In addition to a holy calling, saints also have a high ("upward") calling (Php 3:14+) and a heavenly calling (Heb 3:1+). In Jesus day, men would bury their treasure in a field for safekeeping. WALK IN THE SPIRIT. Click for additional discussion on some of the aspects of the hope of this calling. Precious things of the sun and of the moon, for God is light; of the ancient mountains of his faithfulness, and the everlasting hills of his truth; of the fountains and brooks of his love, that gush spontaneously forth to satisfy and enrich. These refer to various kinds of ability ranging from physical/ mental expenditure (Genesis 31:6), sexual potency (Genesis 49:3), or Gods power (Exodus 9:16; 15:6). Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. But even though he has reached it, several years must pass before he can understand its value, or compel it to minister, with all its products, to his need. There is a superabundance of machinery; what is wanting is power. (Click to read more about your inheritance in Spurgeon's Sermon A Wise Desire based on Ps 47:4). When he prayed that believers would know Gods incomparably great power, his idea of knowing came right from the Old Testament. But that one in our nature should be exalted to that seat of pre-eminence and power; that the Mediator between God and man should be the man Christ Jesus; that the hands which once were nailed to the cross should now hold the sceptre, and that the feet which once walked on Lake Gennesaret, which were weary and dust-soiled at Jacobs well, which were washed with a sinful womans tears and kissed in penitential grief and love with polluted lipsthat these very feet should now have all things put under them both in heaven and earth, there is the mystery. As Paul puts it (2 Tim. To which is added another, and that is redemption; the author of which is Christ; the price, or procuring and meritorious cause of it is his blood; a branch of which is forgiveness of sins; and the whole is according to the plenteous and free grace of God, Eph 1:7, the entire plan and scheme of which is the produce of abundant wisdom and prudence, Eph 1:8, and is no other than the mystery of the will of God revealed in the Gospel, according to his sovereign will and purpose, Eph 1:9, which lay hid within himself until the fulness of times, or the Gospel dispensation, in which Christ being sent, has gathered all together in himself, Eph 1:10, through whom the saints enjoy the inheritance they are adopted to in predestination, which is the effect of an unfrustrable purpose, and a wise counsel and will, Eph 1:11. John of each person. Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. F B Meyer writes about THE SAINTS' INHERITANCE IN GOD (Ephesians 1:14, Ephesians 5:5). 1. 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. 2:12) as, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.. Second, this enlightenment comes to the heart of the believer (Eph. Maybe youre saying, Is that ever true! The American Standard Version reads: "the eyes of your heart," not mind. God never gives niggardly to His children but according to the (infinite) riches of His grace! 1 Peter 4:11 (note) Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. The Message Compact Bible--soft leather-look, black, The Message//REMIX 2.0, Purple Swirl - Imperfectly Imprinted Bibles, The Message Deluxe Gift Bible--soft leather-look, amethyst gem, The Message of Hope: Discover Meaning and Purpose for Your Life - eBook. 2:9f; 28:20, 22; 30:4; 2 Sam. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. 7:7; Ezek. Others are called to be pastors, teachers, worship leaders, Bible translators, or to a host of other avenues that honor the Lord. Finally, the context both here and throughout Ephesians seems to emphasize the motif of light as a property belonging to believers. ", Luke 10:27+ And he answered and said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. The invitation goes out to everyone: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. But many ignore the invitation or make up excuses for why they cannot respond. All rights reserved), If someone sees the best in me, In my opinion, you cant separate the two, because when your eyes are enlightened to know objectively all that God has promised to give you in Christ, it fills you with hope subjectively in your heart. God can. It would have been a tall prayer if Paul had prayed that we would know Gods inheritance in the saints. Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural. In 2Co 3:10 = "surpassing glory" and 2Co 9:14 = "surpassing grace." WE DON'T JUST NEED A LITTLE HELP, A LITTLE "PUSH" SO TO SPEAK, BUT WE NEED HIS SUPERNATURAL POWER - cf Php 2:13NLT+) overcome our difficulties each day. Paul says this enlightenment is abiding and permanent state (See previous noteon what this means regarding the translation). All the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb; Death himself could not hold Jesus in his bonds: even thus irresistible is the power put forth in the believer when he is raised to newness of life. 31:10; Ezek. Ephesians 1:18 In-Context 16 I couldn't stop thanking God for you - every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. Paul applies this truth that we are God's inheritance in his letter to the Corinthians writing Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? Ephesians 1:18-23 The Message 15-19 That's 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 couldn't stop thanking God for youevery time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. Have you ever wondered why church prayer meetings tend to have low turnouts? Jeremiah Bend the whole energy of your powers to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion every time. They will give us the strength to persevere in godliness. When we are faithful to the call to obedience, He can call us to more specific areas (seeLuke 16:10).GotQuestions.org. Lord, help me to influence prayer time at my church so that it is a healthy representation of the full Christian life, from supplication to praise. 6:10-13). The uses of eido will not be listed because of the large number (656 hits in 619 verses searching on Strong's Number in the NT - if you want to see these usesCLICK HERE and go down to the "Frequency Lists" and you can study the uses in different translations book by book). But in order that you may know (eido) that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins-- He said to the paralytic--I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home. It is kept for us, and we are kept for it. We have His "seal" on us, and more accurately within us in the presence of His Holy Spirit. With his natural mind, man cannot understand the things of God. This power is one of three aspects of the mighty salvation God won for believers in Christ: 1. the hope to which God has called them, Deuteronomy Here he prays that we will know the riches of its glory. 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. 7:35; 2 Ki. | GotQuestions.org, Is there any power in positive thinking? It always refers to supernatural power: once of satanic power (2 Thess 2:9), while the others allude to Gods power directly (Eph 1:19; 3:7; Phil 3:21; Col 1:29; 2:12; 2 Thess 2:11) or indirectly (Eph 4:16). 7 Ways To Keep From Killing Your Message By Carey Nieuwhof on March 1, 2023 Yes, there are dark spiritual powers at work behind the problems Paul discusses in Ephesiansanger, stealing, bitterness, slander, sexual immorality, greed, deception, and so on. So of moral vigor. It sounds idealistic. The text doesnt indicate that we personally have the power to raise the dead or perform other miracles. Let that motivate you to praise your rich and glorious God for His rich and glorious inheritance! Thus to believe is to obey and to stake one's life on the truth of the gospel manifesting a lifestyle in accordance with that truth. Malachi The NTs concept of hope is built on the OT and has the elements of expectation, a trust in God, and the patient waiting for Gods outworking of his plan. Ezekiel 2:89), and we live by grace, through faith (1Cor. Victory is ours! Will you, starting today, begin to know by experience GodGods callingGods richesand Gods power?" His faith that God will strengthen me The contrast between the two verbs is illustrated in John 8:55, Ye have not known Him [ginsk, you have not entered upon the knowledge]: but I know Him (oida, that is, I have perfect knowledge of Him). He has riches untold. COMMENT - Note how Paul associates our New Creation in Christ (2Co 5:17+) with the creation of the heavens and the earth. What a disappointment to someone who helped contribute to that $50 million figure! (Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook, 2002 Edition), Robert Gundry -The heart was considered an organ of knowing as well as of feeling. Salem Media Group. 18:1; Rev. 14:13, 17; 24:18; Deut. Also the verb ischuooIt is good for nothing (Mt. Spiritual enlightenment doesnt come through self-effort or introspective meditation but through Gods Holy Spirit. (1Pe 1:5-note) The idea is that we are being brought through an enemys country under a strong escortas (escort = a person or group of persons accompanying another to give protection ) the women and children from Lucknow, between the double line of English soldiers, till they were safe from the onset of the Sepoys. 29:1113). To correct this problem, we must embrace all aspects of prayer. Nothing will rob you of your assurance quicker than unconfessed sin. When a person is aware of that call and surrenders to it, he or she starts living out Gods purpose for him or her (seeJeremiah 1:45;Isaiah 49:1;Galatians 1:15). free! Do we not remember that glorious hour when He carried our hearts by storm? Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17, Psalms 121:3, Philippians 4:19, James 1:17, Ephesians 1:3, Revelation 21:9, Romans 8:21-26, . The only check that can ever be imposed upon the continuous current of His mighty power to usward is the self-imposed check of unbelief. 11:2; John 14:2526; 16:1214). The analogy that we have quoted, however, fails us utterly in its final working out. And then look at our Lord now at the right hand of the Father on high. A calling, invitation; in the NT, always of a divine call. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. In Ephesians 1:1820, Paul prays for believers to experience Gods resurrection power through a personal, intimate relationship with God. But while countless people place, or rather misplace, their faith in the transforming power of subliminal messages, living faith in Jesus Christ cannot fail to do its transforming work. 5:19 = making melody with your heart to the Lord; Eph. Live today in anticipation of Christs imminent return. 34:8; 1Pe 2:3), smell (Phil. 3:7; Eph. Faith and Riches - Do you want to be rich? (Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith), John MacArthur- UNDERSTANDING YOUR CALLING. I pray that you may know the surpassing greatness of [Gods] power toward us who believe (Eph. You. In favor of this view is the context of Ephesians 1 (verses 3, 11, & 14). The Father has chosen (verse 4) and predestined (verse 5) believers to adoption in Jesus Christ. But wholly lean on Jesus name. The power that God has made available to the believer is according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 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 (Eph 1:19-21). In short, Paul prays for our position in Christ to become our practice in Christ. A second way to interpret it is that it refers to the inheritance that God has in His people. Usually ischus denotes power, might, strength, ability. Ancient understanding is often linked to other kinds of power or authority (e.g., dunamis, exousia; cf. The hope of His calling is to see Him and be one with Him. The way to combat these forces is to stand in Gods mighty power (v.10)that is, resurrection power. From phos; to shed rays, i.e. Compatibility Mechanical: 64 Bit (x64) Practice these truths enabled by the Holy Spirit. you may know . On the Saturday before, California businessman Charles Fuller read about Raders visit in the newspaper. Here we see a prayer Paul offered with the intention of strengthening Christs church. That's the reason Paul said, "I am praying that your eyes will be opened, that you will be enlightened, that you will understand this" (Ephesians 1:18). The power which raised Christ from the grave, lifted Him to heaven, put all things under His feet and made Him the Head over all to the Church, is to us-ward who believe. The four words are dunamis, energeia, ischus and kratos.
Ephesians 1:18 - MSG - your eyes focused and clear, Some are called to the political arena or to end human trafficking. This is a wonderful truth. And not just for the time being, but forever. Compare Peter's opening blessing for his readers in his second epistle Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge (epignosis) of God and of Jesus our Lord 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge (epignosis) of Him Who called us by His own glory and excellence. Because My coming is near, and your heavenly account is pretty small, Im giving you an opportunity to make some huge investments in the few days that remain before you go to heaven., You for whom this day has seemed as a thousand yearsrejoice. Yes, it is an inheritance. I knew his hand was bigger than mine." 19:8; 2 Ki. How does this apply? The power of Christ applied in the believers behalf can't be defeated because the Creator's power exceeds that of the evil created beings, Satan and his minions. God has an inheritance. Lamentations 2123). Further, perfectadverbial participles are usually causal in NT Greek. If one had learnt a swifter art of appropriating the wealth that lay open to his hand, he would be actually, though perhaps not potentially, richer than his neighbour. It is a free gift, and yet we have a right to it. spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Later in the letter (chaps. Copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Verse of the Day , Ephesians 1:18 Treasury of Scripture Knowing, God, My Praise (Study In God - All I Need-19). If you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you. . The shadows of secrecy or reserve on either side will blight a friendship in which all the conditions seem perfectly adjusted. He is powerless to apprehend spiritual things. 2:11. He gives the worldling husks; but he stops to find out the sweet fruits for his people. Some of the fairest hopes that ever blessed human vision; the most delightful friendships; the most perfect dreams of delight, have faded and withered before our eyes. Camp out here in a letter that begins with "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly in Christ." The surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness 15-19Thats 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. Part of that prayer is, I pray that . David wrote, Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. Seated with Him. 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. The prophet Jeremiah proclaims that knowledge of God is more valuable than anything else. The ESV also picks up the perfecttense rendering it "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened," which also describes a past completed action. 1:1819).
The faith that saves is not the faith whereby we live the victorious Christian life. It's coming together, and it's all up under the headship of Jesus Christ.