Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel."
Text: Ephesians 3:6
A VITAL MESSAGE
Paul was concerned that all believers should comprehend a vital message that God was communicating through His holy prophets and apostles. That urgent message that was not fully revealed in the past was now made very clear. Gentiles are not second-class Christians! They are on par with their Jewish brethren! This was a message that was not fully comprehended or appreciated by the early Church in the first century.
IMPORTANT HINTS
Paul was right in saying that the message concerning Gentiles was not fully revealed. However, this does not mean that God did not drop hints that Gentiles were included in His great plan of salvation. The following texts hinted at the idea that God meant to bless Gentiles with salvation too. Three texts should be sufficient to establish that God had in mind the salvation of the Gentiles.
1. Promise to Abraham
“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
GENESIS 12:3
2. Prophetic word through Moses
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people…”
DEUTERONOMY 32:43
3. Prophecy of Isaiah
“Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
ISAIAH 49:6
REASONS FOR THE LACK OF CONCERN FOR GENTILES
What were reasons why there was such a lack of emphasis and focus on Gentiles coming to salvation prior to Paul’s ministry? Four reasons may be presented:-
1. Israel was too entrapped by its sinfulness.
2. Israel and the Gentile nations were frequently at war with each other.
3. Israel lacked the capacity to have compassion for others.
4. Israel lacked the spiritual depth of insight to comprehend God’s plan of salvation.
In God’s grace and wisdom, He raised yet another group of servants, called “apostles”. These expounded the vital concept of Gentiles being accepted as children of God!