Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets."
Text: Ephesians 3:5
THE PREROGATIVE OF GOD TO SPEAK TO MAN
No one has the right to determine for God when and how He should speak to man. The apostle noted that the knowledge of the mystery of Christ was not made fully known to man in other ages. This statement made by the apostle Paul is most significant. The following text from the epistle to the Hebrews strengthens Paul’s observation.
“God, who at various times and in various ways
spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
whom He has appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made the worlds.”
HEBREWS 1:1-2
We may make the following observations about how God has spoken to mankind.
1. Speaking to man is God’s prerogative.
2. God chooses when He would speak.
3. God chooses His messengers (the prophets).
4. God’s supreme Messenger is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
THE SONS OF MEN
What is man that God should be mindful of him? Man in his best state cannot dictate to God when and what He would communicate to him. What more if man is found in the state of sin and unbelief? If God should withhold giving of any messages to man, He would still be found to be righteous. Man, because of his sin, has forfeited any rights that might have been his originally.
God’s dealings with man, is always on the basis of His grace and mercy extended. If God should speak to man at all, that would be compassion supreme.
REVEALED BY THE SPIRIT
The revelation of God’s messages to man comes through the agency of the Spirit of God. Paul’s words to the Corinthian church give even greater insight of the ministry of the Spirit of God.
“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the
man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God
except the Spirit of God.”
1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-11
How we must stand humbled before God when we read the Scriptures. The Lord has graciously chosen to speak to us through the Spirit of God in and through the Scriptures. Our hearts should stand in awe that we can fathom the mystery of Christ, revealed to us by the Spirit of God.