Christ Church Making Known

⁷ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 

Ephesians 3:7-10

Two weeks ago, I was in two different meetings where this passage was mentioned. The focus was on the spiritual nature of the church’s work. When we go around in our world, we most often think in maybe two different spheres. The personal (i.e. relationships with people I see), and the digital (i.e. people and things I interact with on the internet.) I’m afraid our scope is limited (as if I can hold reality in my hands on  a screen). We miss out on the reality of the world as it is because of this, and that reality is that the spiritual is very much alive. 

At Alpha, I met someone who was struggling. It seems that at the most physical level, he was suffering from withdrawal symptoms from suboxone. But everyone around was also mentioning the spiritual reality that this man must have been enduring as well. We don’t always understand the spiritual realm as quickly as in our church’s basement. 

But look here, God intends to use the church, to make known God’s wisdom to the spiritual realm, to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. The logic of Paul is 1. God made him a minister of God’s word. 2. Paul ministered the mystery of the gospel in Christ. 3. This ministry was so that the church might make known what even the hidden spiritual forces don’t know. We as the church are acting as Spiritual agents. It’s not just the demonic vs the angelic. It is the church of Christ vs. principalites. And because we are in Christ, we don’t have to fear but be confident. So continue to walk with eye to see how we together (not you alone!) are battling the spiritual forces that are in this world.