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:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will:
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
(Eph 1:8-12)

How many of us like secrets? When someone pulls you aside and says, “You know,
between you and me’. or “Now, don’t tell anyone I’m telling you this”, “Have you
heard…?” – these things cause our ears to prick up. Our human nature enjoys mystery
and finding out the unknown. Now, what if God were to tell us a sacred secret? Would
we be interested?

That’s exactly what Paul says God has done. Look in verse 8. Remember we have said
Paul’s thoughts are all feeding off each other. Last we dealt with the Treasure of the Son
Saving us and Paul said this was by the riches of His grace. That leads Him to say such
grace was lavished on us in all wisdom and insight – which includes the revealing of this
sacred secret.

Grace and revelation are related. God communicating with us is gracious. What do we
tend to do in our communication when someone offends us? We often stop speaking to
them. But God continues to communicate. Moreover, God communicates some
previously unrevealed mysteries to His children. Now, when you reveal a confidential
matter to someone, what does that say about your relationship with them? Certainly there
is trust. And if that person is much younger than you, then we think of it as gracious and
loving to tell them what you are doing:

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but
I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made
known unto you.” (Joh 15:15)

Isn’t it true that Satan’s strategies with man have often revolved around trying to make us
think God is holding back the facts? That God is hiding the real truth? And yet we find
God’s real heart is to graciously reveal to us the truths about what He is doing. That
produces enormous trust. God doesn’t have to tell us, but in love, He does.

So Paul here tells us that God graciously and with wisdom and insight, revealed to us a
previously unknown sacred secret. And it is that sacred secret which we want to look at
today.

What is the Mystery That Has Now Been Revealed?

It is in many ways – the central theme of Ephesians, and you might say the main reason for us saying – “Blessed be God!”
Let me paraphrase it and then we will see how these elements are found in verses 9 and 10: God has purposed that all of time and space are leading up to a point where
everything will acknowledge the supremacy of Christ and His place as the centre of all
things will be unchallenged.

All of history is heading for a climax – where Jesus Christ will be the absolute head of all
things, and everyone will acknowledge it. There will be a restoration of the unity of
God’s order, as Christ is then the unchallenged head of God’s order.

Where do we see this? “The mystery of His will.” In other words, this is the main purpose
of God in human history. Previously, God told man what he was to do in response to
God. But God did not tell the Old Testament saints what His purpose was. Now, in the
New Covenant, God has revealed to His church what He is doing, where He is headed
with all this. We read “according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself”. God chose to do this. He did not consult humans, nor does He have to look
outside of Himself for reasons to do this. His own good pleasure, His own happiness and
joy in Himself are the reasons behind this. As God pursues this purpose, He is an
unshakably glad and happy God. He knows where this is headed, and His joy and zeal
and enthusiasm are boundless. God is gloriously joyful as He unceasingly guides history
to this final end.

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times” – that refers to the period of time to end
all periods of time. It has the idea of time being a vessel, which the sands of time are
running into. And when it is full, when God says ‘time’s up’, then this will occur. It is a
definite, fixed point in the future, and every moment brings us closer to it.

At this time, we read “he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven, and which are in earth; even in him”
The phrase “gather together in one” translates a word which has this idea: re-gather
under one head. God is going to sum everything up and unite everything around Jesus
Christ. All of creation will centre around Jesus, whether they are unwilling rebels, or
willing servants – all will bow the knee and proclaim the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
Christ will be the final, absolute, main point. No one will consider themselves the centre
of the universe, because on that day, it will be undeniably clear – the point of the universe
is Jesus. And as believers, we should find no greater joy than in the supremacy of Jesus
Christ.

The Bible makes it very clear that this is going to happen. The Bible makes it clear that
all of human history is leading up to a point where the Son of God will be lifted up as
Creator, Redeemer, King and Bridegroom. All created intelligences will one day
willingly or unwillingly submit to Him

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phi 2:9-11)

I believe this day will be on the day of the Great White Throne judgement. On that day,
all created intelligences will bow before Christ. Some will confess He is Lord as their
final words before being cast into the lake of fire; others will gladly, adoringly confess it.
Every created thing will confess Christ is Lord to God’s glory.

We read again of the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ in Colossians 1:16-18:

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all
things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.”

