“Jesus — The Lord of the New Year” Paul on the Course and Purpose of History in Ephesians 1:3-14
New Year — A Time to Reflect Upon the Past
In the minds of most Americans, New Year’s Day is a day for parades and college football. But the coming of the new year is also considered a time of new beginning–coming as it does a week after the busy Christmas holiday. This time of year, people are often in the mood to stop and reflect upon all the significant events of the past year.
The various news outlets and social media venues will spend much time this week recounting the names and faces of those influential figures and celebrities who have died in the past year. I am always amazed at how many of these people are already largely forgotten within a year of their death. Life is fleeting. News programming will broadcast a number of video montages of the significant events of the past year–from the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, the threat of nuclear war, the huge cultural shifts and tribal political warfare now under way, the on-going effects of Covid-19 and lockdowns, to a host of other human tragedies and poignant moments. A great deal has happened the past year.
But that is not all we associate with the New Year. As is the custom, we are all supposed to make a series of New Year’s resolutions about what we will do better next year, or not do, as the case may be. If we break our resolutions within moments after making them, it really does not matter, it is the making of them that counts.
The combination of all these things makes the coming new year a great time to stop and reflect upon the events of the recent past, as well as our hope for the future. Such a time of reflection has been the historic practice of Reformed churches. Article 37 of the URCNA church order lists New Year’s Day (along with New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost and Ascension Day) as occasions when the consistory may call the congregation together for worship, although, to my knowledge, New Year’s day services are not widely held in our churches except perhaps when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday.
Henry Ford on History as “Bunk”
As with most things, the Christian take on the events of the past and our expectations for the future stands in sharp contrast to the non-Christians around us. One place where the antithesis (i.e., the stark contrast) between Christian and non-Christian thinking is most striking is in how we as Christians view the past and ground our hope for the future. Most Americans, I think, would agree with Henry Ford (the founder of the automotive company which still bears his name) who is widely quoted to have said, “History is more or less bunk. It’s tradition. We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker’s damn is the history we make today.”
If Ford is right, then the past is unimportant and irrelevant. What is important is the present, the here and the now. As a very pragmatic man and quintessential American, this makes perfect sense coming from someone like Henry Ford. Although he died in 1947, Ford’s sentiments still reflect the thinking of many of our contemporaries. This curt dismissal of everything which has gone before does much to explain why many Americans have little regard for history, why everything in this culture must be new and improved, and why most of life must cater to those who demand instant gratification and who want nothing to do with serious thought or careful reflection. This anti-historical sentiment is reflected in much of American evangelicalism as well–people who think like Henry Ford. This thoroughly pragmatic and utilitarian view of the world–all that matters is what works or what is useful–is also apparent when Ford reportedly defined history as ‘the succession of one damn thing after another.” History has no goal or purpose. All that matters is the present. The pageantry of celebration and revelry of the new is more important to such folks than the past in which any realistic hope for the future must be grounded.
Christians See Things Differently—History Matters
But this is where Reformed Christians completely disagree. Why? Because Christianity is a religion necessarily grounded in history. We base everything we believe about the here and now upon very specific things which God did in the past. As Christians, we see the present as but a small moment in eternity. We don’t believe that history is bunk, or the mere succession of one thing after another. We believe history to be the outworking in time and space of God’s eternal degree–his eternal plan for the ages. Whatever happens is part of God’s purpose, no matter how difficult this is to understand in the midst of trial and tribulation.
Therefore, it is vital that we grasp the notion that history is the outworking of the will of God because this is what gives everything that happens meaning and purpose. The many events of the past year are not simply random (or disconnected) events, one after the other. Rather, God is working all things according to his will and purpose. This is why “right now counts forever” as one famous Reformed thinker often pointed out.
