Referring to himself as a believer, Paul wrote: "I am [have been] crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. I PRAY THAT THE EYES OF YOUR HEART MAY BE ENLIGHTENED: pephotismenous (RPPMPA) tous ophthalmous tes kardias [humon] : Psalms 119:18+ Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. Help Them To Achieve (Ephesians 1:15-23) - Newspaper columnist Jean Calmen once wrote about a teacher she called Miss K. In her youth, Calmen had been a student of Miss K's, so she sent the teacher a copy of a column she was especially proud of. How can we begin to fathom a prayer like that? Mark 12:30+ and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Nothing less than omnipotence can save a soul; and omnipotence at its very best in the glorification of Christ is none too great for the salvation of a sinner. As saints, were Gods inheritance, His treasure, His prize. But, Paul adds, the surpassing greatness of His power, and then goes on to say (1:19b-21) that this power is in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Wow! We as His followers, can best imitate our Lord by learning to relinquish self reliance and instead relying on God's power which is manifest and effective through His Spirit in us, as we seek to continually be filled with Him (Eph 5:18+) and to walk by Him (Gal 5:16+). But glance first at Ephesians 1:17-18. Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; Romans 5:4,5 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: . Man can supply the energy, enterprise and enthusiasm for things human. Eph 3:16+is another "powerful" (power full - also using dunamis) passage indicating that the Holly Spirit is the Source of this incredible supernatural power (cf Lk 4:14+ = Jesus' pattern for our lives today [1Co 11:1+]!, Acts 1:8+, Ro 15:19+, 1Co 2:4+, 1Th 1:5, Micah 3:8)! Even the best Christians need to be prayed for: and while we hear of the welfare of Christian friends, we should pray for them. (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary). Many of us skim the manual quickly (at best), or never bother to read it at all. (Life Application Study Bible: New Living Translation). From the grave of mortality to the throne of the eternal God, who only has immortality; from the darkness of the tomb to the insufferable light; from this small world to the centre and metropolis of the universe. Im taking this message from this phrase in Ephesians 1:19: the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe. I know that the vast majority of you do not feel that power. 8.247; Justin Martyr, Apology 1.61.12; Dial 39.2; 122.1; cf. Observe that the power which raised Christ from the dead was glorious. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Now they needed to understand the hope of that calling so that they would then walk worthy of that calling. Living on the inside (You set us free) What a disappointment to someone who helped contribute to that $50 million figure! You have the reason why there is so little of vivid, vibrant joy in the things of God. Living in the light of Your goodness What does this "working of the strength of His might" look like? It is these riches that we must seek, enjoy, and use to glorify their sourceour heavenly Father.Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. But, as we do with so many owners manuals, we read it superficially or hardly at all and then wonder why the Christian life isnt working the way its supposed to! But I do more than thank. 5 Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1:1820, the apostle Pauls prayer reveals that growing in the knowledge of God means growing in the knowledge of Gods mighty power. Paul always uses the word call to refer to this effectual call of God that actually saves the one called (Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians [Eerdmans], p. 75). Thats why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldnt stop thanking God for youevery time I prayed, Id think of you and give thanks. God is the Master Engineer, He allows the difficulties to come in order to see if you can vault over them properlyBy my God have I leaped over a wall. God will never shield you from any of the requirements of a son or daughter of His. His inheritance is in His saints. 4:13). Our society has been enamored with the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, especially since the influx of Eastern thought into the West during the 1960s. Jesus, You have given us freedom Oswald Chambers -The habit of rising to the occasion. We have the case of Elisha when the Syrian army was sent to Dothan to take him captive. Many Old Testament texts speak of Israel as Gods chosen portion or inheritance. He said that we never form adequate conceptions of the treasure of the gospel, or if we do, we cant persuade ourselves that these things pertain to us, because they are so far from what we experience. Jesus was buried and remained in the tomb for three days (John 19:42). Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. He does not call a believer to hope for the forgiveness of his sins: they are gone. Paul says that hope ultimately is a person "Christ Jesusour hope" (1Timothy 1:1, cp Col 1:27+). Then we begin to possess the power that God has already given us in Christ. Amen. Notice in this one letter Paul prays twice for the saints to experience dunamis which He associates with the indwelling Holy Spirit. We discover our call to a specific area of service by walking closely with the Lord, practicing obedience, and offering ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:12;Colossians 1:10). It would have been a tall prayer if Paul had prayed that we would know Gods inheritance in the saints. | GotQuestions.org, Is there any power in positive thinking? Thus power unto salvation (Ro1:16): the kingdom coming in power (Mk 9:1): God himself called powerthe right hand of the power (Mt. Isnt that magnificent? "Redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins," which comes from God's grace (Ephesians 1:7-note). Note the ESV rendering "what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints." Ephesians 1:18. The Christian Church is precious to God. 1:19). No longer bound by sin and darkness (You set us free) Such is the case in Matthew 13. He called you to Himself and will hold you there, no matter what circumstances you face. God's people do not fight for victory but from victory! Ephesians 1:18-23The Message. 