In 2019 the Houston Astros MLB team was caught cheating as they were using a camera to watch catchers signal to pitchers what pitch to throw, watching the signals on a TV in real-time, and then communicating with their batters what pitch was coming. In doing this, they were eliminating for their hitters perhaps the most difficult aspect of hitting. Now, it is obvious why they would do this: to win more games and ultimately, the World Series. However, at the same time it is not so obvious why they would do this.
The lowest paid players on the Astros made around $500,000 per year. Most of their players made over $1,500,000 per year. The highest paid players made over $10,000,000 per year. So, let me ask again, why would elite level players, who are really good even when they are not cheating, risk that kind of money and risk being shamed by the entire country? I think it has to do with what C.S. Lewis called, “the phenomenon of an Inner Ring.” Lewis said, “…one of the most dominant elements [in life] is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside.” In other words, even though players on the Astros team are already in an elite inner circle of those who made it to the majors, it was not enough. Some were outside the circle of World Series-winners. And they had to get inside.
Interestingly, Ephesians 3 assumes you and I are actually made to find rest in an inner ring. But counter intuitively, Ephesians makes it clear that the way you enter this inner ring is by first realizing you are an outsider.
Notice who Paul is addressing in Eph. 3:1: “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles–“. Who are the “Gentiles”? Well, they are everyone outside of Israel, God’s people historically. Now, if that does not strike you, consider how Paul described these Gentiles in Eph. 2 - “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” In other words, Paul is talking to outsiders. And they are the worst kind of outsiders. Left to themselves, they are outside the circle of God’s friends and family.
You and I feel this, right? We have this nagging feeling we cannot shake that we are not insiders with the right people. We are not loved and accepted by the people who can give us most value. Worst of all, we have this nagging feeling we are outsiders with God. We think perhaps God does not even love and accept us. “I don’t have access to him as an insider.” If you think this, Eph. 3 is about to unleash good news on you.
First, Paul says he is “…a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles…” He later says “…I am suffering for you…” Imagine if this said Paul was “…a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of [INSERT YOUR NAME]…” The Apostle Paul, the ultimate insider as we would see him, says he is giving his life for the ultimate outsiders. This is getting good already.
Now, why is he suffering? He is suffering because he is preaching the “mystery”. We are told what the mystery is in Eph. 3:6 – “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” So, who are the outsiders fellow heirs and fellow members with? The answer: the insiders! To an Israelite (i.e. insider) at this time, this is stunning.
How can this be? How are these outsiders suddenly insiders? The answer is remarkable. Eph. 3:8-9 says, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God…” God has had his eye on the outsiders “for ages”. The plan to make outsiders insiders “…was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord…”.
So, what was the plan exactly? We just read it: “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…” The only insider, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became an outsider to bring you in! On the cross Jesus went to the most terrifying outside-place, the place of God’s wrath. He went there in your place to make you, a sinner, an insider. You and me, all humanity, are born as outsiders. Yet through faith in Jesus, you could not be more welcome in the presence of God.
Here is what this means for you today: Eph. 3:11-12, “This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” Only insiders are bold and confident. Outsiders are nervous, timid, and scared. So how do we get this boldness and confidence? “Through our faith in him”. This means access to God with boldness and confidence has nothing to do with you, your character, or your good works! It means being inside God’s circle of friends is based on Jesus, not you. Through faith in Jesus you are counted righteous in the sight of God and given access to him. This is wild!
If that’s true, and it is, through faith in Jesus you can’t not be confident and bold before God. You belong! You’re an insider! So, run with wild boldness to the presence of God because as an insider you have free access, by grace alone! It is time to enjoy anew the access you have been given to the presence and throne of God, through the precious blood of Christ.
