehend it nor see it. So we need to build it in our  heads, in smaller scale , so that we can grasp it with our little brains .

The task is not easy - we realize our weakness and stupidity and ask for help from ... someone who claims to see the picture ? ...
Wrong!

May not be just one error until we can think of to ask for help from the Author, our Creator.
In the time, we are piecing together fragments of the some parts of the Picture that are cleaely explained in the Word. Others we  assemble from verified and proven in our lives as correct parts, found with the help of the Holy Spirit. And some of the fragments we assemble by observing the lives of Godly man and women in the history and now.
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you." John 16:13,14

Are we seeking God's Will, God's Kingdom and His righteousness as a treasure hidden in a field, as a precious gem to sell all that we have to redeem it, or we would allow Satan to poke us in the eyes pathetic cartoons of a dying world, presenting them as "God's Will " for us ...
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21

Which leaves us to pray for enlightenment and revelation to help us  keep arrange the puzzle and marvel at the details of the paintings that are displayed before the eyes of our hearts. It will surely happen to have put a piece of the puzzle in the wrong place and it would give us a very wrong idea in some aspect. But while we are receptive to corrections and  like soft clay in His hands, there is a chance for us to line up correctly at least that part of the picture that God has been so kind to reveal to us.

Everything gathered in Jesus Christ for the glory of God !

Let's try to focus a little away from the tips of our noses. Let us ask to be able to look at everything from His sight. God will  do so, to deliver to us all the wisdom and understanding. As He reveals  us the Mystery of His Will according to his good purpose.
Here is an encouragement of Jesus himself in Matthew 7:7
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"

May God bless us with His Truth !