Understanding history as the outworking of God’s eternal decree means that our entire faith stands or falls based upon whether or not the things we read in the Bible are true. Far from being the “owner’s manual to life,” or a book of “timeless truths” like Aesop’s Fables, the Bible is the record of what God has done to save us from our sins. If history is bunk, then the Bible is bunk! As Reformed Christians we often talk about “redemptive-history.” When we use this term we are referring the story of our redemption from sin as it unfolds in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
The Christian Faith Is Grounded in Redemptive History
The Bible reveals one story with many chapters and sub-plots which unfold in human history specifically in the lives of a number of different people, in a number of different places and in events which are scattered across several thousand years. All of the people mentioned in the biblical story really lived. All of the places mentioned in Scripture actually existed. All of these events depicted in the Bible really happened. This is why history very much matters us to us, if not to people like Henry Ford. Redemptive history has nothing to do with how to make a car cheaper and assemble it faster. Redemptive history does not center upon me and my demand for instant gratification.
When we speak of redemptive history, we are speaking of those specific events through which God spoke and acted to save us from the guilt and power of sin. Since God created all things, the world becomes the stage upon which this redemptive history plays out. God spoke and created all things. He created all plants, animals, and people. He assigned us our place in life and our rank in society. He created Adam from the dust of the ground and placed him in Eden to work and tend a garden so as to build a temple where the first man and his Creator could dwell together. God placed Adam under a covenant of works in which Adam was to render perfect obedience to his creator. Had Adam passed through this period of probation, he would have been granted eternal life and glorified. But Adam did not obey, and the rest is history, as they say.
To a Christian, what happened in Eden is foundational to how we understand the world around us. Adam (our biological and federal head)–who acted for us and in our place–rebelled against God in Eden placing all of creation under God’s curse. Had you had a video camera hidden in the trees in Eden, you could have recorded the entire scene when Eve was tempted by the serpent, when she ate from the tree, when Adam did the same, and when God pronounced the curse upon the disobedient couple, casting them from Eden so that they might wander in Nod, a land east of Eden where they left their footprints in the dust as they fled his presence. The disobedient couple lived out their lives and their bodies lie buried somewhere near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. That’s how real the history is which we are describing. Without grounding our faith in that history all we are left with is emotion and opinion, nothing more. All we can do is describe what happens–we cannot give it any meaning. History becomes the succession of one meaningless thing after another.
Why does this matter? Especially as we approach the new year? Simple. The reason why the news had so much coverage of people who died last year, as well as video of enough human tragedy to fill hours of broadcast time is because Adam broke God’s command and plunged the entire human race into sin and death. Bad things happen to people because we live in a sinful and fallen world. There is no way for us to understand the here and now, without understanding the past.
History may be bunk to Henry Ford and those who think like him. But to Christians, history is the foundation of everything we believe. What happened in the past, explains what happens in the present. We cannot escape from what our first parents did and the consequences of their sin. Furthermore, our faith is grounded in concrete acts in history, such as a cross and an empty tomb, and without them, all we have is bunk, or as Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 15:32, “If the dead are not raised, `Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” The reason why we have hope for the future–whatever that future might hold–is because of the past. God’s record of keeping his promises is pretty good. And this is why history is so important to Christians.
Paul’s View of History — The Past, the Present, and the Future
Since the Bible is the record of God’s redemptive purpose as it unfolds in history, it is difficult to pick a single biblical passage (or two) which makes this case–because in one sense they all do. But there is one text which comes to mind when we talk about God’s will in eternity past being worked out in time and space. In the opening chapter of his letter to the Church in Ephesus, the apostle Paul makes the point that what God has decreed is, in fact, realized in each of our lives at a particular point in time, specifically when we come to faith in Jesus Christ. In this passage, Paul lays out a Christian perspective on history. And so there is much to learn from a passage such as Ephesians 1:3-14, where Paul puts these things in context.
After his opening comments, Paul’s thoughts turn toward praising God for all that he has done on Paul’s behalf. In the Greek text of Ephesians 1, verses 3-14, a single complex sentence, Paul pours out a doxology, line upon line, which is in many ways similar to his comments in Romans 8:28-30. There is a great deal of theology packed into these few verses. There is also a Christian understanding of history found here as well. Not only does Paul speak of the work of each of the three members of the Trinity in providing for our redemption, Paul also makes the logical progression from eternity past, to Christ’s work on the cross, to the application of that redemptive work to each particular believer. In many ways, this doxology of praise, lays out the way in which we as Christians should understand the course of history as we see everything being directed by God towards his ultimate goal. The scope of Paul’s praise unto God takes us from eternity past, to the work of Christ on Calvary, to the life of each believer and then on to the end of the age. There is a panoramic sweep here of the whole of redemptive history.
