Gospel Unity: All Things, One Christ

Bible Reading

Let me have you turn your Bibles to Ephesians, and chapter 1, for the last message that we’re going to be hearing today. Ephesians, and chapter 1.
We’ll start reading from verse three, which is the beginning of a long sentence here that Paul writes.
I’m reading from the English Standard Version, Ephesians in chapter 1. Might as well start from verse one.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:1-14)

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Praise be to God.

The Church Made To Be In Unity

Let me ask you: how many of you have ever had the privilege of singing in a choir? Singing in a choir. Okay, put your hands down.
Growing up, I grew up in a church that was quite big on singing, in the choir. And I joined the choir while I was still in high school. I was singing bass back there with some other old men.

Every fifth Sunday—if you look at your calendar, there’s some months that have a fifth Sunday—our church and other churches like ours would meet oftentimes at Thika Road Baptist Church. I think Pastor Crispine is around somewhere. I saw him here, anyway, the day before.
And all those churches would come, and we would join in in a choir fest. We wouldn’t call it a choir battle, even though there were some subtle, you know, things that were still going on underneath. But it was a choir fest, and we would sing different songs.

I really enjoyed those days, just basically by learning music a whole lot more. Not so much that I was taught music theory, but you—you know—bass part, you know, you would learn your own little tune. And then the tenor guys would also be doing their own different thing, and the alto guys would also be doing their thing, and the sopranos would be doing their thing.

When you’re singing as a choir, even though you are singing a particular thing, even though you’re singing a different thing, you are all seeking to sing together. You seek to sing together, you’re seeking to make beautiful harmony and melody to the Lord.

When you’re singing in a choir, you’ll be taught that the thing you’re trying to do is not show up your neighbor, sing louder than everybody else, you know, or—or make the bass overpower the altos. Those altos, you know—let this song be a dominant one. We are all—no, no, no.
You’re trying to actually sing while you’re listening to the other people. If you’ve sung in a choir, you especially know the feeling of being off key.

And the minute you start singing off key, you just like—you can feel it. Right now, I am not in harmony with everybody else. And if you have ever sung with somebody who can go off key and not hear it themselves, you’re also familiar with a different kind of pain that belongs only to those who have sung in choirs.

In many ways, what this message is about is seeking to convince us that all things created by God are a part of a universal choir—that when you hear it properly, it ought all to be proclaiming one end: the praise of his glorious grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus.

My argument is that because God has accomplished the unity of all things in Christ, those who are in Christ pursue unity in all things. Let me say that again: because God has accomplished the unity of all things in Christ, those who are in Christ pursue unity in all things.

Brothers and sisters, that’s what I believe is being taught to us in the book of Ephesians. And Paul, you’ll notice in Ephesians, is going to say a lot about this phrase: “the mystery of his will.” The mystery of his will.

God’s Will For Unity

What he simply means by that is—God has a will, right? God has a purpose. God has a plan. But yet that plan, that purpose, has not always been clear in salvation history. What exactly is this whole thing going to look like when it is completed?

What we’ve been watching all the way from the beginning of time is God at work, so to say, building a structure, putting something together. And you can do some guessing, like, “Maybe it will look like this. It will be shaped like that.” But we hadn’t yet quite seen the fullness of it.
And what Paul is saying now is that the mystery of his will has been revealed. And at the heart of that mystery—what this thing God has been doing from the beginning of time, the purpose of his will—it has a particular point, and that is the uniting of all things in Jesus, the uniting of all things in Jesus.

You will notice Paul does this with most of his letters. It’s kind of a trick, or a signature, of Paul. The thing that’s going to end up kind of being a really core element in the letter that he’s writing, he works it into his greeting. Did you notice that as he’s beginning there? “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus,” and then he says what? “By the will of God.”

If you just read the rest of this chapter keeping an eye on the will of God—the will of God, the purpose of his will, the will of God—you’ll notice that these things are not accidental when Paul is saying that. He is saying something quite pointed and purposeful. And that thing is going to be the thing that we need to understand if we’re going to lead our lives as God has called us to.

So, first of all, can I point us to the fact that the will of God is to unite all things in Christ Jesus? So that’s not just something I’m saying to you, but that you’re actually seeing in the text that is in front of you.

Look with me at chapter 1 and verse 10, right? We’re going to be focusing on just these two verses here—7, 8, 9, and 10, or rather 8, 9, and 10 especially. I just have to start from verse 7. It’s kind of far back:

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us something, right? All this love and grace and redemption—it’s revealing something—making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:7-19)

So pause there. If you’ve ever wondered, “What is God up to? What is God really doing?” As God is leading us, as God is leading me, as God is governing all things—what, what is he really aiming at? That’s what this is telling you. Have you ever wondered that? I’m sure you’ve wondered that. Just wonder, like, “What is this now? I was headed this way, then I’m here.”

