The Mystery of Grace that Can’t Be Kept a Mystery
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Ephesians 3:6–8 ESV Read More
The mystery that Paul is talking about is the wonder that God has revealed how He would bring together all of the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) and the Jews into one family. Gentile was a word that had the feeling of ‘pagan’ or ‘heathen’ because it described those that were outside of the people of Israel. If Israel was God’s chosen people, Gentiles were the people that God had not chosen: the unchosen.
As you can tell from the life of Jesus, the unchosen outcasts were the very people that He came to love and save. As the proud and self-righteous looked on, Jesus healed Gentiles left and right and told them about the Kingdom of God. Jesus told numerous parables about unrighteous and outcast people being justified while Priests and Scribes went on to be rejected by God.
Paul is was convinced that God was reaching out to the Gentiles by taking away their sins. Paul was also convinced that it was his calling, by the grace and mercy of God, to go tell as many Gentiles about this as he could. The grace and mercy to tell people about the good forgiveness news isn’t a burden or an obligation any more than it’s a burden for a grandparent to show off pictures of their grand-babies.
Nowhere is it written that grandparents have to show off grand baby pictures. Nowhere is it written that Cardinals fans have to give Cubs fans grief. It just happens. It comes from the overflow of what is in their hearts. Jesus knows that what we love is tied closely to our identity, which is why He said things like ‘Deny yourself and follow me.’ When Jesus becomes the foundation and core of our heart’s desire, He becomes the overflow of our hearts.
Even though Paul knew that he wasn’t worthy to be a minister of the Gospel, Jesus was so foundational to his life that he knew he was compelled to tell as many people as possible about Christ’s salvation. The unsearchable riches of Christ had been given to him, and he was adding up the worth of that gift with every person he shared it with.
God has worked His mighty power to save us from the works of the Law, but He won’t leave us bored. The work of the Gospel, though it may be strenuous and difficult at times, comes out of our graceful hearts of love and thanksgiving. That is where we see the riches of Christ, blessing us, blessing others, and ushering in the Kingdom of Perfect Peace.
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