God’s Secret about Love - Martin Wiles

I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. Ephesians 3:9 NLT

My parents often instructed me to keep what I knew a secret—but not God’s secret about love.

Growing up as a pastor’s son, I was often privy to information I couldn’t share with my friends. Church information. Some good; some not so good. Whether they should have or not, my parents talked openly about church affairs in my presence. Perhaps they thought I didn’t understand. Maybe they supposed I’d keep it a secret without them telling me to. I knew about tough decisions, troubling situations, and church members who secretly drank, smoked, chewed, cursed, and visited places they shouldn’t have. I accepted this knowing and keeping secrets as the norm.

While secrecy was part of the preacher’s house, it seems a bit strange that God would keep secrets, but Paul says he does . . . or at least did. The big one was that at some point, Jews and Gentiles would stand on equal footing before God. Though the Old Testament told of a time in the future when Gentiles would be saved, most Jews never imagined God would consider them equals. 

I’m glad I live when God’s secret has been revealed. I’d hate to live with no means to approach God. And since I’m not Jewish, I’d have a difficult time making my way to God.

God plainly revealed the secret after Jesus’ resurrection. Before he ascended back into heaven, Jesus commissioned his followers to spread the story of His love and the offer of forgiveness to all people—Jew and Gentile. Those who accepted would stand on equal footing before God. By the way, this was always God’s plan as he made known at points along the way in the Old Testament. Some just had a difficult time believing it. 

Prejudice or racism will cause us to ignore the truth, even when it stares us in the face.

God’s church has no room for racism. If God welcomes all equally, we can do no less. Every person has been created in the image of God—a sin-marred image, but one there, nevertheless. And just below loving God with all our being is his command for us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

What are some ways you can share the message that God loves everyone?

Prayer: Father, thank You for loving and accepting all people equally. 

Tweetable: Do you accept all people equally? 

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