You’re being told exactly what God is up to. He’s making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.

Look at verse 10. As a plan for the fullness of time—to do what? To unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. This is what God is doing. God has revealed to you and I what his purpose is in all creation, and he describes that purpose with this word: unite. Bring it all together. One end, one purpose, one goal. A choir, singing in perfect harmony with each other.

If it’s a painting, every single brushstroke having a particular point—not like modern art. This is here because it’s trying to accentuate that over there, and it is related to this over here. All of it has a single goal: unity. Unity.

So you and I ought to rise up from these chairs with just one single understanding, and we have understood a lot about this message. Namely, all things. It’s a big statement, ’cause there’s a lot of things. All things have one end. All things have one end. That’s the idea of unity. That’s the idea of unity.

If you’re going to understand the story of the fall, you’re going to understand it in terms of where, as all things were made with one end, in Genesis 1 and 2, sin entering into the world is like a breaking of that windscreen—a disrupting of that unity—so that all things which were made to be for the glory of God now aren’t.

What’s the story of redemption? As you’ve just read here, the story of redemption is that God has reconciled back to himself what things? All things in Christ Jesus. That’s how we’re being told to understand the triumph of Jesus Christ as he rises from the grave. He has accomplished something that extends to the horizons, the boundaries, of all things that are in existence. That’s what we are being pointed to here.

But that’s kind of a grand thing. You’re being told, in fact, that this was God’s plan—a plan that has been hatched before the very beginning of time. Go to chapter 3, though, and see what that plan has been within time, in salvation history itself. What’s the goal that God has had?

Because you see, this Bible you have—it’s a big one. I hope you’re reading through it. Are you reading through it? You’re working through it, hopefully, right? And you get stuck in some places. You can get stuck in some places, and I’m telling you, you’ve asked this question—just know you’ve asked it. Some places you’re like, “This thing—what is the point? ’Cause this just is looking random.”

Just remember, remember: all things have a purpose. And chapter 3 is about to show us this story now, ’cause what we’ve just been told in chapter 1 is even before this began. Because you see, chapter 1 and verse 1 of Genesis says what? Tell me. And is there something before the beginning? There’s something before the beginning. Who? God is before the beginning.

You notice how you and I even struggle to articulate it, because how do you say “before beginning”? Because the word “before” is already a timer. I’m doing philosophy now—sorry. Notice this, however: within time, God is also doing something. What is that thing?

Chapter 3—mystery again of his will. Paul is going to say, “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.” Verse 3: “How the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:3)

Paul, speak English. What exactly are you saying? Well, give him time. Verse 6: “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6)

What’s this mystery in salvation history? I’ll tell you what it is: unity. Unity.

When you step all the way back, before even time began, in the work of creation, it’s the unity of all things—so please, unity of the cosmos in one end.

Oh, but when you enter into salvation history itself, there’s Abraham, right? And then there’s Isaac, and then there’s Jacob, and then the twelve sons of Jacob. And then there’s the giving of the law, and then the nation is spreading, and then the nation is—and then they enter into the land. What is this? What is the point here? The circumcision—what is going on with this story? What is God wanting to highlight for you what is it that he has accomplished in salvation history?

This is what he wants to highlight for you: that in Christ Jesus, he has brought together Jews and Gentiles. ’Cause that’s the shape that salvation history takes.

Those who were once, upon a time, viewed as unclean, unworthy, not welcome to come into the temple—they have now been brought in.
You know, you and I struggle in understanding just how big of a unity is being described here. But, but—you’re invited to step into Peter’s shoes.

You remember Peter praying, right? And the roof of his house—well, it was someone else’s house, Simon the tanner. Hope he didn’t dry his skins up there. Must have been a smelly place. But as he’s praying, he’s shown a vision. And he’s shown food, and he’s told to do what? “Rise, kill, and eat.” (Acts 10:13) That’s the life verse for some people here this morning.

And what does Peter say to God? To God. He says what? No. To who? To God. He says, “I have never touched an unclean thing.” (Acts 10:14)
So that you’re understanding: all of the laws given to you in the book of Leviticus are to help you understand that, in this creation that God has made, there are distinctions between things that are clean and things that are unclean. This God is a holy God. He’s a holy God. And if you’re going to understand the world he has made, you had better understand it in a moral sense.

