Why the Church Exists
The Church’s Mission in God’s Cosmic Story
Why Are We Here?
Have you ever wondered why the Church exists? Is it just a place of encouragement, a refuge from the world’s chaos, or a training center for moral living? While those things may be true in part, Scripture lifts our eyes to an even greater purpose. The Church is not simply an earthly gathering with earthly goals; it is God’s cosmic plan unfolding before the eyes of a watching world and even before the eyes of heaven.
In Ephesians 3, Paul pulls back the cosmic curtain, revealing that the Church is central to God’s eternal purpose. In doing so, he explains that a mystery has been revealed, the mission has been delivered, and the motivation has been supplied.
The Mystery Revealed
Paul begins by reminding his readers that the gospel reveals something hidden for ages:
“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).
For centuries, the Jewish people rightly understood themselves as God’s covenant nation. The promises, the temple, the law, and the covenants—all of these privileges belonged to Israel (Romans 9:4–5). Yet, God also provided glimpses of a larger plan. Through Abraham’s offspring, all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). The prophets pointed to a day when the nations would stream to Zion (Isaiah 2:2–3), and Gentiles would share in God’s salvation (Isaiah 49:6).
Now in Christ, the veil has been lifted. And what it has revealed is something extraordinary. Jews and Gentiles are united as one body, equally heirs of the promise. This was not a change of plans; it was the plan all along, hidden, progressively revealed, and now fully unveiled in Christ.
And here’s what that means for us: most of us reading this are Gentiles. Scripture says that we were strangers to the covenant, alienated from God, and without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12). But in Christ we have been brought near, united into one spiritual family, called beloved, and included in the eternal people of God. The mystery revealed means you belong, not by lineage or law, but by grace through faith.
The Mission Delivered
But the Apostle Paul doesn’t stop at revelation; he moves on to commission:
“Of this gospel I was made a minister… to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God” (Ephesians 3:7–9).
Paul understood his calling as a divine stewardship. The gospel is not just good news to be believed—it is good news to be proclaimed. God revealed the mystery not to hide it again, but to send it to the ends of the earth.
Notice Paul’s language: “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Our mission is not to offer the world self-help, moral improvement, or religious ritual. We proclaim Christ—the inexhaustible wealth of His grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. And this message is for everyone.
That means the gospel is for the poor and the wealthy, the moral and the immoral, the religious and the secular. It transcends every barrier of ethnicity, culture, age, and class. Wherever there are people dead in sin, there the gospel mission goes.
And that mission belongs to the whole Church. Although we’re not apostles, we are all ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). This means that God has entrusted us—ordinary, weak vessels—with His extraordinary message. The cosmic mission of the Church is carried forward every time a Christian shares the gospel with a neighbor, every time a church sends a missionary, and every time believers shine the light of Christ into dark places.
The Motivation Supplied
But what will keep us faithful to this mission? Paul tells us:
“So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10).
This is a breathtaking reality. The Church exists not only for the sake of the world but also as a cosmic display for the heavenly realm. In this way, the Church becomes like an angelic academy. Through the redeemed people of God, the angels behold His wisdom, demons see their defeat, and the entire unseen realm witnesses the triumph of Christ.
And this wisdom of God is “manifold, ” which means multifaceted like a diamond. Creation reveals His power, and providence reveals His sovereignty, but the Church uniquely reveals His wisdom, grace, and glory. When God saves sinners, unites enemies, and gathers worshipers from every tribe, tongue, and nation, heaven itself marvels.
So here is our motivation. We proclaim the gospel not merely for results, not for numbers, not for applause, but for the glory of God. The Church is God’s stage, His theater, and His cosmic display of grace. To live for anything less is to miss the very purpose of our existence.
Living Out Our Cosmic Purpose
When we grasp this reality, everything changes. The Church is not merely a group of people who gather on Sunday. She is God’s chosen instrument to display His glory and extend His grace.
So how do we live that out?
Exalt God’s Glory: Let every aspect of our worship be God-centered, not man-centered.
Proclaim God’s Gospel: Share and declare the good news from our neighborhoods to the nations.
Rely on God’s Grace: Remember that all we have and all we do flows from His mercy to us in Christ.
The mystery has been revealed: in Christ, Jew and Gentile are one. The mission has been delivered: proclaim Christ’s unsearchable riches to all people. And the motivation has been supplied: God’s manifold wisdom displayed through the Church, to the glory of His matchless name.
This is why the Church exists. This is why we exist. The cosmic mission of the Church is nothing less than this: to magnify the glory of God and extend His grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So let us not lose heart. The cosmic mission of the Church is still unfolding. Every act of faithfulness and every proclamation of the gospel becomes another radiant facet in the manifold diamond of God’s wisdom, reflecting His glory to the world and to the heavens.