In verse 3, Paul writes, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” The apostles’ words echo a number of familiar texts from the Psalter. “Blessed be God” is found throughout the Psalter (17, 27, 30, 40, 41, 65, 66 and 72)[1]. In true rabbinic fashion, Paul is giving thanks for the fact that God has blessed his people with every spiritual blessing, “in Christ.” All of God’s spiritual blessings given to his people, are granted by virtue of the fact that believers are “in Christ.” Through faith in Jesus, God’s people are united to the Risen Christ through a bond effected by the Holy Spirit. We are on earth and Jesus is in heaven, but nevertheless, we are united to him. This is why, Paul says, these blessings are “in the heavenlies” because this is where Christ is. As Paul will later say in Ephesians 2:6-7, “and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” To be a believer is to be “in Christ” and a recipient of every blessing (not just a few blessings, but “every blessing”) which God has secured for us.
We Are Chosen “in Christ” for Every Blessing
As Paul continues his doxology, in verses 4-6, he restates his basic theme of God’s blessings being bestowed “in Christ.” But at this point, Paul takes us back to eternity past and the mysteries of the inter-Trinitarian relationship. “For [God] chose us in him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” In what Reformed Christians call the covenant of redemption (cf. Canons of Dort 1.7), the Father chose the Son to be the mediator of the covenant of grace and thereby the Savior of all the elect. This inter-Trinitarian purpose was established before all creation and all of human history is the outworking of this eternal purpose.
Paul then goes on to tell us that if we believe in Jesus, it is because we were chosen “in Christ” by the Father. Paul also tells us that God has determined the end to which this gracious decision will take us–to be holy and blameless. The implication is that in God’s mind, we were sinners when he chose us since the goal of his choice is to render us blameless. Paul is also clear that all of this is grounded in God’s love for lost and fallen sinners and not because God sees anything good in us which moves him to choose us. As we often say, the reason any one of us are rescued from sin, is because of something good in God and not because of anything in us. God pours out his grace upon us, in and through the person of his Son. This is why those who argue that the “central dogma” of Calvinism is predestination, miss the point. Yes, God chooses us to be saved–and this choice is the foundation for everything else. But he does so “in Christ,” who was himself chosen by the Father to be our Savior. You cannot separate God’s sovereign grace and mercy from the person of Jesus. Election and the person of Jesus are inseparably linked because we are said to be chosen “in Christ.”
A Bloody Cross and an Empty Tomb
In verses 7-8, Paul moves from his focus upon the Father choosing us in Christ, to the work of Christ, logically moving from the work of the Father to the work of the Son, the so-called economic Trinity. In doing so, Paul seamlessly makes the transition from eternity past to the city of Jerusalem about 30 AD. Still emphasizing the fact that the gracious blessings from God all come to us through the person of Jesus Christ, Paul writes, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Christ redeemed us by dying for us, shedding his blood so that our sins might be forgiven. What God decreed to done from all eternity came to fruition in the historical events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. All of this is because God poured out the riches of his grace upon us in his Son, who also, is the supreme revelation of the wisdom of God. In looking to the saving work of Christ on our behalf, Paul says, we discover the ground of our salvation (solely Christ and nothing in us) and in doing so we discover the meaning of history.
Because we have been redeemed in Christ–who left eternity past and who entered time and space by taking a true human nature to himself in the incarnation–Paul will now explain the connection between God’s decree and the work of Christ. “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” In order to understand what God is doing, we must see all of history as the outworking of God’s will (his set purpose), so that in the end, all things (in heaven and on earth) will be brought into submission under one head–who is Christ. This is why in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught us to pray “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” One day it will!
This, then, is God’s explanation of the goal of history. History is not bunk. It is not the succession of one thing after another. History is the outworking of God’s eternal purpose, which, in God’s appointed time, is to bring all things together in Christ. Everything that happens throughout the ages, is God bringing all things toward his appointed goal. Everything has purpose and meaning. Everything that happens is part of God’s plan, moving everything forward to God’s appointed goal.