So Leviticus is so important for you and I. And here he has sought to keep himself holy, separated from the things God has called unclean. And God tells him, “Do not call unclean what I have made clean.” Unity.
And that story in chapter 10 of the book of Acts goes, and grows, and grows all the way to chapter 15, right? Where it becomes clear that what God has actually accomplished through Christ Jesus is unity of Jews and Gentiles.

What’s God up to, you wonder, in this salvation history? I’ll tell you what he’s up to: oneness, unity, for all things to sing in harmony. And in this particular case, it is the unity of people from every—use of those words—all, every nation, tongue, and tribe. God has purposed that they will all be united in one voice, singing praise to the King. Unity.

If you missed the whole unity thing—you’re missing the whole point of this story. You’re not done yet. You’re thinking you were done. Keep going to chapter 5 of Ephesians.

Our brother Osinachi walked us through this particular passage powerfully. And all the way down in verse 31, you’re told something about this marriage, and this word “mystery” pops up again. Verse 31:

“Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, I’m saying that it refers to Christ and to the church.” (Ephesians 5:31)

Mystery again. What’s this mystery about? What’s this thing God is doing? But even before time began, he put it in this ordinance called marriage—this institution called marriage. Sorry.

What is it that he was aiming at? As he was saying, “Man, here’s woman. Woman, here’s man.” And they’re becoming—what’s going on?
See, you know, there’s not going to be giving and receiving of marriage on the other side, to your great confusion and perplexity about the point of life, ’cause you—you thought the point of life, right? Of course, the point of life, you know, is you settle down. Amen.

Uh uh,that’s not the point of life—the point of life—is a uniting of all things in Christ Jesus. And you’re told that that’s why he creates this temporary institution called marriage. And then Paul refers to it as a mystery. As a mystery.

What’s the point of this mystery? One flesh. Back in chapter 3:6, one body together in Christ.

You and I have to understand that what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ—what the purpose of God from before the foundations of the world, what the actions of God, the providence of God, as it has guided salvation story down the path it has through Abraham and the law and all the parts it has – had a particular destination. That destination is unity in Christ. That’s what you’re being told here.

Chapter 5 is really important. We’ll come back to it later, hopefully because it kind of gives you a little picture, right, if you’re so pleased. The word is tincture. It’s like a nice word. It’s a hard thing to kind of place, but it’s there. You know it. You know it when you hear it, right? Right.

Of this unity—it’s not just rock-solid oneness, you know, like husbands—like rock-solid oneness. It’s also a peculiar sweetness, ’cause it’s like—it’s interesting, isn’t it? That’s what Onsinachi did for us so well, right? It’s marriage. It’s—it’s—it’s, “Hey, I want you guys to know that I want you to be one with me.” That’s the goal of all creation.

And what does this one look like? It’s a loving oneness. It’s not just merely a way-inseparable oneness, you know, commitment. Amen. Commitment is a really good thing. It’s a sweetness as well that is in that oneness, as God is coloring and painting for you a picture of what this end thing will be.

Let’s keep plodding on.

The Extent Of Unity

You’ve seen it, hopefully, that what God is telling you is everything has one conclusion. But notice this again: that this unity consists of certain things.

One, we’ve said all things. Can you please mention what all things are? Do we have enough time? We try. I’ll do—I have a very short list. Let me list a few—one, a few things.

Culture. Is culture a thing? Culture is a thing. Music, love, marriage, children, childbearing, money, trade, commerce, entrepreneurship, law, government, ethnicity, nationality, geography, mountains, rivers, different types of rocks, physics, math, science, philosophy—all things. Please continue that list.

They all have a purpose. They all have a point. They have been made intentionally by a God who intends for them to be a choir, that when it’s singing as he has made it to sing, you hear, “Praise God, from whom all ble—” that’s what you hear. That’s exactly what you hear.

That’s why Mount Kilimanjaro is causing our brother to bust out in the plane, right, yelling. Must have been weird, bro, right? There’s a day it won’t be weird. It will just be normal. Like, “Look what a God we have,” ’cause that’s what that mountain is there for, right? All things.
Okay, this is what we’re seeing. When you say all things, we’re going through, down the constituency of what makes up for this unity. We are saying that if it is a thing—if a thing is—it has a role, and its role is to be to the praise of his glory. That’s the thing. That’s its job.

If you’ve ever wondered why woodwork exists, that’s why it exists: to be to the glory of God.
Notice—not just all things. Did you notice here? It’s all time. Did you see that? I mean, time is all over this story, ’cause you see, things don’t exist in an eternal state like God does. So Paul, as he’s writing, he’s speaking to us about time all over the place.

There is a plan that governs time. Look—this is going to be across the whole book. Later on, especially like at the end of chapter 1 into chapter 2, you’ll notice he uses phrases like “present age,” “coming age.”

