Ephesians 3: 11-13 (Encouragement by the boldness provided through the cross)

            Summary: Paul starts by giving further insight into the mystery which had been set forth so that we might follow the Father’s perfect righteous plan.  This mystery had been made known through Christ, in whom we are bold and have access, not only to the rulers and authorities as mentioned earlier in the passage but also to God the father himself.  Paul then asks the church in Ephesus not to lose heart over his struggles but rather to rest in Christ and rejoice for his suffering.

                        Note: realized (v.11) can be translated “carried out”

Note: The Greek word parrhesia has the idea of boldness specifically in speech or freedom in speech.

Timeless Principle: The act of spreading God’s word to all walks of life, including all the rulers and authorities of the heavenly places (as mentioned in v.10), as well as uniting his people through Christ was and is still the will of God.  God caused these things, the crushing of his son for redemption, “according to the eternal purpose” of his perfect will.  We should be reminded of his glorious purpose for the reconciliation of all people, whom he shall call to himself, through Christ’s payment. 

The mystery that so entranced Paul just a few verses earlier in Ephesians three was simply the uniting off all people through the precious blood of Christ.  It was on behalf of this blood that Paul was imprisoned as he wrote this letter to the Ephesians. Paul encourages the church here to not lose heart because of the things he is enduring but rather to rejoice all the more because the Spirit that worked within them has brought them “boldness and confidence in access.” 

The word for bold in this text literally has the idea of boldness or freedom in speech, this in itself is amazing simply because before the redeeming death of Christ we were separated and “alienated from the commonwealth” of Israel.  No one could stand before God because of our central corruption that has plagued humanity since the beginning of time.  A vivid picture of this alienation could clearly be seen in the veil that once stood as a separator of man from the Holy of Holies.  For one day a year only the high priest could step into the presence of God and stare at the immeasurable glory of God in full manifestation and power. It must be noted that this veil which shrouded us from God’s presence was torn on the day of Christ’s redeeming death granting free access for a sinner to stand blameless before God by and only through the blood of Christ.  We can stand with boldness like Peter and Paul and the other saints before anyone with full confidence in Christ, be it ruler or authority or any power on this earth or beyond.  We should stand firm on the Gospel because it is the central focus of all of history As Spurgeon so eloquently mentions, “To it [the Cross] everything looks forward or backward.”  This boldness is not limited to simply confidence in standing before earthly rulers or authorities but it extends much farther than this.  We can have boldness to enter the presence of the Father, despite our follies and reckless abandonment of his glory, wholly because of the desired crushing of his son on a tree two thousand years ago (Heb. 10: 19).  May we rejoice and believe these things and not let our fears stop us from giving praise to God after all we do not have a spirit of fear but a spirit of power (2 Tim. 1: 7).