Engaging in God’s Heart for the Nations: 30-Day Devotionalഉദാഹരണം

One New Humanity – Day 28

Philip Richardson, OMS Theological Education

Ephesians 3:8-10 (ESV)

“… this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

What is the greatest witness to hostile spiritual powers that they have been defeated and, one day, their total demise will occur? Remarkably, the very existence of the church as a multiracial, multicultural, united new humanity (Eph. 3:10) serves as this ultimate witness. Here, it is not so much what the church does but rather who it is (Eph. 2:11–22).

This does not mean the erasure of racial, cultural, or linguistic differences. Paul still speaks of Jews and Gentiles, and on the day of Pentecost, Jews each heard the apostles’ message in their own language (Acts 2:6). But in a world divided by factions, parties, tribes, and interest groups, the surprising, supernatural unity of the church—partnered with its diversity—proclaims to the powers of darkness that their end has come. It remains a testimony of the cosmic unity in Christ, which is God’s final purpose for all things (Eph. 1:10). We long to see more people become disciple-makers as a united church of many peoples, cultures, and languages. The church’s interracial, intercultural nature testifies to the transforming power of the Gospel.