Devotions
Rev Gav
Access
Ephesians 3.1–12
When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.
And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
Reflect
In a palace, where a queen and king reside, who has permission to run up to the royal couple and give them a hug? The answer is, only their children! Everyone else is likely to have their heads chopped off because royalty and commoners don’t mix!
In today’s Bible Reading from Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus, the gospel is summed up in the last sentence — “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” (New Living Translation). In other words, through our faith in Jesus Christ we have direct access to God! Why? Because, as Paul explains, we are God’s children.
It is not that God stood, metaphorically, with arms folded, not wanting to associate with us — quite the opposite — but just that in the same way that oil and water do not mix, or royals and commoners do not mix, so holiness and unholiness do not mix! God longed to commune with us, to make home with us, and have relationship with us, but God was and is perfectly holy, and we were unholy. No matter how hard we tried, there was nothing we could do to bridge the gap between us and God … but God could.
What was required was a way of making us holy, and so God, through Christ, entered our world to achieve that which no human could achieve, and live a perfectly holy life. Christ paved the way and opened the door for all humanity to become pure and holy, thus giving us a hall pass to the very throne room of God. Another way of putting it is, that Jesus adopted us into God’s family.
When God looks at us, the Holy Trinity sees their children, and loves it when we approach, talk, share, and lean into them. It is no wonder that Jesus welcomed little children, because this was a metaphor for the very gospel he came to embody. The very presence of God is with you, and nothing can ever separate you from God’s love. Nothing.
Therefore, think on the fact that as you go into this day, God is with you, the Spirit is leading you, and Christ is championing you.
You got this.
Pray
Holy God
Thank you that,
through your Son,
Jesus Christ, you have
opened the door
and paved a way
to your throne room.
Thank you that I can
call you my parent,
and that nothing can
ever separate me
from your loving presence.
This day and forever.
and then