But notice the section we just read. Zoom all the way back down to verse 9: “Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ Jesus, as a plan for the what? For the fullness of time.” For the fullness of time. (Ephesians 1:9-10)
Time has an end, guys. Time has an end. Time is short. Famous way we speak in Nairobi—it’s much longer in some villages, right? Time is like a vapour. Very true statement.

But is that all you think about time? When you think about time—how quickly it goes—do you also think of the fact that time has a fullness to it? It has a goal to it. It has an end to it. That all things which exist within time have an end.

And this is the end that God has ordained for all time. Time is like a river that is flowing to this grand culmination of all things being united in Christ Jesus.

But then here’s how Christians operate, because that’s the end of time. We walk all the way back to the present time, and we live in the present time in light of the time to come, because we are those who understand the point of time—the point of all time, the place it’s headed, the thing it’s accomplishing in its passing is to the glory of God.

That’s what time is about. So we are those who read history differently from how everybody else reads history. It’s not just random stuff that happened. No, no, no. Time is governed in accordance to the purpose of God. That’s this portion of Scripture.

There’s a God who rules sovereignly over time, dictating all the things that happen there.

Jeremiah is what I’m doing with my devotions. I was just telling my friend that it’s just amusing to watch how this nation will come and, you know, capture this kind of nation, and then God is going to use that nation to come and capture this other nation. And that nation—it also has its thing ordained. But he’s ruling over all of it. History is governed by God.

I also love the fact that when you’re looking at the passing of time, and God is accomplishing great things in it, and you’re reading the story of Israel, it’s amazing that as history is being governed, we can sometimes think that God just thinks in big groups and big epochs, as though moments don’t matter. Uh-uh. God rules sovereignly, purposefully, over moments, just as he does over epochs, over generations, as he does over people. Everything is happening in accordance to his purpose.

And so when he’s speaking about what he’s doing in Israel, and things have gone awry—I like the word; it just sounds like things are bad—the book of Judges: everybody is doing—, and God has a purpose still. He has not forgotten what he’s doing through the nation Israel. Judges feels like it’s all a mess. But we know that he’s going to raise up a king after his own heart.

But how does he tell you that story? By zooming in, right? In the time when the judges lived, you can see the camera zooming in from Google Earth all the way down to a little house, and then it enters that house like a drone, right? It enters that house, and then it focuses on the face of who? Naomi—a woman who’s stressed out, and they have problems. They don’t have food, even though they’re in Bethlehem. This is supposed to be the good place.

And they have to pick up, with their hardships and difficulties, and go all the way to Moab, away from God’s people. What is going on with my life? We are God’s children in the house of bread, and we stress.

Anybody know stress? I don’t know. You know these guys have been picking on EBC and Kenya very much, right? Do you guys have stress in South Africa?

God cares. God actually cares about that reality that this particular woman is going through. And do you think she knows? Is she walking through life going like, “Ah, I know what’s happening here. I know what’s going on?” No. It seems pointless to her. Like, what is this about?
The first five verses of any book—I dare you to show me another opening of any book of the Bible that is as dark as the first five verses of the book of Ruth. Everything has gone terribly. And you know what? God is ruling over even that time, and he is leading it towards the fullness of time.

That fullness of time has everything to do with Jesus himself. That’s what we understand. When he comes and is born, he lives, he dies, and he rises again. That resurrection, that ascension, is the point of all time. It’s where it’s been coming.

Oh, just in case you miss it—it’s not just all time. It’s all space. All space is a part of this. When we say all things, we don’t just mean all things in all time. We mean all things in all time—what? Everywhere.

Is there anything left after we’ve done those three categories? Everywhere. And so he notes here for us—look at verse 10 again—“as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him.” Things where? In heaven and on earth.

I don’t know—does that cover where you’re from? Does that cover where you are right now? Even if you’re from Rongai, I think you’re covered. I think you’re somewhere inside there.

And God has a plan. There is no one, there’s nothing, there is nowhere that is going to escape the purpose of God, the divine counsel of God, to do what exactly? To bring about unity—a perfectly singing choir of all existence.

And so that’s why he wraps up the way he does. Three times you’re told, just in case you forget: to the praise of his glorious grace, to the praise of his glory, to the praise of his—glory. That’s what’s going down.

You’ll notice, however, that this unity of all things that’s being worked out through all time—it’s a unity that will be realized in all space. Jesus is asking us to pray like that: “May your will be done”—what?—“on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

There’s like a slippage right now, right? There’s like a slippage of “on earth.” It’s not quite as in heaven. But guess what? In Christ Jesus, it’s going to come all together, right? It’s going to all come together. Heaven and earth will have no more boundaries one day.

