GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE:
UNITY OF ALL THINGS IN CHRIST 

He has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. -‑Eph 1:9‑10 

The ideal of unity is not merely a concept concocted by man in one of his more creative moments, whether he be poet or philosopher. Rather it is hailed in scripture as the very core of God's eternal purpose, not only for humanity but for the whole of the universe. The Christ is not only held up as the creator and preserver of the universe, but also as that unifying force that will eventually make all things one in himself. This is an astounding revelation. However corrupted this earth may be by sin, however uneven the universe may be in its imperfect state, however marred all things are by the rebellion of men and angels, it is uplifting to realize that in the fulness of time the whole of the universe will find oneness in Christ. This is almost too much for us to grasp. We are but looking into a glass darkly in the face of such staggering truth. 

Philosophers have been haunted for centuries over the question of unity in a diverse universe. It is indeed a uni‑verse or a pluri‑verse? The question of "the one and the many" is thus one of the stickiest in metaphysical thought. Long before Socrates, who died in 339 B.C., philosophers applied their minds to the nature of "world stuff," some concluding that it is fire or water or movement. Heraclitus said it was logos. Centuries later Plato was to discover what he called "universals," concluding that all the different things are but reflections of their universal form or idea, and the Idea behind it was the Good or God. Plato would surely have been intrigued by Eph. 1:9‑10, which says that all the multiplicity of things of both heaven and earth, however diverse and divided, will at last be made one in Christ ‑ in the Logos. It is not all that foreign to what he was trying to say. 

If division and strife began with sin then it began with Adam. We may presume that Adam's home in Eden was at first perfect, with no discord. There was consequently no religion, for there was no need of it. But once sin entered into the world, God's plan for its remedy began to be revealed. God placed a curse upon the earth because of the sin, as well as upon the tempter and our first parents. To the Satan‑incarnated serpent he said: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Jewish and Christian scholars agree that this is a prophecy pointing to the Messiah. His mission of peace and love would heal the wound of division and strife by overcoming the power of Satan. 

But sin had already begun in heaven, and the angels were divided between good and evil. Otherwise there would be no Satan to tempt the first pair. So, heaven and the angels, earth and humanity, along with all that we call "nature," was affected by sin and rebellion. Sorrow was now a human experience (Gen. 3:17) and the earth that was man's servant was to be a hard taskmaster, for only in the sweat of man's brow would it yield its fruit. Thorns and thistles would henceforth pester man. Disease, sickness and death would haunt his steps. All of nature was now divided in the moving drama of good and evil. Even the earth would have to be redeemed from its curse if ever it enjoyed once more its pristine purity. 

As sin continued upon the earth, God's condemnation of it was made clear by the cry of prophets, who go back even to Enoch, the seventh from Adam. Jude tells us that Enoch prophesied, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all" (Jude 14). This prophecy had likely passed along in Jewish tradition as a commentary on God's hatred of sin. Sin always divides and alienates, while it is love that unites. It was to be the gospel of Christ, and that alone, that would have the power to heal the sins of the universe and to make all things in heaven and earth one. 

The Creator's grand design for us is centered in love. "He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will," writes the apostle in Eph. 1:5. This love is shown in His "glorious grace," which is manifest in the Christ (verse 6), through whom we have redemption (verse 7). He goes on in verse 8 to speak of "the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us." It is as if the apostle could not say enough about grace and love. Grace is not merely available, but it is lavished upon us. That is how God loves, he is saying. 

Then comes the great passage that shows that God's secret intention, as Schonfield renders it, is for "that ultimate Government when he shall have brought everything under Christ's jurisdiction, both in heaven and on earth." This is of course the essence of unity: mutual acceptance of the Lordship of Christ. God's plan for "the fullness of time" is that all creation will recognize that Lordship, rational and irrational beings alike, animate and inanimate objects alike. In some way, according to God's own wisdom, both angels and men will be one, as well as the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field. All of nature, however diverse, will be one in Christ. 

Paul's view of this is not all futuristic.  The Ephesian letter reveals that unity is now in the Body of Christ. Christ is the head over all things for the church, which is his body, and that body is the fullness of Christ himself (1:23). Those who were dead through their trespasses are now "alive together with Christ" (2:4). The Gentiles, who were far off, are brought nigh by the blood of Christ (2:13). Jews and Gentiles are created "one new man" in Christ, making peace and breaking down the hostility that existed (2:14‑16). So now the whole structure, the household of God is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord (2:20‑21). All this is "the unity of the Spirit" that is to be preserved )Eph. 4:3). 

And yet there is that universal unity that is yet to be. Obviously all things in the universe are not now one in Christ. But since Christ is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation," and since by him "all things hold together" (Col. I : 15‑17), it follows that oneness in him will one day be perfected. In verses 19‑26 he writes as if this reconciliation were already a reality: "In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." 

All of nature is clearly a part of God's redemptive plan. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19) may reach beyond human kind to embrace the natural order, for Ro. 8:19 assures us that the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. The next verse says that God subjected it to futility in hope. Then the apostle makes an astounding statement: "the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God." He goes on to picture the creation as "groaning in travail" for its deliverance as would a woman with child. 

It is in this light that Peter writes in a special way about "his promise" that the saints await: new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Pet. 3:13). This new earth must be the redeemed creation of which Paul writes. There is to be a new earth in which righteousness dwells. What a promise that is! And what Peter saw as a special promise John actually saw in prophetic vision: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more" (Rev. 21:1). Besides this there is the promise from Him who sits upon the throne, " Behold, I make all things new." 

All these new things in new heavens and a new earth will be one in Christ. This is the ultimate meaning of unity in Christ. We See it here as an eternal principle, as God's plan for the ages, the grand climax of all He has designed for man and all creation. 

The world that now is has much to be desired. In Gal. 1:4 Paul refers to it as "the present evil age" and I Jn. 5:19 allows that "the whole world is in the power of the evil one." Though we live in this world, I Jn. 5:4 tells us, our faith is to overcome it, and Satan rather than God is now and again referred to as the prince or the ruler of this world. 

In practical terms all this can be spelled out in terms of crime, starvation, oppression, violence, disease, misery, and death. All such enemies of truth and righteousness will one day be overcome by God's reign upon earth through the Prince of Peace. We are caught up in this eternal conflict, and we can rejoice in the assurance that victory will one day come. Darkness will give way to light; division and strife will give way to peace and unity. 

This has great significance in reference to the now, and there is of course no way for us to avoid the realities of our present situation. In the face of the staggering truth that God's eternal purpose is unity of all things in Christ we have to confess to the sin of a divided church. One would suppose that if God would unite all the diverse elements of the universe for the sake of Jesus that we could unite the Church of God upon earth for his sake. But therein is the crux of it all, for it can only be by God's power working in us that we are able to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Only by yielding to the Spirit within us do we overcome the sin of partyism. 

We live in but a moment of God's eternal plan. There is no question as to the outcome of "the fullness of time," for the Ruler of the universe will accomplish all that He has promised through the apostles. We ourselves are the only question mark, as to whether we will be part of those who are instrumental in doing God's thing. If we love our party more than God's eternal plan, then we may be left out. It is a marvelous blessing that the least of us can be and will be used of God in carrying out His grand design, if that is our choosing. This is what I will for you, that you will choose to be so used of God to bring peace and harmony to His church for now and eternity.  —the Editor