11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
The mystery of God’s grace in bringing together Jews and Gentiles into one body, the church, was His divine plan all along. And Jesus Christ, His Son and our Lord, is at the center of this magnificent truth. We today have a hard time appreciating the significance of this. The divide was so deep in the Jewish mind of that day that without this emphasis the real danger existed of having two separate churches, two separate peoples of God. In speaking of the Gentiles, Jesus had said, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16). Then Jesus prayed in the upper room, “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).
The oneness of His people was a big issue for the Lord! This was to be neither a Jewish oneness nor a rejection of Jewishness. It was to be a oneness that incorporated both Jew and Gentile, in such a way that the distinction between the two is irrelevant. What matters now is that we all “have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” How much better can it get! The good news is a message for everyone, an invitation to relationship with God! This comes by God’s gracious provision for us in Christ, through simple faith.
Think of that for a moment. We mere creatures, among millions and millions of human beings, like specks, ants on the huge piece of earth floating in an immense universe of billions and billions of stars—we simple, minute creatures are made in the image of God. Though we are fallen, having sinned against an infinitely holy God, we now have access to God, unfettered and unhindered! That is an impossibility for us humans, but not for God. We not only have access, but He wants us to come to Him boldly and confidently. What a privilege and honor. What a grace!
Therefore, the apostle writes, his readers should not be overly concerned about his incarceration and suffering, for the believers are the huge beneficiaries and it is Paul’s privilege and joy to suffer so that they and others can hear the message of the mystery of God. Yes, being a messenger of God’s grace can and often does result in persecution and hardship. But it is all worth it for the sake of God being glorified for His great grace.
Lord, help me not to shrink back from suffering for the grace of the gospel message. In that message, others hear about the access to God they can have.
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