Ephesians, Chapter 1
© Copyright 1998 Darroll Evans-all rights
reserved
Ephesians 1:1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which
are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Ephesians begins by declaring that
Paul is "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." To us it would seem strange that such an
obviously called leader would need to declare that he is an Apostle.
At the time of this writing Paul was
not universally accepted. The vast
majority of Jewish Christians viewed his message of salvation by grace with
suspicion. Even during our day most
Church attendees do not understand the simplicity or power of God's grace.
Salvation and service are by grace
through faith. No works come attached to
God’s grace. Christ Jesus has already
done all the "work" required for our salvation.
Paul was not chosen to be an Apostle
due to self-will, self-determination, or ego.
He was chosen because of the will, determination, choice, purpose, and
inclination of God the Father.
Romans
9:15-16
15 For he saith
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So
then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy.
Whatever success you have is by the
will of God. Here is an important point. We do not choose God. God chose us.
Without Him choosing us, our choosing Him would be an act of futility. The Father not only chooses us; He equips us
according the purpose of His call. He is the Potter, and we are His clay.
Romans
9:21 Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
It is the faith given through His
call that gives us the strength to continue living the life of faith. The Father's determination-in-love is the
only thing that stands between us and Satan's determination-of-death. His grace was exhibited in, through, and because of Christ Jesus.
Ephesians was written to the “saints”
at Ephesus, and "faithful in Christ Jesus." Let me give another reading of those two verses: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God, to the saints at Ephesus, those faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace from God our Father, and the
Lord Jesus Christ are yours.”
You may not agree with that slight
alteration, but it is important that you understand what Paul is saying that it was written to believers. That is important in trying to understand
what Paul is saying. The name of the
city of Ephesus appears in both the Textus Receptus and the Majority Text, but
is missing from other manuscripts. This
letter is addressed to the Saints.
Only in the letter to the Philippians
does the opening include any mention of Saints by the office held. Office
holders within the Church are servants not overlords. Being an office holder within the Church is a
heavy responsibility.
That responsibility, as
under-shepherds for Christ, should never be taken lightly. Office holders within the Church should
always be respected, but never worshipped.
As you study the greeting, notice
that it is to the "saints" AND
"faithful in Christ Jesus."
The added “to the” before “faithful” is not in the Greek text. In his
letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote that there is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, because all one in
Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
In verse 2, Paul begins with his
normal greeting, "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and (the)
Lord Jesus Christ." With that in mind, I offer some thoughts concerning
God's grace, peace, mercy, and love.
This is not an extensive study. I am
certain that each attribute is beyond full human understanding. Grace, peace, mercy, and love are all without
limits or boundaries.
Grace (Gr. charis/cariV) is related to the English word favor.
Grace indicates something that is given or done from a spirit of good will
rather than as a response to an obligation. It indicates God's unmerited favor
toward man.
While seeming to be an intangible,
grace provides results far beyond what physically tangible things are able to
accomplish. It is by grace, through
faith that we are saved.
God's grace is given to us while we
are sinners. His grace toward us is the
reason for changes in our affections and attitudes. Grace is not the result of
such changes. It is the reason for the changes.
Peace (Gr. eireenee/eirhnh) is not the mere absence on open
hostilities. God's peace is a serenity, or tranquility that is ours when things
around us are going terribly wrong. God's peace within us is not the result of
human reasoning. It goes far beyond and
actually defies human reasoning.
The eye of a hurricane represents
God's peace. Around the eye, the water
is churning violently. The winds are howling.
Within the hurricane's eye the seas are calm, and the sun is shining.
Mercy (Gr. eleos/eleoV) speaks of God’s compassion for us.
While love is the engine, mercy is the spark that ignites grace resulting in
peace. God works on our behalf because
of His mercy or compassion for us. Without mercy, the engine that delivers us
from sin would not work.
Love (Gr. agapaoo/agapaw) is the engine that pulls salvation,
the super glue that holds the universe together. God’s mercy is the result of His love, which
causes grace to come to us, resulting in peace with God. Although few believe or teach it, and most
teach to the contrary, God's love never ever fails. God’s love is incapable of failure. God is Love, and He cannot fail.
