What exactly are God’s purposes?

This is a great question with a multi-faceted answer, I believe. In one sense, we could say that God’s ultimate purpose for creation (including you and I) is for all created things to reverently know his holy name. You can read more about that here.

But as noted, the answer to this question has many sides to it.

What, then, would be another way to understand God’s purposes? In fact, let’s ask it this way: what is the purpose of God that will be completed—or at least begin completion—when Jesus returns?

Ephesians 1:9-10 give an answer to this question.

For a brief context, this passage falls in the introduction of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, where he lists several “spiritual blessings” that have been given to the Ephesian Christians by nature of their union with Christ (see Ephesians 1:3-14).

It’s in the middle of this section where our passage lies. Paul wrote,

“[God makes] known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

Let’s note what Paul seems to be saying at the beginning:

God has a will which was once hidden but now revealed. This is the idea behind the phrase, “the mystery of his will.”
This “will” is in accordance with God’s purpose. This means it’s not based on spontaneity or a whim. Therefore, God’s will and purpose is steadfast and unchanging.
God’s purpose-driven “will” is “set forth in Christ”—meaning, God the Father executes his “will” in and through God the Son. This is similar to the fact that although God’s Word says that God made the heavens and the earth (see Genesis 1:1), we find out later that God executed this through Jesus (see Colossians 1:16).
This “will,” which is a plan according to God’s unchanging purpose, is “for the fullness of time.” It’s a plan “to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment” (NIV). This has to do with the end of days—when the fullness of times are complete. When all times and all seasons have been carried out, and at last Jesus descends upon the earth, this “will” will be done.

Okay, but what is his purpose-driven “will” that will come about through Christ at the end of time?

Verse ten has the answer: God will bring all things together in and under his Son, Jesus Christ. That’s the “mystery of his will” that we’ve been blessed to have been given the knowledge of.

At the end of times, God will bring together all things in heaven and earth in Jesus.

What this means is that when all is said and done, when all days, weeks, months, seasons, years, decades, and centuries have been carried out according to God’s will, God will finally and fully bring everything together under Jesus Christ, his Son.

This means that everything—all humans, all creation, all angelic and demonic entities, everything—will find where they stand in relation to Jesus and be judged accordingly.

It also means that everything, having been united in and under Jesus Christ in a final way, will be totally made new in him.

As a sidetone, this doesn’t mean that every demonic entity and every unsaved person will automatically be saved. What it does mean is that every rebel of God, in heaven and on earth, will come to see Jesus as King of kings and be dealt with according to his righteousness.

Therefore, God has a purpose-driven “will,” enacted by Jesus Christ, that will find its completion at the very end.

God will unite all things in Christ Jesus.

So, looking at all of this from 30,000 foot perspective, we can see that part of God’s purposes is for him to see his Son in all creation.

What else would a father most desire?

He wants to see his Son! And he wants to see his Son make all things new—including you and me.