The Good Pleasure of God’s Will
Dearly beloved of God, the greatest revelation God ever gave man is recorded in the book of Ephesians. The revelation addresses God’s heart concerning the accomplished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Church.
As we read these words from God in Ephesians 1, take note of the words “according to.” These words set forth the standard by which God accomplished His purpose in Christ. It is not only what He did in Christ, but how He did these things. They reveal His attitude.
Ephesians 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption [sonship] of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
What was the standard by which God determined these things in Christ? He determined them “according to the good pleasure of His Will.”
Ephesians 1:6, 7
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
God did this in Christ “according to the riches of His grace,” which He has abounded to us.
Ephesians 1:8, 9
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
He revealed what had previously been the mystery of His Will “according to His good pleasure which he hath purposed in Himself.”
The mystery was hidden in God in other generations, but God has now revealed it, and wants all men to see what is the administration of the mystery, the administration of the grace of God.
Ephesians 1:10, 11
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
He determined to give us this wonderful inheritance in Christ “according to the purpose of Him Who works all things after the counsel of His own Will.”
God did all of these things according to the good pleasure of His Will that He purposed in Himself. He determined them beforehand according to His own purpose by the deliberation of His own Will.
God conceived the plan of redemption; it was His idea. Nobody twisted His arm and moved Him to show us such grace. God planned for its accomplishment. God sent His Son to accomplish the work of redemption, and He determined ahead of time to freely give us all things with His beloved Son because of His great love for us.
None of this was by our works; all of it, from start to finish was by Christ’s accomplishments. The work of redemption was finished when the Lord Jesus Christ uttered the words, “It is finished” as he hung dying on the cross. We rest in the Christ’s accomplishments.
The Lord Jesus Christ made this rest possible. We entered his rest by believing the revelation God has given us concerning Christ. As God rested the seventh day from His works so we have rested from ours. We have entered His rest.
Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm is ours in Christ, and all of them are ours by the riches of His grace, by the good pleasure of His Will, according to His own purpose by the deliberation of His own Will. Our part is to believe what God says we are in Christ.
Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm is ours “in Christ.” “In Christ” means in association with Christ, in union with him. God measures everything “in Christ,” and by his accomplishments. We had nothing to do with anything he accomplished, but God our Father freely freely gave all things with Christ by the riches of His grace.
All from the new birth and sonship to the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints is by the good pleasure of His Will to us in Christ. He desired all of this for His people.
Our position before God is in Christ. In Christ we are now members of his body, filled with all, in all of us. We share in Christ’s accomplishments.
God made us alive together with Christ, He raised us up together, and caused us to sit together in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus. God made Christ to sit at His right hand in the heavenly realm, and He made us sit together there in him.
Our calling is a heavenly calling. Our citizenship is in the heavenly realm, and we are seated there in Christ. In Christ we have access to the Father by the spirit. We are awaiting the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. God will preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom. We will be received up in glory at his coming.
In the ages to come God will display the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. We will acquire the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was also freely given to us with Christ. Oh, rejoice!
How could anyone doubt God’s great love for us after reading such sublime realities as these in Ephesians? There is nothing but God’s loving kindness and tender mercies in the good pleasure of His Will concerning us. All that God did in Christ is unto the praise of His glory.
Dearly beloved of God, think about these realities when you pray. We should not have any doubt that He delights in our prayers.
“This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him.” He will answer your prayers because of His great love for you. There should never be any question about His goodness toward us.
Beloved, be confident in God our Father, and in the good pleasure of His Will, and the riches of His grace which He has abounded toward us in Christ Jesus. Live in His rest, and be blessed by His loving kindness and tender mercies toward us in Christ.