God's grace, peace, mercy, and love
are intertwined as a strong rope with each doing its part to bring us to the
knowledge of Christ. Without that
lifeline, the windswept sea of sin would surely cause us to drown without any
hope of deliverance.
While we could rightly say that God's
grace, peace, mercy, and love are infinite, the God that exercises them is
not. Let me explain.
We, with our finite understanding,
have put limits on the super-infinite God.
The Creator God is greater than that which He has created.
The human word "infinite"
does not do justice in describing God.
God is greater than infinity because he created it.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Paul starts his letter in the same
manner as a prayer. He offers praise to God, "Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." We should always begin prayer with praise of
God. In doing that, we honor the source of our blessings.
"Blessed" indicates that
God is greatly to be adored. Some may read that comment, and not understand the
term "blessed." That we would
or could "bless" God may seem strange to non-Christians.
Blessing or adoration is the correct
response to all that God has bestowed on us. As we have received God's true
love, we are to give true love. Freely
we have received; freely we are to give.
We are blessed in Christ. We
should also be a blessing to others.
Paul speaks of God as the
"Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Father and Son cannot be separated.
The Holy Spirit cannot be separated from the Father and Son.
Spread your fingers then move the
palm of your hand. No matter where your palm goes, the fingers go. The father, Son, and Holy Spirit move and act
in unison of purpose. Each (Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit) compliments the others.
God's blessings are unique He has
"blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ." Our blessings may be here on earth, and yet they are also stored
in heavenly places.
Have you ever thought about that?
Our blessings are stored in places
that the Greek language describes as being above the sky.
Where is "above the sky?"
"Above the sky" is beyond
whatever we can see. We can see a distance of multiple light years. The
blessings of God are stored beyond the farthest star, and yet they as close as
a prayer. The things of God go beyond our ability to understand through
educational research or spiritual meditation.
Ephesians 1:4-6
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted
in the beloved.
"According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world" is a powerful statement. We
have been chosen in Christ not in ourselves.
Do you understand the complicated
simplicity of that?
Many do not believe it because it
sets us apart from the rest of humanity. The fact is,
we have been set apart.
Christians are the salt of society.
We are the reflected light of Christ Jesus in this age.
Embrace Christ Jesus with
thanksgiving. Tell His story so that
others may also embrace the light of Jesus Christ. We have been individually
selected by God to serve Christ Jesus.
Do you comprehend the honor that has
been given us?
At this point, I must add a
disclaimer: We have not been chosen, or selected to the exclusion of all other
people. Most
people do not understand
predestination. As firm as I am
concerning the fact of predestination, that word is never used when describing the "lost." None is
“predestined” to be lost.
Again, let's discuss the time of the
choosing. It happened before the "foundation" of the world. The Greek
text indicates that God chose us before the universe was conceived.
Before God spoke the world into
existence He chose us, individually, in Christ, to become the first layer of
salvation. God chose us so that "we should be holy and without blame
before him in love." He did not choose us because we were already holy and
without blame before him.
The Greek word translated
"should" is very important here. The Greek word is first person,
singular, and indicative. That Greek word is used only when it presents an
emphatic. This section should have been translated "shall."
Personal paraphrase--"That we shall
(emphatically, with premeditation) be holy and blameless before Him in
love."
Feelings are not facts. You may not feel holy, or without blame, but
it does not depend on how you feel.
In choosing us, Jesus keeps us
without blame, unblemished, because of His love for us. Many Christians will
tell you that we are just "old sinners." In Christ, the old things
are passed away and we are made new. We may be imperfect before the world, but
we are blameless, faultless before God.
We once were dead IN trespasses and sins. Now, in
Christ, we are dead TO
trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).
Why go around digging up dead deeds,
parading them around as if they still had life?
Our old dead deeds had no true life
when we were living in them. They certainly have no life in Christ. Christ is
perfect.
Because He has given us His
righteousness, we are at this very moment unblemished before God. Paul tells us
that God has predestined us to adoption as children through Jesus Christ. That
was done according to the good pleasure of the Father's will.
We have been
"predestinated" to be Christ's. The Greek text speaks of something
that has been predetermined. Most do not understand the purpose of
predestination.