18:1; 22:15; 29:4, 11; 31:10; 33:16; 38:10; 39:10; 61:2; 65:6; 71:9; 78:61; 102:23; 103:20; 111:6; 118:14; 147:5; Prov. I askask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of gloryto make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust himendless energy, boundless strength! What a battle He had in us before we would be won! This is the same power God brought about in Christ. In accordance (2596) (kata) not out of but according to. . Ezra 9:8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul reminded them, Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction (1 Thess. 2 Thessalonians Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. When this heaven and earth shall have passed away and a new heaven and earth shall have come, God's child, the redeemed sinner made a saint in Christ, shall abide forever. But by Gods grace the word of God may change your mind and your heart. (Click to read more about your inheritance in Spurgeon's Sermon A Wise Desire based on Ps 47:4). QUESTION -Do believers really have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:1920)? Gods calling of Israel was to showcase Gods salvation to the pagan world. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! But prayer meetings often slip to the bottom of attendance records. But what a high and lofty ideal the apostle sets forth. That there are diversities of gift is manifest; and there always will be a vast difference between those who have five talents and those who have two, in the amount of work done for the kingdom of God. 22:14). They have laid all God's revealed character under contribution. Memorize Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:3 and recite them often as anthems of praise for the Lords abundant grace. MacArthur makes an interesting assessment commenting that "One cause of immaturity in the church at Corinth was reliance on feelings above knowledge. (Eph 1:3). If anyone should instill hope and bring out the best in others, it should be the Christian. A. Paul is still praying for them to "know" (a Spirit enabled, beyond a shadow of a doubt knowing) about their hope, the inheritance and the power. 2:13). that money cannot buy. 17 But I do more than thank. If not, why not? Sublimal Messages Don't Work - Americans spend $50 million a year on subliminal message tapes designed to help them do everything from improve their self-image to stop smoking. 3:21; Col. 2:12; 2 Thess. Even true believers greatly want heavenly wisdom. That's why Calmen was disappointed when her aging teacher responded with a handwritten note that said, "I was aware of the fact that you were intelligent, but I never thought that someday I would be reading articles from your pen in the newspaper." This is the same mighty power, NLT: I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe Him. But where is He?. Blessing upon blessings! In 1:18-19, he elaborates on what that means, namely, that God wants us to know three essentials about our salvation that will give us assurance about our high calling as Gods people. It sounds like religious hype. It seems to be parenthetical, as in the KJV, ASV, and RSV (ED: NRSV = "so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened"). The hope of your calling is grounded in Gods promises and in Christs accomplishments. Also the verb ischuooIt is good for nothing (Mt. The next time we feel weak, we need to recall this passage to our mind (a present imperative command in Php 4:8-note), not in the sense of "mind over matter" but in the sense that this is what is true about us, a truth that we need to walk in by faith (2Cor 5:7, Col 2:6), even (especially) during those times we feel weak (cp 2Cor 12:9-10-note) or inadequate (2Cor 3:5-6-note, 1Cor 15:10-note). 46) he admonished them to employ that power in faithful living for their Lord. As the story goes Crowfoot, the chief of the Blackfoot nation in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific Railway permission to lay track from Medicine Hat to Calgary, he was given in exchange a lifetime railroad pass. We need to step out in faith and this means faith that obeys (enabled by the Spirit). The power which is really at work in Christian men today is in its nature That we might look beyond appearances, to see the church as God doesa people transformed to display His glory, unspeakably precious to Him (Ep 1:18). All who receive it respond in faith. 1:10; Heb. The real work of a Church depends upon the power of the Spirit." Paul piles on words for power to make his point. Amazing grace! 9:23; 10:12; 15:10, 13; 16:19; 20:5; 23:10; 27:5; 32:17; 49:16; 51:15, 53; Lam. can ignite great endeavors. Consequently it should fill you with joy (Rom. But the effectual call is the lightning bolt that connects. get to know the Bible better! Freedom, You have given us freedom I pray that you may know what is the hope of [Gods] calling (Eph. It is a great truth that God does choose the inheritance for his people. 2 Peter 2:11 (note) whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 2123). B. Thats why there is rape and famine, pollution, corruption, and death on our planet. LXX translates with apokalupto from ap = from + kalpto = cover, conceal which means literally to uncover and so to remove the veil or covering exposing to open view what was before hidden. GotQuestions.org, Warren Wiersbe sums up Paul's prayer for the saints to know the power they possess - The power of the Holy Spirit, through the resurrected, ascended Christ, is available to all Christiansby faith. The owner put his hand into the jar, grabbed a handful of candy and handed it to the boy. Acts 26:18+ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.. It takes far more faith to encounter and endure the battles of the Christian life than it did to trust Christ and be born again. (John 8:55). To summarize, Paul prayed that we would come to know God more intimatelyin order that we might know the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints. 2:4): strength of sin (1 Cor. 1:18. Note: This discussion of kleronomia is the same explanatory note that is found in Ephesians 1:14-note (if you have already read that one). But there is also the effectual call that always accomplishes Gods purpose of saving His chosen people. Psalm 13:3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death. Ephesians 6:10 (note) Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
Mobile Homes For Rent In Alpine, Tx,
Emmanuel Baptist Church Atlanta,
Gaap Accounting Capitalize Vs Expense Repairs,
Republic Services Bulk Pickup Calendar 2020,
Pop Culture Allusion Examples,
Articles E