Notice, things were created by Jesus, for Jesus! They are His workmanship for Himself.
He is before all things – He is first, and by Him all things hold together. He is the head of
the church, the pioneer of our resurrection, so that in all things – creation and redemption,
He is supreme. God’s 2 main works, creation and redemption, will glorify Jesus as
supreme. He made it, and it was made for Him. He died for the church, and the church is
for Him.

You read this again in Ephesians 1: “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not
only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Eph 1:20-23)

Romans 14:9 says: “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he
might be Lord both of the dead and living.”

So God’s plan is to have everything lead up to the main point – Jesus. Jesus is the centre
of the universe. God is unstoppably, irreversibly, irresistibly shaping all of life to move
toward this goal. The glorification of Jesus is the central fact of the created universe.
In fact, the whole book of Revelation is really that theme. All of history, and all of the
present, and all that is to come are all about Jesus Christ. Christ is the Alpha and the
Omega, the one who was and is and is to come, the Author and the Finisher. The day of
His coronation comes closer everyday.

Notice we read God does this: “according to his good pleasure” God is joyfully, happily,
blessedly moving in this direction. Picture God with brimming enthusiasm, with great
zeal, with infinite joy – shaping life to this end.

Why is God Moving the Whole Universe Toward the Day of His Son’s Coronation?

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of
his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high;” (Heb 1:1-3)

This is why God is doing this. God, the Son, is the brightness of His glory. Jesus is God
expressed. If God the Father is the Star, then God the Son is the light of that star. When
we see Christ, we see the radiance, the brightness of God’s glory. All of the beauty, the
wonder, the majesty, the magnificence of God is encapsulated and brilliantly reflected in
the face of Jesus. The Eternal Word, the Ancient of Days, the Son of God – He is God’s
perfect image of Himself. That’s what we read – He is the express image of His person.
He is the exact representation of God. If you’ll allow it, He is God’s communication of
Himself. That is why Jesus said to Phillip – if you have seen Me, you have seen the
Father.

So God’s delight in doing this is because God loves His glory more than anything else.
God the Son is the brightness of God’s glory. So when God exalts Jesus, then the Triune
God’s glory is displayed and worshipped. God is exalting His own glory in exalting the
Son, because the Son is God – but He is the visible expression of God.

Why Should the Supremacy of Christ Cause Us to Rejoice?

Remember we mentioned that our joy comes from realising all that God is for me in Jesus. I must treasure the
organic link between myself and God. And here is the joy – verse 11: “In him we have
obtained an inheritance”. Now that should just about make us jump out of our seat. We
have obtained an inheritance – we have a share in this Person. This Person – the most
important glorious Person in the universe, the One to whom all things go, “For from Him
and through Him and to Him are all things” – we have a share in him!

What kind of share?

We will be His bride. This is the incredible thing that fills us with such joy. We are to be
married to Christ the King. If you have received Him as Lord and Saviour, He will
someday, graciously, be your bridegroom. All the redeemed will be wed to Christ. The
day of His coronation will also be the day of His wedding. We will stand there as living
witnesses, trophies of grace – an eternal testimony to the love, wisdom and grace of God.
Whenever an angel looks at us, they will think of the wisdom, grace, and love of God.

“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,
crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his
judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the
earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more
they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” And the
twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was
seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice
saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” Then I
heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and
like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of
the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe
herself with fine linen, bright and pure”– for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the
saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the
marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of
God.”(Rev 19:1-9)

Now, let this thought sink down into your heart. Your future, as a believer in Jesus Christ
is to be wed to the Supreme One of the universe. God’s unstoppable purpose is to ensure
Christ is magnified. We have a share in Him, as His future Bride. This fact is as
unchangeable and unshakeable as can be, since God works all things after the counsel of
His will. This was predestined by God. He decided ahead of time that this should be the
final end of believers. God cannot be stopped, and nothing will change His desire to bless
us in the Beloved.

If we are not in Christ, then everything is ultimately against us. We are like a reed in the
path of a violent, flooding torrential flood. Everything, absolutely everything is working
together to exalt Jesus, which is our good. Those who oppose it will be smashed – the
power of God will obliterate them as easily as we brush aside an ant. Anyone who seeks
to resist this fact – of Jesus being exalted – will find that He resists omnipotence. He will
find the current He is swimming against, is the will of El-Shaddai – the Almighty. The
most foolish thing in the universe is to resist and reject Christ as Your Supreme Lord and
Saviour. It is an absolute inevitability that He will reign. Rejecting Christ is not simply
one of many choices that you as a consumer make. It is where you choose to go with the
momentum of God, or whether you stiff-necked, hard-heartedly stand in His path.

