“When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NLT
Yesterday we considered the analogy of a door fronting an absolute priceless treasure trove, the key being the Message of the Cross. Behind the door we find treasure, not gold and diamonds, but spiritual treasure, of much more value, and that treasure is described in the Bible. Every time we open the Book, we find truths about God and His ways, and nuggets of incredible value pass right into our souls, equipping and empowering us for a life to be lived God’s way in His Kingdom.
So in a sense, to write about “God’s secret plan” is to write about the Bible and all that is contained therein. The spiritual treasure there is tailor made for each one of us and we embark of a journey of salvation day by day as we read all about God. But there are some generalities that apply to each one of us, and Paul helpfully set them out with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in his epistle to the Christians in Ephesus. We start with Ephesians 1:3, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ“. This verse sums up the content of the “secret plan” and it exposes just how generous God is by His providing “every spiritual blessing”. He holds back nothing, and through the Holy Spirit within us we are potentially invincible in all we do. If we can just get our minds around Ephesian 3:20 for a moment. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think“. We hold within us all the spiritual resources we will ever need and we are only limited by our faith and opportunity. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:12-14). What did Jesus mean by that? If we rush out into the street with an expectation that we will suddenly see the new car we have asked for, we will probably be disappointed. Even though God has supplied the power, the secret lies in asking “in [Jesus’] name”. It is only when we know His will that we can apply the power. Also, the key lies in “every spiritual blessing”. Even though God is interested in our natural world – after all He created it – it is in the realm of the spirit that His work will mainly be done, and in the hearts and minds of His followers.
Of course, Jesus did many miraculous works when He walked the highways and byways of Palestine. What did He do? He raised the dead, healed the sick, casted out demons, fed multitudes, and walked on water. But these were signs of His power granted to Him and used in accordance with His Father’s will. He spent long hours in communion with His Father in prayer and fellowship, and received direction for the day and days ahead. We see the same power at work in the incident when Peter and John healed the crippled man begging at the gate of the Temple. The evidence can be found in Acts 3:6, “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”” How was this possible? We see another key in Acts 3:13, “For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him“. The very act of healing the crippled man brought glory to Jesus, and everything that we do in His name will do the same. But we stay close to Jesus step by step, and He will lead and guide us to the times when He needs us to apply the power that God has provided for us, the “spiritual blessings” Paul wrote about. A man called Ananias appears in Acts 9, tasked with the laying on of hands so that Saul, soon to be renamed Paul, would have his sight restored. After some dialogue with the Lord, Ananias obediently went to the place where Saul was staying and we read, “So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptised” (Acts 9:17-18). Are we pilgrims in a place like Ananias, ready and equipped to do the Lord’s bidding?
In our own lives we have the resources we need to become more like Jesus. Romans 8:29, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters“. What a privileged and awesome responsibility we have, to be a brother or sister of Jesus. In our own strength we have no chance in achieving the level of perfection God demands. Instead, God has supplied for us the “spiritual blessings” that we need to achieve the holiness we require, and it is through His patience and grace that we have the necessary time. If we ask in Jesus’ name for this to happen, there is no doubt that He will answer our prayer. Peter wrote, quoting Leviticus, “For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy”” (1 Peter 1:16). And as we go about our daily lives, we ask one question – is what I am doing bringing glory to God? 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God“.
So we have opened the pages of the Book, and have found some treasure, “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms”. And we can see how the contents of “God’s secret plan” is unlike the treasure we find on earth, the silver and gold and precious stones. God’s treasure, as he planned right from the beginning, has a transformative effect and impact on the lives of ordinary human beings. When we cross the Great Divide, any earthly goods will be left behind, but God’s treasure will last for all eternity. Jesus gave us a warning in Matthew 6:19-21, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be”. So the question for us pilgrims is about where we have stored our treasure. God has provided it as part of His secret plan. All we have to do is open our hands and grasp it with all our hearts, and by doing so, step by step, we become more like Jesus, our elder brother.
Dear Heavenly Father. You are the God who gives and gives and keeps on giving. We praise You today with grateful hearts. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 