Pray—long for that day—when there’ll be a perfect unity in that holy space and this space down here. The Holy of Holies space is going to break out of the Holy of Holies, and it’s going to invade the whole existence. The cosmos are going to be covered up with that particular space.

It will all have that particular end.

Holiness Of Unity

And you’ll notice here that this—this—it has a moral character. Did you notice that in verse 3? “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ephesians 1:3)

Do you notice? If you’re going to ask the characteristics of this unity—okay, okay—it’s unity in Christ of all things in all places. What? What? What is that? What is that like? What—what—how could you define the substance of that unity? It’s holy. It’s holy.
That has always been the end. It is like God. It—it—it reflects the glory of God. And—and this God is thrice holy. So what has God purposed to do with that end time? All things will come together, and there will be nothing unholy.

How is it that this end will be accomplished—like that all of the world will become, according to Brother Sinen, a—what?—a temple, holy and pure? How will that end be accomplished? I want you to say only one word, guys. It’s a person: Jesus.

That’s how God’s ends of establishing a creation that is one is going to be accomplished—through Jesus. And what is that one end? It’s a holy end.

So that’s why, guys, Leviticus exists. If you’ve ever wondered—keep reading it. Don’t skip it. It’s trying to show you that God is creating something that is—what?—that is holy.

But do you know we have a problem when it comes to holy, isn’t it? Isn’t that what they’re being taught? Basically, the point is God is holy, and you are not. That’s the story. Look at how we are not—all the sacrifices just to get somewhere close to the proximity of the Holy of Holies. Point is, we are not, because of the fall.

So how will God’s people become holy? How will all creation become holy, guys? One answer. One answer: Jesus. Through him, all things are going to obtain a holy unity.

This is what God is doing from before the beginning of time. So don’t, like, go like, “These are not important.” They’re trying to help you get a little flavor of just how desperate you are to be a part of that which God is doing. At the very heart of that is the word “holy.”

But it’s not just the word “holy.” It’s a certain kind of holiness. It’s a happy holiness. Can you say the word “happy holiness” to me? Yeah. It’s not “look at your neighbor and say you’re blessed.” I really pray that café sticks in your head. It’s a happy holiness.

See how he just kind of mingles it: we are blessed with every—you’re happy. My goodness—like mind-blowing happiness. Because you hear this quite clearly: the holiness of God is really the promise of—the promise of holiness is the promise of happiness. It’s the same thing.
It’s not even so much there’s holiness, and then over here there’s happiness. No. It is happy are the holy. That’s how the psalmists speak, isn’t it? Psalm 119 is a good one for that. Psalm 1, at the very beginning, is a good one for that. “Happy, happy is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly—” and on and on, isn’t it?

And that’s what David is meditating on. He’s looking at the man who walks in accordance to the law of God and says, “Hey, that’s the happy guy. That’s the guy who knows it.”

And so go all the way back again. You know what God has ordained for all things is that all things will be united in Christ. And that unity of all things is going to be marked with a happy holiness—purity just like God’s. Happiness.

Do you dare say it? Just like whose? Just like God’s. That grand happiness that the Father has in the Son, and the Son has in the Father, has erupted out of the Trinity—hey—and will one day cover us and spread to all creation.

And as little participants in that kingdom—oh—we will be happy and holy. That day is coming. And I had bet—you’d better know how it’s coming. It’s all going to come because of who? Because of Jesus.

The Grace of God In Unity

That’s what we’re celebrating in this book. We’re celebrating that God has accomplished the unity of all things in Christ. But we’re not done with this description. There’s one last thing for us to grasp: that it is all of grace.

See this grand thing we’re talking about? You can’t earn it. You just can’t. You cannot deserve it. It is given to you freely.
Me saying that it is all in Christ should make that point. But you don’t understand what it is here when it says that when all this comes together—what will it look like? The unity of all things—characteristics: happy and holy.

When it all comes together—see that gathered throng we sung about, Revelation 5—when it all comes together, do you know what will be on display? Not just merely the glory of God, but his what? His glorious what? Grace.

It all comes together. We’ll look at the people who have made up the church, and we’ll go like, “You—how?” And we’ll answer: grace.
And it’s not just grace. It’s what kind of grace.

Maybe sit with that one for a bit. You know—have you ever been forgiven? Well, for me, I mean, when you’re married, you really pray you get forgiven a lot. I can think of a few things. You know, it feels good to be forgiven, doesn’t it? You go like, “I don’t—I don’t deserve any of that. Don’t deserve any of that.” It’s just given to you, right? It’s just given to you—free. “Sari” as we say in Sheng.

