WHAT GOD IS DOING TODAY

By Art Licursi, building upon some thoughts taken from Russell Miller

...For to make in Himself of twain one new man (Eph.2:15).

It is a shame that so many in the Body of Christ do not see what it is that God is doing today, in this day of the dispensation of His grace (Eph 3:2) that He committed to Paul for us.

The error of some is a failure to come unto perfection or completion in the Pauline revelation. They erroneously labor under the so-called Great Commission that Jesus of Nazareth gave to His Jewish disciples for the Jews. Matthew 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Erroneously, they preach the Kingdom from heaven that God promised to come to earth for the Jews, ignoring His ministry for us today. Thus, they preach another gospel than the one Paul was given for us today.

Others go to extremes with agendas that are used of the devil that cause "divisions" and confusion in the Church and "blind (even) the minds" (2Cor.4:4) of believers from knowing the truth. Consequently such teachings are used by Satan to deceive both saint and sinner alike. Men walk in darkness when lies are substituted for truth for this dispensation, the devil gets a foothold in the Church to wreak "havoc" and make it weak.

God, however, will not be mocked of men, for "the Judgment Seat of Christ" (2Cor.5:10) awaits those who make merchandise of "the Word of God" (IICor.2:14-17; Tit.3:10) in order to build their ministries and bank accounts. For them, there shall be a great loss of rewards (ICor.3:15) and abundance of shame. Meanwhile, the devil "blinds the minds of them that believe not, souls that could have been saved will be cast into the Lake of Fire at the "great white throne" judgment (Rev.20:11-15).

In this endeavor to discover what it is that God is doing today, several passages of Scripture come to mind. Along with Romans 16:25 and I Corinthians 12:13 are two very similar verses in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians:

Eph.2:15 Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace.

Eph.3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

Today God is in the business of building the one new man that Paul calls the Body of Christ that is invisibly unified by Christ's indwelling spirit of life (Rom 8:2). He is looking for "faithful" men and women everywhere to be ministers of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (ICor.4:1, 2).

God appointed Paul, "the Apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom.11:13), giving him the blueprints (ICor.3:9-15) for the Church today. Paul and Timothy were faithful in proclaiming "this Mystery among the Gentiles."

Colossians 1:25-27 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; ²⁶ Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Will you "follow" in Paul's footsteps or be drawn into an extreme and false teaching?