However, to deny the predetermined
grace of God is to deny His omnipotence and omniscience. He chose us to become
adopted as sons of God. That may sound arrogant, but it is true. That is what
the word of God says.
The KJV Bible uses the phrase
"adoption of children." The
Greek text indicates an adoption as a son.
As you know, in the ancient times,
the inheritance was divided among the sons. Therefore, God, knowing that women
must give birth, and it takes men and women to procreate and sustain the human
race, decided to adopt both men and women as "sons."
The adoption of men and women as
"sons" provides for an equity that would not be otherwise understood.
In that way, neither is denied the portion that is justly given to a child of
God. In Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither male nor female
(Galatians 3:28).
In ancient days, the inheritance was
divided in this manner: If there were two sons, the estate was divided into
three portions. The eldest son received two portions and the younger received a
single portion. In those days, daughters did not receive a portion.
By declaring both men and women to be
"sons" all adopted children receive equally. All of that has been
done “according to the good pleasure of His will.”
The word “pleasure” carries the idea
of satisfaction, delight, kindness, wish, or purpose. It was according to the
Father's purpose that you were chosen. It has given Him delight to add your
name to the list of those adopted in Christ Jesus. When you respond to His
calling and accept His Christ, the Father takes great satisfaction in you as a
son.
God proclaimed us to be accepted in
the Beloved. He has not
called us so that He might cast us aside at the slightest provocation.
We are accepted in His Beloved Jesus,
our Messiah. The Greek implies that we have been endued with special honor, or
highly favored. We have not
been given this favor because of who we are, or what we have done. We also have
not been honored due to our achievements.
The Father, through the Son, freely
gave all that because it was "their" pleasure to do it. Strict
Calvinists, predestination theorists, have produced some that are spiritual
egotists.
God's calling is not a license to
steal. Yet, that is what the so-called "Christian monarchs"
practiced.
Strict Arminianists have produced
those who are spiritually paranoid. They are Apprehensive that every move will
offend God.
The Letter to the Ephesians was
written primarily to Believers. In these short verses (4-6) Paul is telling
Christians three things. We have been chosen, predestined, and accepted.
Do you understand that all Christians
are chosen, predestined, and accepted?
Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose
us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy and
without blame before Him in love. The Greek text says that God selected us.
Why would He select us?
Are we better looking that all
others?
Are we more intelligent than all
others?
Do we have more wealth than all
others?
We have been chosen because of none
of those things. There are some good looking Christians. There are some
intelligent Christians. There are some wealthy Christians. However, we were
chosen for the sake of Jesus Christ, and for our sakes.
Salvation was not an afterthought.
God did not wake up one day and say, "I think I'll make someone to save
today." From the beginning He planned your salvation.
You were chosen so that you should be
holy and without blame before Him in love and in the beloved.
Salvation is the result of what
Christ did, and not what you do. Your holiness and blamelessness depends only
on God.
You are to be holy and without blame
before Him "in love." I don't believe the holiest man alive
understands the extent of God's love. You are holy, because (and only because)
He is holy.
Ephesians 1:7 In
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace;
We must never allow the shedding of Christ's blood to
be trivialized. It is in Him and Him alone we have redemption. It is through
His shed blood that we have obtained forgiveness of sins.
Christians speak of redemption, but what is it?
Have you ever borrowed money from a bank?
In lending the money, the bank asked you to put up
collateral. That collateral could be a house, or car, or anything of value. The
act of paying off the loan is an act of redemption. The Greek text indicates a
ransom paid in full.
Christ Jesus, by the shedding of His blood, has
redeemed us from Satan. There is nothing more that can or will be added to
Christ Jesus' redemptive act.
Confession is the act of accepting His gift of
everlasting life. Confession is not a recitation of sins. Confession is our
declaration of agreement that “Jesus Christ is Lord.” And, because confession
is Holy Spirit inspired, it is not a human work.
Phil
2:13 For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
It is according to the riches of his
grace that we are redeemed. It is God the Holy Spirit within us that
accomplishes each individual step leading to salvation.
Everlasting life is the direct result
of His redemptive action within us. The grace God has bestowed on us is
valuable beyond any monetary exchange. And so, we can truly say that God's
grace is far beyond our conception of the word "value."