As we said—right—you did not earn it, you did not deserve it. It was like, “Here.” In fact, you deserved something different. But there’s grace, people. There’s grace.

And then there’s—and that’s the book of Ephesians, guys. One verse—we can’t do too much. Go read the Bible for yourself. But look at chapter 2. You don’t see how it begins? What were you? You were dead.

Now let’s find you. Now we’re tracing you. We left you dead in chapter 2, verse 1. Let’s find where we’ll see you next. Verse 5: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, he made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-6)

It’s a problem, guys. Those guys who were dead—you know where they are now? They’re seated with Christ in the heavenly places. That’s not where they’re supposed to be. It’s not where they’re supposed to be—seated with Christ.

I don’t have the mental capacity to explain to you what that means. I just know it’s awesome. It’s amazing. I’m pretty sure it’s better than being known by some famous pastor somewhere—and maybe he’s even forgotten my name. “Yeah, I’ve seen you somewhere.”

This must be better than everything. Raised from dead in my deserving, and now I am seated with Christ. That’s glorious grace. And that’s the point.

Keep reading and see verse 7. Why? Why is that end—that happy holiness—’cause that’s that end? “So that in the coming ages”—you see the time game again—“in the coming ages, he might show the”—I like that word—immeasurable. Can’t put this in a container, guys. “Immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)

That’s the story, guys. The end is the unity of all things. And I’ll tell you what—at the very top of that, just like in creation. You see creation—God makes all things, and then the pinnacle of all of his creation is his making of Adam and Eve.

Well, rewind that. That was just a picture, a little prototype, of what God was always planning on doing. All things—the new heavens and the new earth, glorified state.

Do you know there’s something that sits at the very top of it? Do you know who sits at the very top of it? Jesus. Jesus. And guess who’s with him? Me.

Are you starting now? You’re starting to relate. You’re like, “Wait—what? You, if you’re in Christ.

I don’t know what your situation is today. I don’t know how hard life feels today. I don’t know what your future looks like, and you’re like, “Man, this is darkness about to—we’re about to enter into.”

Would you step back with me and see that there’s a God who is governing all things, overseeing all time, and that it has a culmination? The unity that is going to be ours in Christ Jesus—a happy and holy unity.

At this very pinnacle, it’s going to be the demonstration of the immeasurable greatness of his kindness. That’s your destiny if you’re in Christ. And there’s nothing that’s going to keep you from it.

Because the way the Bible speaks about time—it’s a problem, guys. It keeps speaking about the future like it’s what? Like it’s the past. Like it’s now. You see that? “He raised us up and seated us.” (Ephesians 2:6)

I—look at where you’re sitting right now. You’re sitting right here in front of me. Can you settle down in your chair and marvel at the fact that you—who is sitting on this plastic chair right here on Kingara in Nairobi right now—that right now, because you are in Christ, and Christ is seated on that throne, and inasmuch as he’s seated on that throne, that glory is assured for you, no matter your circumstance, no matter what will happen tomorrow.

I don’t know who it is who said—it’s one of the speakers—who said, “Right, you can kill us, but you can’t do what? You can’t harm us,” because of this whole time thing, because we are in Christ. This is the unity that he has accomplished.

God has accomplished the unity of all things in Christ Jesus.

Relational Aspect Of Unity

So you’ll notice, in chapter 4 to the end of the book, unity is going to be a rather important thing. Can you just see that and say that if you understand what God has accomplished in Christ, that unity will be a big deal for you? Unity will be a big deal for you.

And you’ll see how the idea of unity spreads out, ’cause it is all things. But it also hones right in to your relationship with others.
Could I show you this—just in case we don’t have time to plow this too much? I want you to see that all those who are in Christ strive to maintain unity and work to promote unity. There’s a maintaining of it, and there’s a promoting of it.

Those things seem to define Christians who have understood the mystery of God in Christ. Can you read a few verses in chapter 4?
“I therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Come on, guys. You will be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in bonds of peace because you see what has happened. You see this co-thing. We like the idea that we have been united to God. Even—we like the idea that we are sitting, you know, in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

I need to add a caveat to that. You’re not alone there. You see there where you are sitting? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You’re not—even us, as we are there.

In fact, right now, any brother or sister who I might be tempted to think ill of, to think—you know what will help me the most to remember? Yeah, Ken, you’ll be sitting on the same chair in heaven forever, theoretically. I’m not there alone. You’re not there alone.
This unity is a unity of all things. This unity is a unity of all people—every nation, tongue, and tribe. All those who are in Christ. It’s a unity of the bride. It’s a unity in the bride. It’s a unity in the body. You need to understand that.