What this means, is our future as believers is as certain as God’s desire to exalt His Son.
If God could be frustrated, thrown off course, change His mind, grow weary or lose
desire to exalt His Son, we would have a problem. But since God will most definitely
exalt His Son, and, since by grace, we will most definitely stand there in His presence as
a bride, what then should discourage or dishearten us?

We who first hoped in Christ will stand there that day to the praise of His glory. We, the
Bride dressed in robes made white by His blood, will be rejoicing in His grace, while all
the angels praise Him for His wisdom and love and grace in redeeming us. And just as

the wives of powerful men share in the glory of their husbands, so we will share in the
glory of Jesus. We will be the Bride of the Prince, the wife of the King of Kings.
Did you ever think of what it means, when we talk about being in glory? It means being
the wife of the glorious one, and basking in that wonderful fact.

Do you know how many verses speak about us sharing in His glory?

• “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:4)
• “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”(2Th 2:14)
• “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Heb 2:10)
• “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1Pe 5:10)
• “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2Pe 1:3)

If that is the future, does that not put the present into perspective? That’s exactly what
Paul said:

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18)

The unstoppable, irreversible purpose of God to joyfully exalt His Son is momentum that
is in our favour, if we are in Christ. What can then be against us? What can then separate
us? What can then defeat, destroy, discourage us? What this means is that every pain,
every setback, every loss, every frustration, every problem, every suffering is part of
God’s desire to prepare us for that day with Christ. Everything ultimately works in our
favour.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”(Rom
8:31)

That includes the attacks of Satan. It includes the wounds of mankind. It includes every
conceivable negative in life. Each and every one is a planned addition to our spiritual
curriculum; a carefully chosen ingredient in our spiritual diet; a specifically selected
exercise in our spiritual fitness regimen. God includes nothing that will ultimately harm
or worsen His future Bride. Once in Christ, the entire universe is now in our favour.

“[Christians] are safe forever by a covenant of blood and are dearer to God than the apple
of His eye. No night can be dark enough to put out their light, no fire hot enough to burn
them, no flood severe enough to drown them on their journey. The wind and waves are

their friends and the stars in their courses fight for them. God is at their right hand, and
they shall not be moved” – A.W. Tozer

So now we see what is to cause us to say “Blessed be God!”:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory;”(2Co 4:17)

Again, A.W. Tozer: “[Christians] are redeemed from their past offences, kept in their
present circumstances by the power of an all-powerful God, and their future is safe in His
hands. God has promised to support them in the flood, protect them in the fire, feed them
in the famine, shield them against their enemies, hide them in His safe chambers until the
indignation is past and receive them at last into eternal tabernacles. If we are called to
suffer, we may be perfectly sure that we shall be rewarded for every pain and blessed for
every tear. Underneath will be the Everlasting Arms and within will be the deep
assurance that all is well with our souls. Nothing can separate us from the love of God –
not death, nor life, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature.”

Every negative will turn into a positive. Not a single circumstance can finally be negative
for a believer, because every single one is done or allowed by the love of God. This is
why we treasure the Supremacy of Jesus Christ. Those who have rejected Christ can
never rejoice in this, because it is their very rejection of this fact which will judge them
and torment them for an eternity if they do not repent. But if we are in Christ, then we are
preparing ourselves for His day. The day of His glory, will be something we delight in, as
we join in the praise, and then share the glory as His Bride. Can anything give us as much
hope?

If this is our day-to-day approach, will we not say with Paul, “Blessed be God”? Will we
not share the message of Christ confidently, boldly, joyfully and urgently? Will we not
approach all negatives from the view that God must be doing me good since I am in the
Beloved, and He plans to bless the Beloved?

God’s desire to exalt His Son includes God’s desire to bless His Son’s bride. God’s love
is that He has tied up our good with His glory, and made them one. His glory is the
Supremacy of Jesus. Our good is to be eternally united and bound to Him in love. And as
surely as God will exalt His Son, He will wed us to His Son and we shall delight in Him.

If you have a share in Christ, you have it all.