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Oh! Of Course!

             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)

 

            If you’ve read mysteries, you’ve probably read at least a few that make perfect sense once you find out the answer. Yes, all the clues were there. It was only partly the deviousness of the author that kept you from deducing the right answer. It was mostly your own limitations and interpretations that kept you from the truth.  If you were to reread the story, you’d likely say, “Oh! Of course!” to yourself and “Get with it, you idiots!” to the characters. The latter is what I’m doing with the novel I’m reading.

            What Paul reveals here should get the same, “Oh! Of course!” response. God’s will is that He would be Himself and that the universe and everything in it would be itself or themselves, in right relation with Him and one another. And as for the “Get with it, you idiots!” I’m afraid we’re the idiots.

            As you read through the Old Testament, everything started out good, and turned bad, but Abraham was promised that he would be the father of many nations. As you look at the universe, you see both unity and diversity, parts and the whole. Even those who try to dance the multiverse jig face the same conclusion pushed out one step. Those who reject the idea of God still express opinions that prove that they know things aren’t as they should be, and they think themselves sufficiently wise to take God’s place as they declare how things should be. In some cases, they’re even right – as far as they go – or would be right if they didn’t go as far as they have.

            All of this takes us back to what Paul tells us:

since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)

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