He [God] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
Ephesians 1:9-10 NIV
In the beginning, God created all that is. And he has been at work in his creation ever since. But what is his endgame? What is it that he is working toward?
Paul calls this the mystery of God’s will. As a mystery, it is something that was hidden from us. Something that we could not know. But one of the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ is the unveiling of that mystery. According to his good pleasure, God has chosen to share with us the end result of his work in creation. He is giving us a glimpse into what the future holds.
The mystery of God’s will is the uniting of all things in heaven and earth under Christ. My focus is often on myself and those closest to me. God does indeed care for me as an individual. And his will does include bringing me into union with himself through Christ.
A New Humanity
But the mystery of his will goes beyond individual people. It includes creating a new humanity and breaking down the wall separating us (Eph. 2:11-22). All the divisions that separate people, ethnicity, gender, economic status, and so on, are overcome in Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). We become one people.
But even beyond that is the uniting of all things in heaven and earth. The conflicts within the spiritual realm and between the physical and spiritual realms will be healed. There will be harmony throughout the creation.
The glimpse we have into what God is working to produce is not a detailed picture. But it is a blessing to know that God is sovereign. His will in heaven and earth will be accomplished (Matt. 6:10). And that he is uniting all things together under the lordship of Jesus. The future we have with him is in a renewed heaven and earth where all is at peace.
