Ephesians 3.1-7 (2)
Pray Psalm 32.1, 2.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Sing Psalm 32.1, 2.
(Hendon: Take My Life and Let It Be)
Blessed are they whose sins the LORD has forgiven by His Word!
Pure their spirits are within; them He charges with no sin;
them He charges with no sin!
Read Ephesians 3.1, 2; meditate on the word “dispensation” or “economy.”
What comes to mind? How much of your life does this include? Give thanks.
Preparation
1. What is a “dispensation of grace”?
2. In what ways is this “for you”?
Meditation
The Greek word translated “dispensation” and the word translated “household” (Eph. 2.19) share the same Greek root, οἰκ-, oik-. This root is the base for many related ideas, including household, economy, commission, administration, and, yes, dispensation. It suggests a set way of doing things, orderliness, precision, timeliness, and more. We recall that God has made us members together of His household—His dispensation or economy. But how are we supposed to learn what that means? What it entails? What it requires of us?
Not to worry, because God has deposited all we need to know about this into the remit of the apostle Paul; he, in his various epistles, unpacks everything we need to know to live as citizens in this new economy and members of this glorious household.
And the overarching, all-pervading, prime moving element of this new situation is grace. Grace is the undeserved love of God that comes to us continually. It is that divine disposition by which God looks upon us with favor; the divine means of communicating that favorable disposition (Scripture); and divine working power to make that grace effective in our lives (the Spirit). God extends His grace to all people, even those who deny or don’t know Him. They’re not very good stewards or administrators of that grace, but then, how could they be, not knowing Christ or having His Spirit?
But we who do know Jesus and do have His Spirit, we must learn the workings of grace—how God grants it for our edification and equipping, how by it He empowers us for obedience and service, and how the Spirit uses that grace to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. It’s all in Paul’s epistles. And, since we now are living out our lives in an economy and household of grace, we need to attend to Paul’s teaching, for God has especially shown him what this new and wonderful situation requires.
And he’s coming to that, beginning in chapter 4.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.16
The noun dispensation is the act of dispensing; something dispensed; or a specific arrangement or system by which something is dispensed.
It indicates a general state or ordering of things; a particular arrangement or provision especially of providence or nature; an exemption from a law or from an impediment, vow, or oath; or a formal authorization.
Yes, please. I’ll take both.
Jesus Christ dispensed grace abundantly, and in so doing, provided an exemption from death for His people.
In the Kingdom economy, grace was given as a divine order and command and Christ was commissioned to deliver it.
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10.10).
Jesus instructed His disciples; and then those disciples following in their footsteps (including us): “Whoever desires to become great among you [the biggest dispenser of grace] shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first [the first dispenser of grace in any given situation] shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10.43-45).
Ruth dispensed grace to Naomi when her life was crumbling around her: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me” (Ruth 1.15-17).
Ittai dispensed grace to David when things were looking bleak for his kingdom reign: “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be” (2 Sam. 15.21).
This is the grace that Jesus dispensed to His people, and this undeserved mercy, grace, and love is what caused Paul to dispense Jesus’ grace to the Gentiles. This is the same grace that we, as God’s people, are to dispense into our Personal Mission Field—this grace that is greater than all our sin.
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me Whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zech. 12.10).
It is only when we fully acknowledge and appreciate the depths of our own sin, that we will be able to experience God’s amazing grace toward us. And it is at this point that we are then able to understand, that His grace is something that we must dispense to the world—just as Ruth, Ittai, Jesus, and Paul did.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (Jn. 3.16).
Change will happen, when “empowered for obedience and service” we are “transformed into the likeness of Jesus”, and the Kingdom economy is of an ilk to dispense God’s kind of grace—immense and free.
He left His Father’s throne above, so free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love, And bled for Adams’ helpless race;
’Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou my God shouldst die for me.
(Charles Wesley, 1738)
Reflection
1. How does God intend His grace to reach the people in your Personal Mission Field? Explain.
2. How would you explain the three aspects of God’s grace to a new believer? Why does grace include divine power in the Holy Spirit?
3. Grace is not God’s love stopping at us. According to 2 Corinthians 4.15, what is the ultimate aim of God’s grace? How does that happen?
Dispensation (οικονομια) means here a divine order or command, or, as it is generally expressed, a commission. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Ephesians 3.2
Pray Psalm 32.3-9.
Pray for the οἰκεῖοι in your Personal Mission Field, including your family, pastor, and church members—especially those to whom you are close as friends or co-laborers. Pray that the LORD will teach us all how to live for Him
Sing Psalm 32.3-9.
(Hendon: Take My Life and Let It Be)
When in silence I remained, groaning in my sinful pain,
You Your hand upon me lay; all my strength You drained away,
all my strength You drained away.
I confessed my sin to You; You forgave me, ever true!
Let confession’s pleading sound reach You while You may be found,
reach You while You may be found!
When flood waters threaten me, You my hiding place will be.
O’er them I will rise above, buoyed by Your redeeming love,
buoyed by Your redeeming love.
Teach me, LORD, how I should live; sound instruction ever give.
Let me never stubborn be; let Your eye watch over me,
let Your eye watch over me.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we continue looking at ways the Law of God applies to our lives. This week our Read Moore podcast wraps up our consideration of the question, What in Heaven Is Jesus Doing on Earth?; and our Crosfigell teaching letter continues our study of the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
