One of my friends prays, “Lord you have brought me from a mighty long way.” How far have we come? My watch counts my steps each day, week, month, and year. So, in some sense, I can tell exactly you how far I have walked. Though he wore no watch, Paul had come a long way. The book of Acts chronicles his geographical journey. But Paul’s own words mark the distance of his spiritual journey.
Once Paul had seen Jesus and his followers as heretics. Then he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. In this letter to the Ephesians, he acknowledges the sovereignty and supremacy of Jesus as Lord. Not only did Paul have a high view of Jesus but he also held a high view of the church, “which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
People who love Jesus also love his body, his bride, the church. I don’t mean that we approve of the church’s many failures in history. But if we saw the church as Jesus does, we would see it as the fullness, the fulfillment of his eternal plan. God fills everything. The church is his body, his fullness. This represents high ecclesiology, a lofty goal, to be sure.
I know that the church does not always live up to our position in God’s plan. We must also know that God does not have another plan besides the church. We are his people. We are his plan to bring the good news of Jesus to the world. We have a long way to go. But like Paul, the Lord has brought us a mighty long way! Won’t he bring us home? He will!
