The contrast between what is found in the opening and in the closing of this epistle is worthy of special notice.
The opening truth is God, in his own eternity, choosing us in Christ, before the world was, and giving us, (for the sole sake of the manifestation of his own glory) the place of Sons and the blessing of all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.-Such, the body of gracious light from God in heaven shining downwards upon us.
In contrast with this, the close of the epistle gives us. the church on earth holding its ground in spite of Satan and standing as acting upon the blessings. The armor in detail-the enemies -the conflict: but faith in all things, more than conqueror.
I do not doubt but that these two scenes are links of one chain.-And that it is the same mercy and grace which shines in one way in the former part which shines (the very same grace), in another way in the latter part in both places all is in keeping with the circumstances. Privilege, to be enjoyed, must be privilege acted out. I might say more- for, as I think we shall see, the intermediate connecting links which unite these two extremes -these termini, are traceable.
We know, we realize but little as to what the church is.-This is the more sad, because it is God's present truth, our present responsibility.
I have thought that my own mind has realized help upon this subject by a comparison between the epistle to the Ephesians and the three first chapters of Genesis.
And this is natural because the God of creation is the God of redemption. And not only, are His ways even, but with Him the end was known from the beginning; and redemption (which was the display of the hidden riches of his character), was more precious to Him and took the lead, the place of mold and of pattern, to Him in the creation of this world, which was but the first display of attributes previously known.
I would suggest, rather than teach, one or two things under these feelings.
In the first chapter of the book called Genesis, we have, 1stly, the account of the bringing into existence of a certain system as a whole: "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
2ndly, the recital in detail of the creating of the various parts of the system-the how of its appearing.
3rdly, there is a specialty of care shown with regard to one part of this creation, man-who ( this comes in chap. 2) was to be the center of the system, its ruler and possessor; in whom it stood in, or fell from, the presence of God as the Blesser.
4thly, in chapter two, we find God's connection with it-His rest; and then, that as the Lord God He set Himself in a specialty of relationship to man, for whom He planted and arranged a garden of delights and into whose hands He gave power and dominion. And out of whom and for whom, He prepared a help-meet. The scene was a display-the vessel as it were-in which was shown out the name of Elohim; and the inner part was that, in which the compound name of Jehovah-Elohim got its display.
The histories (chap. 1:26-31 and chap. 2: 8-25) of man's creation and of man's being placed, when created, as the center of a system, both suppose the pre-existence of other things, and a plan and counsel, fraught and laden with purpose. Just so redemption and the higher and brighter circle of it in the church in Ephesians.
In Ephesians, the recital begins, therefore, with eternity and God's choice and plans, there and then for His own glory, through the church.
To show forth the glory of His grace and the riches of His grace, we were chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world-for this Man, also, was to be the center of a system-and this One was to link up to
God all that should remain in heaven and on earth, all, was to be headed up in Rim. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, purposed to show "what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints."
We have, I would suggest, in Ephesians (chapter 1:1-18): first, the system proposed; and, secondly, the outline of its plan.
From chap. 1:18 to end of chap. 2:6, we have the whence and the how of our getting into the blessing.
Then, next, comes the use of the blessed as displaying God. This church was to be the vessel in which the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost would be displayed first. And here two things are remarkable. 1stly, when brought to the Father (18) it is still the name of God with which we have to do in 16, 19, 22, thus reconciled unto God; the household of God; an habitation for God.
But then, 2ndly, though we get, in chap. 3, the church as the mystery, looked at first as connected with God (2, 7, 9, 10), that is, as the expression, in contrast with other outward things, of a Divine perfection which was hidden; yet, in the close of the chapter, we must remark the way in which it was the vessel, in the which this name of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, gets a special display and development. And here it is not glory around God and the church brought therein as at the close of chap. 1. But it is the church itself wondrously used as the scene of Divine communion. The Father granting-according to the riches of his glory, such an internal, mighty strengthening by the Spirit that there might be both the indwelling of Christ in the heart by faith, and a comprehending of the breadth and length, and depth and height-and a knowledge of what passes knowledge, Christ's love; unto the filling with all the fullness of God. This clearly is above all comprehension and power in us to ask for or think of; but it is according to the power of the Father already known to us to be working in us.
Man's duty in Eden is defined in Gen. 2-and his present service there to the One that had placed Him there. And Ephesians, chapter iv. begins with the church's service and duty to her blessed.
The three main points are to be a channel through which the full stream of spiritual power and privilege—life -flows; 2ndly, association in character-walk with God; 3rdly, in joy.
This brings us down to the earthly relationships of the heavenly family:-these are shown to point us to Christ and to God.-In the first of them-that of wife and husband-the church is looked at in the specialty of being a something for Christ's ownself.
It is not here, as before, looked at from the outside, but as the special object which was to be Christ's own.
" Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word, that He might present it to Himself, a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Out of this specialty of her separation unto Himself flows, I judge, that which follows: if He holds her one with 'himself for love; Satan holds her one with Christ, for hatred. Satan's hatred is ever against Christ: and, the enemy of all that pertains to Christ, he is most emphatically the enemy of the Saints, and that in order to prevent them living now as in present possession of the good blessings in heavenly places given to them in Christ. -. But there is armor sufficient for the war; and if they quit themselves like men, the details of their panoply will prove the forethought of the Captain of their salvation; and consistency with the possession of the blessing will be their joy.
It is not Israel in pilgrimage through the wilderness, which is the question here, but the anticipation of Israel in possession of the land of promise?
Many a Christian understands pilgrimage; few understand the call that is upon them to act consistently with the faith in present possession in Christ of all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Him.
Now, as man's position, recorded in the second chapter of Genesis, cannot be justly apprehended, without seeing its connection with the glory of the display made in chapter one: nor the folly of man's conduct, as recorded in the third chapter, be correctly measured, apart from the bright light that thus formed the back ground of the picture; so I judge, that the importance and responsibilities of our position, marked in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, and the strength provided for those who will stand fast to the blessings given them in Christ, and act worthily of all that God has given to them in Christ, cannot be seen, if the bright light above, with which the Epistle opens, is not seen to be, indeed, an all-glorious, Divine and eternal light, which casts the light of its blessing upon the church militant here below.
The main truth which I have desired to suggest is plain enough; and it is (as I think) truth that is needed to-day. It is simply this, that the doctrine of " the church" has various points of view in which it may be considered, and not merely that one to which so many incline to narrow it, in the which Christ will present the church to himself. That I have myself feebly apprehended the Divine plan and counsel about the church-how God uses it for the display of hidden treasures of His wisdom and grace, how it serves a purpose as to the display of the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, etc., none ought to be more ready to admit than myself: but still I see that there are fields of inquiry open to us. And, if I judge that those who would merge all God's dealings as to man in " a church" to be wrong; so likewise would I stir up those who look upon the church-with the mystery and the heavenly calling-to be our measure of blessing, to see to it that (not self but) God and His Christ form the center of the church of their view, as most certainly they do the center of the view of that church of which the Spirit writes and teaches.