That is how your salvation has played out in Christ. And in Christ, what has been accomplished is unity—a happy and holy unity. And if you get it, and you want to walk in accordance to that calling to which you’ve been called, you are so far away from God’s people—now you’ve been brought nigh in Christ Jesus. Get it? It’s a oneness. That’s what has been created.

If you understand, here is what you will prioritize in your walk: maintaining that unity. If you trample over that unity, disregard that unity, say, “Yeah, unity—it’s important, but”—there’s something you’re not really understanding about the nature of the unity that has been accomplished in Christ Jesus.

And so listen to the way he goes on. This is the application portion, guys. That’s how he starts off. Verse 4, there’s what? One body. One Spirit. Just—you see the point.

You and I need to understand what it is—this whole “thing,” this whole “I am saved” thing—you’re being told you need to understand it with this understanding of it’s one, and then you work hard to maintain it.

Notice chapter 4 and verse 13. This is not ministry—right—ministry. Verse 9: he pours out gifts to the church, right? Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers are given. Verse 12: to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
Okay—this is the work we’re doing tomorrow. Amen. Go to church tomorrow.

What’s going on in this thing called ministry? We are preaching. We’re pastoring. We’re shepherding. We’re handing out statements tomorrow afternoon service to members. What are we doing with all this work? We’re telling members to host one another. “Hey, read books. Pray through the membership records.” What are you trying to do? What’s your ambition, member? Pastor? Why do you have the gifts you have? Why do you have the tour guides? Why are you in the corner of the town where you are sitting? Why are you in Maserit, or Kimbur, or Kimilli?

This God, who governs all things, has placed you exactly where you are, has called you into the church, has given gifts to the church, and has structured the church in a particular way. You keep reading. What’s the point? You—you’ve read ahead of me already. What are you aiming for in all your ministry—until we attain to what?

Are you seeing how everything is being defined with this one language? So that you see it’s quite important to describe that unity as a happy and holy unity. You see that? Because that means that when I’m walking in sin, I’m not walking in what? I’m not walking in unity. Are you seeing that? I’m actually not walking in unity, because the unity God has accomplished in Christ Jesus is a happy and a holy unity.

So, actually—yeah—shepherd and pastor and equip and disciple and rebuke, encourage, exalt, cover up—like whatever it is that you’re doing. Love covers up sins. Whatever it is that you’re doing, you’re working towards this kind of unity that has been accomplished in Christ Jesus.
So that’s why you’re exhorting husbands to do their thing, and you’re exhorting wives to also do their thing. And masters—hey, even you guys—you need to get in line. You’re singing bass, but man, see, you are off key right now, ’cause the vibes we’re getting from, you know, from that corner of the room are not shouting to us a happy holiness in Christ Jesus.

So, you need to understand that that’s not how you do that thing. Hey, and you servants, you also need to—you’re instructing people to walk in accordance to the holy unity that is ours in Christ Jesus. Jesus has already accomplished it. Now you are being called to go and live in accordance to it.

But you’ll notice here finally that if you grasp what it is, it has a particular manner to it, because it is a happy holiness, because it is a unity described in that husband-bride kind of relationship. It’s—it’s—it’s love. It’s not just mukai mamoja, right? Because that’s the picture of, “Hey, this is kind of how we want you living together. You—we want you marked with a peculiar love for one another.”

Notice that Paul cares about the manner with which we pursue that unity. And so he speaks in that opening portion about humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love. All of those things are in love, ’cause that’s what Christ has accomplished for his people. That’s what has emerged. That’s the end game.

It’s not just we will be together in heaven, but I really hope I’m in a very far corner from yours. Glad you made it in. But man, if you are in Kenya, I hope God puts me in Australia—in Melbourne.

No, we come together in Christ Jesus, and what happens there is—the Father loves the Son. That’s the love that is right there in the Trinity. That’s where we’ve been brought into.

And so, guess what we do with each other? We do what? We love one another. And that’s why we relate to each other in a manner that promotes that unity. We bear with one another. We are gentle with one another. We are patient with one another. The conduct—our manner of walking with each other—if we have been brought together in Christ, it will be shown in the love that we display to each other.

You know, my wife was telling me yesterday of a video she watched of shepherds calling sheep that were lying down, and they call them—none of them moves. Another one comes, calls them—and then when the true shepherd comes, and does his call, what do they all do? They all rise, and they go.

You know, sometimes you speak very poorly about sheep. They are very unsophisticated. But you know what sheep know? They know the voice of who? Their shepherd. Guys, this stuff about unity and the love that comes out of it—and a happy holiness—is such a blessed thing, saints. That’s the voice of your shepherd.

