So how is the church involved in this?
That’s what Paul is addressing in Ephesians 3. He begins by talking about the church as the place where God is accomplishing the reconciliation of humanity. Not just part of humanity, but all of it—Jews and Gentiles. They have all became “sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (v. 6). The church then is Exhibit A of God’s reconciling work. What sin had fragmented and divided, God has gloriously brought together in the church, the body of Christ.
But there’s more to His reconciling work than just the earthly dimension. As we’ve already seen, there’s a cosmic dimension as well and the church is involved in this. It is God’s intent that through the church, “the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (v. 10). This verse is telling us that our lives, like those of Job, are played out on a larger stage and have a greater impact than we are currently able to appreciate. God is using us in ways we can’t fully grasp to bear witness to the heavenly realms. This is all in accordance with His “eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ” (v. 11).
So, you’re telling me that my little life is somehow being used by God on a grand, cosmic scale? Actually, I’m saying that God is telling us this through Paul. If this is true (and it is), it means that our lives have a larger purpose and meaning than we can ever imagine in the here and now (v. 20). This challenges us not to minimize the life God has called us to. He has plans for us and our lives (2:10). He wants to use them in glorious ways. We need to make sure we don’t trivialize what God has invested with eternal purpose.
Most of us live lives that for all intents and purposes seem rather small when looked at from a worldly perspective. By the world’s standards we’re not beautiful, rich, famous, and we probably won’t be nominated for the next Nobel Prize. It’s easy to look at our individual lives, our family lives, our professional lives, and kind of shrug our shoulders and wonder how God can use them.
The first thing we need to do is reframe how we think of ourselves. We’re don’t have individual, family, and professional lives—we have one life with different with different roles and we’re living them all for Jesus.
Second, if you’re just “checking into church” you need to stop it. The problem with checking in is that means we also “check out” and that’s wrong. We are the church wherever we are and whatever we’re doing. So, let’s be the church. Let’s be the people of God. Let’s be His workmanship to be used in whatever way He has for us. We may not know what that will be, but we know it will be glorious!
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 