David Bahn – Reflections

Ephesians 3:7-10

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. ⁸ 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, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

This is particularly important to me today. Last Saturday afternoon a colleague and his family were involved in a terrible auto accident. It left his wife and two of his three children dead. Yesterday a man from the congregation I serve took his own life in a throes of tragic despondence following an eerily-similar auto accident nearly a year ago when he lost his wife and one of his two children. My thoughts yesterday were simple and pointed: this is the work of Satan. He is the thief who has come to steal, kill, and destroy (cf. John 10:10). The enemy has done this.

But in the face of these attacks and the evil that is foisted upon the world by our enemy the church has an opportunity to declare the wisdom, grace, mercy and power of Christ. We will not stand idly by, wringing our hands in powerlessness and futility. We will not give in to Satan’s ploys, powers, and purposes. We will stand strong in faith, hope, and love – and in the power of Christ. We will stand against the devils schemes. And though his purposes may assert themselves, and at times we see evidence of his destructive power at work in the world around us, the power of Christ, the love of the Father, the work of the Holy Spirit all conspire in the church to declare the goodness of God and our ultimate victory in Christ over all things. We declare his reign in the teeth of the enemy, and in that moment we are victorious.

Ephesians 3:1-13

¹ For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. ⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ 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.

 ⁷ 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. ⁸ 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, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.