If what you hear is, “Let’s play down holiness for the sake of unity,” amen—you say, “That’s not—that’s not the unity that has been created in Christ Jesus.” Or you say, “No, man, it’s about holiness, hey? Strictness!” You can just smell it and go like, “Uh, I might be a sheep. I can’t explain much, but that didn’t sound like Jesus.”

Imagine this, ok: sheep—for you to just go like, “Yeah, love and holiness are pretty dominant parts of that tune that is going to be singing forever and ever and ever.” And the aroma I’m getting from the kitchen—you’re really trying to convince me that it is ugali and fried meat, but it doesn’t smell like that. You might show me the chemical composition of what is in the sufria, but me—I know how it smells. I’ve been smelling it for a long time.

Since the church is meant to be a place where that happy holiness, that loving holiness, is not just merely seen and proclaimed, it is the aroma that characterizes the saints. That’s what we are working towards.

Application For Pastors

Can I make two points of application? We learn this, plain, then. Pastor—pastor, please do not go back home and seek to call your people to a holiness that is apart from what Jesus Christ has done. It’s not possible. It’s not possible. That’s the point of this whole thing.

You want to see your people grow. You want to see your people mature. You want to see husbands love their wives. You want to see wives submit to their husbands. You want to see children obey their parents. You want to see husbands who are discipling. You want to see a healthy church.

Please tell me—what should you preach to them? Tell me louder. You speak very loud in your churches. Jesus. Preach who? Christ. It’s enough. Do not feel like you need to preach Jesus—hey, but these people. So I also need to tell them—but no, there’s no “but.” In Jesus, the unity that has been created there is a blessed holiness. Did you not hear that in our message this very morning?

How do we get your people to give? I’ll tell you—there’s two ways. One: guilt—membership guilt works, guys. Even you’re wearing suits that are more expensive than the pulpit that the pastor is preaching from. Do you really love God? Guilt works, guys. Guilt works. I’m sure you’ve tried it.

That’s not how to build up the body of who? Of Christ. No, you proclaim to them—who. And everything else is an implication of the glorious grace that we have received in Christ, of the powerful grace that has come to us through the resurrection of Christ.

So that in chapter four—oh, how I would wish to just continue on for another hour. When they’re not walking in line, what does he tell them?

You have not so learned Christ. Hey, you’re saying something off—is not united to this end goal. You haven’t learned—is Christ.

Are you hearing Paul as he’s rebuking the church for great sins? What does he tell them? Do you not know the realities of what you’ve become in Christ? Saints, when you—either as a member or as a pastor—are seeking to promote a holiness or a maturity through any other means than growing their understanding of the implications of Christ, you are doing something that is not connected to the eternal purpose of God.

May our preaching get in line with what God has accomplished in Christ Jesus. I am not the one accomplishing it. Who has accomplished it? Christ. God has accomplished it in Christ. You are not the one who is fixing it, building it, creating it, causing it. No, I know you’re pretty good at things. You’re not that good. Jesus has already done it. You are testifying to it. You are pointing to it with your life and your speech, saying; “Right there, this is our only hope,” and you’re calling people to be conformed to it.

Secondly, this is missions. In one way, we could walk through every sermon that has been preached and see that this is exactly the heart of it, because all things—all things—kind of cover everything. But do you see how missions relates to this? Do you see how missions is all about this unity? Can you think about that? Can you do some theologizing in your head about that?

What God has ordained before the foundation of time, is what? People from every nation, tongue, and tribe to be united in Christ. And guess what, saints? There are those who are still not among us. God has His elect in lands where they have not yet heard. And that’s how we do mission. That’s how we do everything—with this one understanding—that what we are actively pursuing is the living out of what God has already accomplished.

So we go out for the sake of His name, with confidence that those people whom God has purchased through the blood of Christ—they will come. And so, the very work of missions is a work of going out to seek to bring them in, so that that one nation—the chosen nation we were spoken of—can be realized.

Could you do some more work for yourself in going through all of the different things that you’re doing in your church and ask yourself, How does it all come together in Christ?

I pray that it would please the Lord to grant that even as we part ways from this conference and go home, we would do so with hearts that are full of joy and boasting and confidence—even about the future—because of what God has accomplished in Christ Jesus.

Father, we pray that You would grant that our efforts this week, our efforts in our very homes, our efforts in our local churches, our efforts even in neighborhoods and workplaces, Lord—how we offer them all up to You. And we pray that it would please You to use them as a means to bring about that which You have purposed—the uniting of all things in heaven and on earth—so that they would be to the praise of Your glorious grace, given to us in Christ Jesus. In His name we pray. Amen.