Ephesians 1:8 Wherein
he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
"Abound" is a translation
understatement. The Greek indicates an
overabundance, excess, surplus, or superabundance.
God does not do things half-way. He
makes sure His representatives are well equipped to do the tasks he has
appointed them to do.
Prudence is plain old common sense!
Did you know that Christ offers you
common sense?
As we grow in godly wisdom, we learn
that spiritual matters become practical matters. As we grow in Christ, the
spiritual and practical merge into one. Our acts reflect His will. Our thoughts
are attuned to His wisdom.
Ephesians 1:9 Having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself:
As Beloved children of God, He has
made known to us the mystery of His will. It is according to His good pleasure
that He purposed in Himself.
In the letter to the Philippians,
Paul wrote that it is God that works in us both to will and to do his good
pleasure (Philippians 2:13). In his letter to the Romans, Paul spoke to the
responsibility for salvation. So then, it is not because of the one that
exercises any personal will, or the one that works (runs), but it is "of
God" who shows mercy (Romans 9:16).
Proverbs speaks of the futility of
our efforts. "A man's heart devises his own way: but the LORD
directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).
When we finally understand that God
is in charge, we can relax and enjoy the life he brings forth for us to live.
That is a mystery that many have not solved.
Ephesians 1:10 That in the
dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on earth; even in him:
This verse is where many commentators
start meandering around the Bible looking for an out. However, the language is plain and it is
correct. Ephesians 1:10 cannot be
explained using mainstream theology. It
must be explained by means of the counsel of the Bible, not tradition.
Let me get to the point. Christ gave
His life as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6), and He did not die in vain. This
points to God’s plan for the ages to bring all creation into compliance with
His Son.
Col
1:19-20
19 For it pleased the Father
that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by
Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the
blood of His cross. (NKJV)
The Greek word translated "he
might gather together in one," means to gather several things under one.
The Greek tense used should come into English as a simple statement."That,
in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He [God the Father] gather together
under One head all things in Christ, where they be in heaven or on earth."
You may want to interpret it as all
things being gathered into God. He shall be all in all.
1 Corinthians 15:28 “And when all things shall be subdued
unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all
things under him, that God may be all in all.”
Or, you may wish to interpret is as
all thing being gathered together under the leadership of Christ. That is also
true.
Romans 11:36 “For of him, and through him, and to
him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.
Amen.”
Here, we are dealing with here is an
imperative situation. It "shall" come to pass. Every knee SHALL bow.
Every tongue SHALL confess.
Rom
14:11 For it is
written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall
bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Jesus went to the cross to show all
of creation that his name is greater than or above all other names.
Phil
2:10-11
10 that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of
those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father.
Isa
45:23 I have sworn
by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not
return, that to Me every
(Heb. kaal-כָּל) knee shall
bow, every (Heb. kaal-כָּל) tongue shall take an
oath.
It is through Christ Jesus that all
Gentiles shall serve and worship Christ.
Ps
86:9 All
nations (Heb. Goyim-Gentiles) whom You have made shall come and worship before
You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.
Christ is the Agent of the Father’s
creative will. Christ Jesus made all the nations (i.e. Gentiles) in the earth.
John
1:3 All things were made
by him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made.
All created things in Heaven and on
Earth shall bow and worship Him. There is no way around, over, or under His
Lordship over all created things.
Christ's birth and life among men was
not mere happenstance. It took place so
that in the dispensation of the fullness of times God the Father shall place
all things under the leadership of Christ.
All things which are in heaven, and
on earth shall be gathered, joined, united in, to, and through Him. That is a
fact!
That fact flies in the face of many
religious theories. Many teachers are dispensationalists. That seems to be a
very "religious" word.
Actually, it is a very practical word.
Dispensation just indicates the
administration of a household. Christ appointed us as stewards of God's
household on this earth. The economy or dispensation of Christ is not measured
in dollars. It is measured in fruit for the kingdom of God. The Greek word
translated "dispensation" may also be translated
"stewardship." As Good stewards we must be about our Father's
business.
We Christians talk about fruit. In
Christ, fruit comes in two categories. One "fruit" is human. It
represents individuals born again into the kingdom of God. Another form of
“fruit” the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. In that list, the Greek word translated fruit
is singular, thereby making this a package deal. The fruit "is" love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and
temperance.
