As he 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)
Last time we said:
- The world you long to see is the world God has always planned to bring
- The world you long to see will come when the time comes
Now let’s look at that world that we all long to see…
The world you long to see is where everything in heaven and on earth is united UNDER CHRIST
As you can see, this is big picture stuff! It’s about more than yours or my personal experience of life on earth as believers in Jesus. It’s not about how great your life can be here, how happy or prosperous or victorious you can be. It’s not even about your personal heavenly life after death. While those things are meaningful, don’t miss what Paul is saying here about the grandest scheme of things––the ultimate purpose of God where everything in heaven and on earth is united under Christ!
It’s true that Jesus died and rose again to rescue us from our sin. Hallelujah! But it’s even more than that. Jesus’ sacrifice has cosmic consequences. He did what he did and is doing what he’s doing in order to ultimate reunify everything in both realms of heaven and earth under himself. Everything will be summed up…gathered together… consummated in him!
Now, that’s worthy of another huge Hallelujah!
Peter preached that God will “restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21). Everything that’s broken today will be put together again on that day!
Christ will ultimately be acknowledged as the organizing center of the world, bringing harmony to everything and everyone that’s subject to him. Our world which has been disunited by sin will once again be combined into one single, coherent whole under the unifying headship of Christ. What has been disfigured in the universe will be reconfigured and beautified. That which has dis-integrated will be re-integrated again!
This, by the way, is the essence of the Hebrew term “shalom,” found in the Old Testament over five hundred times. Ask ten people what they want more than anything else in the world and most will say they want “World Peace.” That’s the world we long for and what Jesus promises to create at his return!
Since the Fall, the universe has been full of discord, not only between us humans, but in the cosmos at large. The term “cosmos” refers to an orderly, harmonious, and unified system. That’s how creation began, as a systematic and balanced design. Since we rejected him and his design, the world we concocted displays more chaos than cosmos. What Paul tells us here is that Christ will once again be the hub around which everything revolves, and order will replace the disorder.
History is and has always been His-story. It is God’s deliberate purpose in Christ to move everything toward a universal unity under him and in him. When on earth, Jesus “went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil” (Acts 10:38). He brought harmony to diseased bodies and demonized souls as a foretaste of the harmony he’ll bring in the new world.
We Christians tend to concentrate primarily on the blessings we’ll personally experience in the eternal state––no sin, no sickness, no struggle. Thank God for that! But that’s only the beginning, the micro level of salvation. Here we anticipate the cosmic consummation of everything in heaven and earth. Creation, that has been fractured and frustrated will in the end be released from its decay (Romans 8). The entire created order that has been disfigured by human sin will be restored when we are transformed in the twinkling of an eye!
Christ’s death and resurrection redeems us from our sins and extends to the entire created order. “Through him to reconcile to himself all things,” says Paul, “whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20). Everything dislocated by sin—whether in the unseen heavens or on the visible earth—will be gathered into perfect unity under Christ’s lordship. The fragmented story of the world is moving toward a cohesive, Christ-centered climax!
On opening night, Christ our Conductor will bring the entire orchestra together. When he steps up to the podium and taps his baton, everything and everyone will come to attention and play God’s song flawlessly. He will set the tempo, cue each instrument, shape the dynamics, and bring the Divine Composer’s music to life!
Sadly, there are many who insist on playing their own song in their own way and will get their way in the end to be destined to discord and dissonance. But there are those who are resolved to stay with the orchestra and, under the direction of the Conductor, painstakingly at times rehearse the Composer’s score again and again.
And “when the times reach their fulfillment,” and the day of the performance arrives, he will bring “unity to all things in heaven and on earth.” Along with the entire newly-created order wholly under his guidance and for his glory, the universe will sing and play God’s song as one!
How about it? Is that a world worthy of your deepest longing?
barney wiget 