WE MUST SPEND another day upon this blessedly luminous verse: “as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:10).
We have seen that it is God’s plan to unite all things in Jesus Christ, and that this plan is “for the fulness of time.” Did Paul see that it would have to come “in the fulness of time,” the time must be ripe for it? Time will be ripe for it only when, after having rejected God’s plan, we have tried our own plans and they have failed. Then we will turn in our futility to God’s plan? Is this the fullness of time? Have we tried through the ages to unite the church on this, that, and the other, and have all these attempts resulted in further division? Yes! The time is now ripe to turn to God’s plan. All other plans have failed and will fail. This is the fullness of time.
This plan is breathtaking in its sweep; it is to unite all things in Him—“things in heaven and things on earth.” The basis of unity is to be the same in heaven and on earth. Then it is obvious that the only basis of unity in heaven is Jesus Christ. Could we get together in heaven around baptism, around bishops, around church government? To raise the question is to answer it. It would be ridiculous. If it is ridiculous there, it is ridiculous here. It is ridiculous anywhere.
Someone introduced me by saying, “Stanley Jones said that if Jawaharlal Nehru is not in heaven he did not want to go there”; which, of course, I didn’t say. I don’t want to go to heaven for this, that, or the other, nor to see this, that, or the other; I want to get to heaven to see my Redeemer, to lay the tribute of my gratitude at His feet, and to be united at His feet with all others who love Him. He will be the center of unity in heaven, and He will have to be the center of unity on earth—or there will be no unity.
O Jesus, the center of my love and my unity. I give Thee my heart, and I give my hand in brotherhood to all those who make Thee the center of their love. Here we are bound together in unbreakable ties. I thank Thee. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: In heaven I shall glance at golden streets and even the faces of my loved ones, but I shall gaze at the face of my Redeemer.