As God gathers all things into
Christ, this fruit of the Spirit is ours in superabundance. Now, we experience
them in part, but soon they will be ours completely.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Have you ever noticed that God speaks
of many things in past tense? We have "obtained" an Inheritance in
Christ. Our in heritance is Christ is sure simply due to the fact that he does
“all things” in accordance with “the counsel of His will.”
God does all according to His will,
not ours. It is according to His will that we are heirs and joint heirs with
Christ (Romans 8:17). We have done nothing to deserve our inheritance. Our
inheritance is ours in Christ. And, outside of Christ we have nothing.
Psalms
115:3a But our God is
in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. (NKJV)
His decisions trump all human
decisions combined. God does not do what we want. He does what pleases Him.
Psalms
135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in
earth, In the seas and in all deep places. (NKJV)
He is not what we think. We are what
He thinks!
Isaiah
46:9-11
9 Remember
the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I
am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from
ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel
shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who
executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. (NKJV)
God the Father is God. His Son is
also God!
Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to
the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Our purpose is to Praise God. We can
only praise Him through His Son. Through Christ, we live our lives to the
praise of His glory because we having previously trusted (Gr. proeelpikotos- prohlpikotoV) in Christ.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise,
Please allow me to present a better translation,
and not my own:
Ephesians 1:13 in whom
also you, hearing the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also
believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (J. P. Green’s LitV)
Christ Jesus is the One in whom we trusted. The KJV says that we trusted after
we "heard," or understood the word of truth.
A word translated “after” in the KJV does not exist in the Textus
Receptus Greek Text. Christ Jesus is the One in whom we trusted. We trusted
after we
"heard," or understood the
word of truth. Biblical hearing requires
a positive response. Our first “hearing” is the call of the Holy Spirit to come
to Christ Jesus.
Here is a simple matter that passes
right over the head of many. We could not have trusted in Christ until we
"heard" the word. Yet, there are those who oppose, or neglect
evangelism. While it is true that we are not to drag people to Christ, we are
to point them in His direction.
The act of pointing is called
evangelism. Most Christians do not
feel comfortable in the work of evangelism. The work of making disciples of all
nations is a foreign concept to many that are considered to be Christians.
When we believed (Gr. pisteusates-pisteusateV) in Christ, we were sealed with the
Holy Spirit of promise. We cannot be unsealed.
Sealed (Gr. esphragistheete-esfragisqhte) is a word that is little understood. That Greek word refers
to a seal as on the scroll of Revelation. As you recall, only Christ Jesus
could open those seals.
Rev
5:5 And one of the
elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of
the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The seals of the Holy Spirit also
cannot be opened by just any person, devil, or demon who may presume to attempt
such. Once we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we are sealed.
That seal cannot be opened by any
except Christ and we cannot be lost again.
Our body and soul are not sealed, but
our spirit is. Our spirit is sealed by God’s Holy Spirit. That seal is solid
and while our bodies grow old and our souls may change, our spirit remains
protected from sin by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:14 Which is the earnest
of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the
praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit is the
"earnest" or "up front partial payment" on our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession. That is an important concept.
I won't go into a summary of the word
"earnest." You have probably heard it a thousand times. You know the
story about "earnest money." It's true, so I will not trot it out
again.
"Purchased possession"
comes from just one Greek word. It means
an acquisition.
Have you ever thought of yourself as
an acquisition?
On the cross, Christ
"acquired" you. He is now your Lord. Christ Jesus is your
"Owner." Jesus now has the
legal property rights to your life.
Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
What does your reputation have to do
with Christ?
The world judges Christ by what
Christians do or don't do. It is an unfair comparison.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul gives us
some very good advice, "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1
Thessalonians 5:22). The appearance of
evil is all society needs to condemn Christ and Christians.
Reputations are always there. The
Ephesians had a good reputation. Paul
said, "I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the
saints." Reputations have a way of "making the rounds."
Paul knew who loved the saints, and
who did not. Those things cannot remain hidden for long. Do you remember the
slogan, "You can't fool all the people all the time?" Well, you can't
fool God anytime.
Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Do you make mention of the Saints in
your prayers?
Paul stood in the gap for his
children of the faith. We should take note of what he did and imitate him. As
you read this, Christ Jesus is interceding for you.
Should you take more time to pray for
brothers and sisters of the faith?
It is advisable!
Ephesians 1:17-19
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what
is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
This is another of Paul's prayers
that can be modified to pray for any Christian. Use it in this manner:
"Dear Father, for (insert name),
I ask that that You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, may give (him/her) the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that (he/she) may know You better. I also
pray that the eyes of (his/her) heart may be enlightened in order that (insert
name) may know the hope to which You have called (him/her), the riches of Your
glorious inheritance in the saints, and You incomparably great power for us who
believe.
In Jesus' name,
Amen."
Now, let's look at each verse:
Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him:
God gives us so many things. He gives
us the Spirit of wisdom to deal with sin. He gives us the revelation of Christ
Jesus.
That revelation results in salvation.
Without the revelation of Christ, all the wisdom in the world would be of
little value. With the revelation of Christ, we have all the wisdom needed to
go forward to victory with Christ. Victory is the manifestation of Christ in
our lives that gives us life.
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
We should pray that our fellow saints
gain understanding. We need to "see" clearly so that we may know the
hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in (Gr. en-en)
the saints. We are Christ's inheritance. He is ours. We are His.
Psalms
2:8 Ask of me, and I
shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
On the cross, Christ Jesus asked for
us, the heathen. And, He got what he
asked for. The Greek word translated "Enlightened" is where we get
the English word "photograph."
We get a photo when we expose film to light. We become Christian when we
are exposed to Christ, Son-light.
Ephesians 1:19 And what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power,
We must also understand the exceeding
greatness of His compassionate power toward those who believe. We have the
power (the Holy Spirit) within us to change lives. God's power in our lives is
not just great. It is exceeding greatness.
Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places,
The power within us is the same power
that raised Christ Jesus from the dead. It was used to set Him at God's right
hand in the heavenly places. The power of God not only raised Christ Jesus from
the dead, it caused life to come into us.
How was Christ raised from the dead?
He received a commandment---a Law
from God!
John 10:17-18
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might
take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of
myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of my Father.
John 14:28-31
28 "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to
you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the
Father,' for My Father is greater than I.
29 "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to
pass, you may believe.
30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is
coming, and he has nothing in Me.
31 "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father
gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. (NKJV)
Ephesians 1:21 Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
The name "Jesus" represents
the power of God. His name is superior to all other principalities, powers,
things of might, and dominions. "Jesus" is superior to everything
that has been named. His superiority
extents from this age to the age to come and beyond.
God's power allowed Christ to be
restored to His rightful place beside the Father. It has created a situation in
which our "rightful place" is now with the Father.
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all
things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church,
We do not see it at this time, but
when Christ, on the cross, said, "It is finished," that was the
moment He finished His work to have all things put under his feet. At that point, The Holy Spirit of God within
Christ took control to establish Jesus as Lord.
The Holy Spirit within Jesus (of
humanity) caused His resurrection. The
Holy Spirit within us shall cause our resurrection at Jesus' coming.
Ephesians 1:23 Which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth
all in all.
The Father established Jesus as head
over all things including the church and established the Church as His earthly
agency. There are those who teach that
Christ shall come back for a Church without spot or blemish, and He shall!
However, the Church is already without spot or blemish. Some teach that the spots and blemishes
represent immaturity in the Church. That is not true!
Spots and blemishes within the human
Church are non-Christians who pretend to be something they are not. The true
Church has been cleansed by the washing of the water of the word. Pretenders
are doing "their" best to claim spiritual cleanliness without going
through Christ Jesus.
Christ Jesus was emphatic! He said,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me" (John 14:6).
Verse 23 speaks of Christ in
relationship to His body so that He “may be filling all in all.” That is His
goal but that happens in a systematic way. Those who hate Christ are not now
filled with Christ as some would have us believe. This last verse in this
chapter speaks of the Church as the body of Christ Jesus that fills or
completes all things in all people. If
you are outside of the Church of Jesus Christ, you are incomplete. You shall be
complete when you are reconciles to God through Christ Jesus.