Our identity as a follower of Jesus should result in equality amongst followers of Jesus...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Ephesians. Yesterday, we looked on as Paul explained to the members of the church at Ephesus that he had been given a role in managing a timeless truth about God’s plan that had been hidden, but that had now been made known. Paul explained to the members of the church that this mystery, this Divine Plan of God, had not been made fully known to humanity in times past.

But now, at the birth of the church, Paul explains that God’s Divine Plan has now been revealed through His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit. In other words, God’s Divine Plan through Jesus has been brought to light and made known through His special messengers the Apostles and Prophets through the spiritual gifting and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

 Now you might be thinking to yourself, “well Dave that is all fine and great, but what exactly is this mystery that was once hidden and had now been made fully known? Because it is still a mystery to me?” If that question is running through your mind, I want to let you know that is a great question to be asking. We see Paul answer that question and reveal for us another timeless truth when it comes to our identity as a follower of Jesus in Ephesians 3:6. Let’s look at it together:

 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

In verse 6, we see the Apostle Paul reveal in very specific terms the content of God’s Divine Plan that was once hidden, but has now been made fully known. And God’s Divine Plan that was once hidden and was now made known was this: that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. And it is in this single verse that we see Paul reveal for us three specific aspects of God’s Divine Plan that had now been made fully known.

First, we see that Gentiles were now fellow heirs. In other words, Paul wanted the members of the church at Ephesus to wrap their minds around the reality that God’s Divine Plan was for the Gentiles to be co-heirs with the Jews in the kingdom of God. The Gentiles now had equal rights to receive an inheritance and a share in the kingdom of Heaven.

Second, we see that the Gentiles were now fellow members of the body. Paul’s point here was that the members of the church at Ephesus needed to wrap their mind around the reality that God’s Divine Plan was for the Gentiles to belong to the body of Christ as part of the family of God. The Gentiles were not to be treated as the red headed step child, so to speak. Instead, the Gentiles belonged as a part of the family of God in the church of God just as much as the Jews belonged as a part of the family of God in the church of God.

Third, we see that the Gentiles were now fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. In other words, Paul wanted the members of the church at Ephesus to wrap their minds around the reality that God’s Divine Plan was for the Gentiles to partner with the Jews in the promises of God through the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Paul wanted the members of the church at Ephesus to clearly understand that the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel was an inclusive message, not an exclusive message.

Paul wanted the members of the church at Ephesus to wrap their minds around the reality that Jews and Gentiles were to partner together in the kingdom mission that had been given to the church to be the vehicle that God uses to reveal His Son Jesus and His message of rescue through the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel to the entire world.

Now it is hard for us to fully understand the shock waves that this mystery would have sent through the first century world, especially if you were Jewish. As we talked about last week, Jewish people historically felt a sense of ethnic superiority as a result of being God’s chosen people and looked down on Gentiles. And even in the first century church at Ephesus, there was racial tension, with Jews using racial slurs to demean and disrespect Gentiles.

And now, Paul had just told the Jewish members of the church at Ephesus that Gentiles were equal in every way, shape, and manner with them. Paul had just told the Jewish members of the church at Ephesus that the Gentiles were also members of the church and were also God’s chosen people.

To give us a little perspective, a culturally similar situation would have been for Paul to walk into a white, Southern Baptist church in South Alabama in the 1950’s and explain that African Americans should not only be allowed to attend church in their church, but should be able to use the same restrooms, ride in the front seat in the church van, and participate in the church potlucks with them. That is what we are talking about here.

And just to make sure that the Jewish members of the church at Ephesus did not push back any harder that they were already tempted to, in verse 7, Paul reminds the Jewish members of the church of Ephesus of his credentials. Paul reminds the members of the church that he was made a servant of God who was a messenger of the gospel by God. And as a result of being a servant of God, Paul was empowered by God’s grace. In other words, it was God’s transformational intervention and activity in Paul’s life that empowered him to serve God and proclaim this mystery.

And it is here that we see Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to our identity as a follower of Jesus as we live in community with one another. And that timeless truth is this: Our identity as a follower of Jesus should result in equality amongst followers of Jesus. Just as it was in the church at Ephesus, just as it has been since the birth of the church, our identity as a follower of Jesus should result in equality amongst followers of Jesus. And while there have been times in the history of the church that the church has done a horrific job when it comes to this issue, as followers of Jesus we are called to live our lives in community with one another in a way that embraces equality.

Now, as I said last week, there may be some of you who are pushing back right now because you are struggling with racism. I don’t know who you are but I am not naive either.

Or maybe a natural and fair question that arises here is “well Dave, why did God choose to make fully known His Divine Plan at that time? And why Paul?  I mean Paul was a Kosher Jew, wasn’t he? Why didn’t God use someone more ethnically diverse? So why Paul? And why then?

Those are great questions to be asking. And Friday we are going to see the Apostle Paul provide the answers to those questions...