T. Austin-Sparks · 1 of 3

As Related to This Age

"According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3:11).

"Making known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in Him, I say, in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:9-11).

"Called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

"Who saved us, and called us with a holy calling... according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal" (2 Tim. 1:9).

The Distinctive Character of This Age

In as simple, concise and precise a manner as possible, I feel strongly constrained to go over the ground of God's eternal purpose, taking that clause from Eph. 3:11 - "according to the eternal purpose".

Immediately in connection with that, we find as the first thing the phrase - "a dispensation of the fulness of the times" (Eph. 1:10); the purpose of the ages, the fulness of the times. Those phrases quite simply and clearly indicate that God has divided the course of this universe into clearly defined periods called ages. A number of those ages have been already completed. Perhaps you do not need that I indicate what those ages were, just definitely marked off periods of time which were characterised by special activities of God, or God's activities in a special form belonging to each period. There is this age in which we are now living, there is an age to follow, and then we are told of the ages of the ages which lie ahead - "Unto the ages of the ages" (Eph. 3:21) - meaning still definitely marked periods characterised by particular activities of God.

We are not now going to study the ages. What we are concerned with is that all that is here being said about the purpose of the ages is said to centre in this particular age in which you and I are living, that this age has a special place in relation to all other ages. All the other ages have, by divine intent, been pointing towards this particular age or dispensation. This dispensation gathers into itself all the spiritual thoughts of God in other ages, so that this age at its beginning is the terminal point of past ages, towards which they have been moving by divine direction and meaning, and all that which in the past ages was only partial, imperfect, in fragments, parts, is now gathered up into fulness and completeness in form in this age, brought to us now in Christ who gathers up everything in completeness.

This age, then, comes in at the end of the other ages to give them their meaning, and that meaning being brought into fulness in this dispensation, is to be carried on to all ages to come in a ministry. The ministry of this fulness which is brought in in this dispensation is unto all the ages of the ages yet to be. So that the end of this dispensation is another terminal point where something has been brought in and secured, which is going to give its meaning and its value to all future ages. Out of what has come in in this age, out of what God secures in this age, all the ages yet to be are to derive their value. Here is the word that, "unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times", that is, all the times; when all the ages, past and future, are brought into being, are realised, are gathered together, that which is in this particular age will be seen to have explained the past ages and given its value to the future. Therefore this is a very important dispensation. This dispensation is characterised by something very, very great.

That is the first thing, and I hope you have been able to grasp it. As, of course, you recognize that alone could occupy many hours as to the nature and content of the different dispensations or ages, but all we intend to do is to note the difference. If we want Scripture, we know from the letter to the Hebrews, right at the very commencement of the letter, the statement is made about the Lord Jesus - "has at the end of these days spoken unto us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ages".

The All-governing Concept - "In Christ"

Now, having said that, and got the setting, the next thing is all gathered into a little phrase of two words. I say, a "little" phrase, only so far as the verbal statement is concerned, but there was never an atom that contained so much as this fragment - "in Christ". That is a phrase, as you notice, which runs through this letter to the Ephesians like a golden cord, but it runs through all Paul's letters. It is Paul's peculiar phrase. It is not only in Paul, but it is mainly in Paul, and I expect most of you have paid attention to the vast number of relationships in which that little phrase is used in its some 128 occurrences.

Here the letter begins with - "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (1:3). "To sum up all things in Christ" (1:10). This is the all-governing concept: "in Christ". If we have not seen the meaning of that little phrase, we have missed everything; it governs everything, it apprehends everything. But let us make clear one or two things about it.

When this phrase "in Christ" is used, it does not just mean a position, neither does it just mean a sphere that we are in, a place or a person called Christ. He is a sphere, and we are in that sphere. It does mean that, of course, but it does not only and just mean that, and it does not just mean our position. It means something very much more than that. If I were to stay to try to show you just my little perception of what it means, I think we could have a good many conferences completely on that thing alone; but we know so little of what it means - "in Christ". Let us try just as simply as we can in the presence of such mysteries, such profundities, to say a little about it.