God’s Will and Purpose for Our Place in History
In verse 11, Paul takes up the individual believer’s place in this great drama. “In him [in Christ] we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” God not only chose us in Christ because he loved us, but he is also directing everything in our lives so that we might bring God honor and glory. Since we know that God holds time and eternity in his hand and that all things occur according to God’s plan, we are to live our lives accordingly. There is nothing left to chance. There are not random molecules out there floating around which will ruin everything. Not even Satan can thwart God’s ultimate purpose. In fact, Satan’s very rage against the Creator was decreed by him and serves to bring history to God’s appointed goal. This is why we affirm with the greatest of confidence that God is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28).
The idea that God does all things according to his will is not something new in the redemptive story. It is not like Paul is making this up as he goes. Throughout the Old Testament, there are a number of passages where God’s eternal purpose is spelled out almost as clearly as Paul does here. In explaining God’s sovereignty as the basis of history, Paul is drawing upon the earlier chapters of the story, in effect, reminding the Christians in Ephesus of what has gone before. As but one example, taken from Deuteronomy 10:14-22, Moses exhorted Israel to obey the Lord’s commands and decrees and to serve YHWH with their whole heart, because “To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.” Because everything belongs to Lord, we are to worship, obey and serve him. God’s sovereignty is the basis for Israel’s very existence. Indeed, God’s sovereignty is the basis of Israel’s salvation. Despite Israel’s sin and rebellion, Moses goes on to say,
Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Just as God called sinful people to faith in Jesus Christ in the city of Ephesus, he had already set his affection upon Israel, despite Israel’s sin and faithlessness. This but one of numerous examples in the Old Testament of how God sovereignly controls history so that his purposes come to pass. So much so that even the exile in Egypt served God’s ultimate purpose–the increase of his people and the coming of the Messiah. This kind of Old Testament passage is clearly in the background when Paul tells the Ephesians that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
From Eternity Past to the Present
Finally then, in verses 13-14, Paul brings God’s eternal decree and Christ’s redemptive work into the lives of every Ephesian believer and to ours as well–the past becomes the basis for life in the “here and now.” Paul’s Trinitarian focus also once again seamlessly moves from the person and work of the Son to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes, “and you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.”
With this, Paul has given us a panoramic sweep of redemptive history. All those who have been chosen by God from before the foundation of the world and for whom Christ has performed his redemptive work, are also called to faith in Jesus Christ at a particular moment in time when the gospel is proclaimed to us and we believe. But hearing and believing are not the end of the story.
Paul goes on to remind the Ephesians, that having believed the gospel and now “included in Christ,” they are indwelt and marked with a seal, the blessed Holy Spirit, who is the pledge that our bodies will be redeemed on the day of resurrection. In one passage Paul has taken us from eternity past, to the person and work of Christ, to the moment each believer first hears the gospel and then responds, to the great day of resurrection at the end of the age. The very thought of this moves Paul to say that all of this is to the praise of his glory, just as our discussion of this should move us to do the same. How can we hear this glorious explanation of our salvation and not be moved to praise God for all that he has done. Blessed be!
Jesus Is the Lord of the New Year
All of God’s blessings come to us through Jesus Christ, in whom we are chosen, who died for our sins, was raised for our justification, and who was preached to us so that we have believed in him. He who redeems us from our sins is that same one in whom we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until Jesus returns from heaven at the end of the age to raise immortal our sinful flesh from the dust of the earth. God’s decree lies at the very foundation of all of life. Jesus is the Lord of history. History is not bunk. It is here we find the explanation as to why some have died this past year and others have lived. That Jesus is the Lord of history explains why both good and bad things come to pass. He is directing all things toward their ultimate end and final resolution. Most importantly, God’s sovereign purpose explains why each one of us have believed the gospel and are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. “In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
This is why history is so important, and why we have such a wonderful hope for the future–whatever our present circumstances may be. This is why we can look forward to the new year with hope and expectation! For whatever the new year may hold, God has decreed it, and as his decree unfolds in history, God will bring us that much closer to that glorious moment when at last all things are subject to the Lord of history, our blessed Savior, Jesus.
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[1] F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984), 252-253.