In 1:11 Paul uses the word counsel, saying that God operates all things according to the counsel of His will. When God created man, a conference was held within the Godhead. For this reason, Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image.” God took counsel with Himself. This counsel is related to His will.
Still another crucial word in Ephesians is mystery. As we have seen, 1:9 mentions the mystery of God’s will. In 3:3 Paul says, “That by revelation the mystery was made known to me.” God’s hidden purpose is the mystery, and the unveiling of this mystery is revelation. In 3:4 Paul goes on to speak of the “mystery of Christ.” The mystery of God in Colossians 2:2 is Christ, whereas the mystery of Christ here is the church. God is a mystery, and Christ, as the embodiment of God to express Him, is the mystery of God. Christ is also a mystery, and the church, as the Body of Christ to express Him, is the mystery of Christ.
In 3:9 Paul speaks of bringing to light the “dispensation of the mystery.” God’s mystery is His hidden purpose. His purpose is to dispense Himself into His chosen people. Hence, there is a dispensation of the mystery of God. This mystery was hidden in God from the ages (that is, from eternity) and through all past ages, but now it has been brought to light to the New Testament believers. God’s intention is to make known the dispensation, the economy, of His mystery.
Ephesians 5:32 and 6:19 also use the term mystery. In 5:32 Paul says, “This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.” The fact that Christ and the church are one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17), as typified by the husband and wife who are one flesh, is the great mystery. In 6:19 Paul speaks of making known in boldness the “mystery of the gospel.” This mystery is Christ and the church for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.
It is important that we remember these crucial terms: will, good pleasure, purpose, counsel, economy, and mystery. On the one hand, these terms are deep and profound, and it would take years to understand them adequately. On the other hand, there is a simple secret to grasping their significance. This secret is Christ with the church. God’s will is to have Christ with the church. Likewise, God’s good pleasure and God’s purpose are to have Christ with the church. We have already pointed out that Christ with the church is God’s economy. Furthermore, God counseled with Himself to have Christ with the church. God’s mystery is also related to Christ with the church. Therefore, Christ with the church is the secret to understanding these crucial terms. What is God’s will? It is Christ with the church. What is God’s good pleasure? Christ with the church is His good pleasure, the delight of His heart. Furthermore, God’s purpose in eternity and for eternity is Christ with the church. Likewise, God’s counsel, economy, and mystery are all related to Christ with the church.
Since God’s economy is Christ with the church, we need to consider how He carries out this economy and fulfills it. Oh, may the Lord blow away all the clouds and give us a clear sky concerning this! Regarding the accomplishment of God’s economy, the sky over all the saints in all the local churches needs to be crystal clear.
The first step in the working out of God’s economy was God’s selection. Ephesians 1:4 says, “According as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blemish before Him, in love.” In eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God selected us. His choosing is His selection. From among innumerable people, He selected us. This He did in Christ. Christ was the sphere in which we were selected by God. Outside of Christ we are not God’s choice. This took place in eternity past. God chose us according to His infinite foresight before He created us.
Have you ever been impressed with the fact that God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world? Whenever I think of God choosing me in eternity past, I am filled with worship and praise to Him. I do not need to be chosen by man, for I have been chosen by the Triune God.
Christians often say to the Lord, “O Lord, we did not first love You. You were the One who first loved us.” However, concerning God’s selection, we need to say. “Lord, we didn’t choose You—You chose us.” We all need to thank the Lord for His eternal selection, the selection made in eternity past for eternity future. We have been selected not to occupy a position of prominence in the world, but to be in the church. God’s selection was for the church.