"Mystery"
Administration of God's grace to Paul on behalf of Gentiles (v.2)...of Christ(v.4)....by the Spirit of Christ(v.5)...to the apostles and prophets(v.5).
Another way of saying it....Gentiles and Jews(Israel) are united under one body in Christ, sharing in the same inheritance by way of Christ's Spirit, beneficiaries of the eternal promise accomplished in Jesus.
For Paul the gospel was the grace given him to be freed, through the promise accomplished in Jesus, to preach from his experience of the riches of Christ and the unity of the Faithful without regard to race in the body of the church. It is the fulfillment of God's purpose to show His glory in the diversity of the church through it's redemption in Christ.
This glory of the gospel requires that Christ be at the center so that the unity of the church body be in Christ and through Christ(by faith). Paul's personal grace in Christ allows him to preach the grace of the united church body.
So, my question is how our personal story of grace in Christ (the gospel) relates to how we live out and express the grace given to the unity and diversity in the community of the church and beyond? For Paul this meant that personally he found "freedom and confidence" in Christ to approach God. It was Christ's love and grace displayed through his life and death that brought Paul to a knowing of love that was surpassed knowledge. He had been reaching for this love through knowledge and the law, but now by the deeper power of Christ he knows the riches of Christ that dwell in His heart. And beyond this personal revelation that gives him hope in Christ, he is compelled to suffer and preach for the unity of the church and community so that Christ's purpose is fulfilled in the church.
That is a lot of heavy talk and spiritual words. So what does this mean for me? Personally I know beyond the knowledge of the gospel that I have been freed from the hypocrisy of my heart. Even with the knowledge and truth of Christ and his grace to me, my heart still leaned toward desiring and acting on what felt right in the moment. If for me it is only an acknowledgement of truth, I am not living in the freedom of my heart to live and love in the riches of Christ that last for eternity. Naturally, I want to be comfortable, to have the American dream, to have my own plot of home and land, to have a comfortable job, to have the perfect family life, to feel secure and safe in my suburban fantasy. Naturally, my heart wants to settle for something less significant and fulfilling. But in Christ, I should know that my heart is destined for greater riches and deeper fulfillment. Daily, I must tell my heart not to compromise and settle, but to suffer for the loving riches I have a share of in the the Spirit.
On a community and church level I believe Paul is calling us to racial reconciliation and justice so that God's glory can increase. We should extend the gospel of grace that we know in our hearts to the loving of those in our community. Especially to those of other races and cultures, so that the diversity of the church can be displayed in the promise and purpose of Christ. I think our prayer for our church should be call all peoples in our community(and therefor the world) to the deeper love and fulfillment of our hearts.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Eph. 3:16-19
