Wisdom and Revelation
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Intro
Intro
Story
William Randolph Hearst was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications.
He was one of the richest men in the world in the 1920s and early 30s.
He invested a fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. He collected Greek vases, Spanish and Italian furniture, an extensive library with many books signed by their authors, and paintings and statues.
At one point he owned some furniture from Charles Dickens, George Washington's waistcoat, and Thomas Jefferson's Bible.
Once his storage filled up, he bought a five-story warehouse in New York City, and even hired staff to document each item and some ex-military guards to protect it.
One day Mr. Hearst read the description of a valuable art item which he sent his agent abroad to find. After months of searching all over the world, the agent reported that he had finally found the treasure. To the surprise of Hearst, the priceless masterpiece was stored...in none other than the warehouse...of William Randolph Hearst.
PAUSE
He had been searching all over the world for a treasure he already possessed. If only he had known what he already had...
Maybe you’re not a millionaire, but have you ever done something like that, where you didn’t realize what you already had?
I made a list and went grocery shopping last week with the kids, and I had noticed that the ketchup was almost gone in the fridge, so I put it on the list. We bought ketchup, and then when I went to put it away in the pantry, there was already a nice, brand new bottle of ketchup just sitting there in the pantry! So now we have two ketchups!
I didn’t need anything new, I just needed to know what I had.
I think sometimes as Christians we forget what we already have. We take it for granted, or we get distracted, and we just live like everybody else.
We don’t realize the treasures that we already have.
We don’t realize the treasures that we already have.
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I want to read to you a prayer today. This is Ephesians 1:15-23, and it’s a prayer by the Apostle Paul, who is arguably the greatest Christian in all of history.
He spread the gospel from Israel all over the Mediterranean, to Turkey, Greece, Syria, and Crete. He planted many many churches. He spent 3 years in Ephesus, where he trained up Timothy, and Titus, and other young leaders to take the gospel all over the world.
He wrote 2/3 of the New Testament, which has shaped the beliefs of Christians for 2000 years! 1/3 of the 8 billion people alive today say that his letters carry spiritual power and authority over their lives!
I want to know what his prayer life was like. What kinds of things did He pray? How did he minister to others? What did He pray over them?
Well good news, many of his letters contain his prayers, and we can get a glimpse of what he would ask God for. We can see what Paul would pray over you and me.
When we read this passage, we can see that
Central Truth: The greatest Christian in history would ask God to reveal to you the value of the eternal hope and the supernatural power that God has already given to you.
Central Truth: The greatest Christian in history would ask God to reveal to you the value of the eternal hope and the supernatural power that God has already given to you.
Turn with me to Ephesians 1:15-23
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Paul wants God to give the Ephesians a spirit of wisdom and revelation, and he thinks that God will do that by making Himself known to them.
The knowledge and wisdom combination tells us that we are not just talking about mere facts here, but about the application of truth to life, a practical understanding of how to live life.
The more we get to know God Himself, the more wise we are. We get to know God’s way of thinking about things, and we can live in the way that He wants us to.
We make better decisions in light of eternity. We have better perception of spiritual things.
The more we get to know God Himself, the more spiritual truth we can know.
This word revelation means revealing or unveiling, like God is opening the curtains to uncover these spiritual truths about Himself for us to know.
And God and Paul want us to know something this morning.
In Christ, we are rich. We have been given an inheritance from God that is a priceless treasure, because we will spend eternity with Him.
AND, we have the limitless power of God at work in our lives, and nothing can take those things away.
I don’t want you to forget what you have from God. I want to remind you today of:
2 priceless assets from God in your spiritual portfolio:
2 priceless assets from God in your spiritual portfolio:
In accounting, you have assets and liabilities, and in Christ, we are rich. I want you to know just how spiritually rich you are this morning.
Asset 1: The hope of an eternal inheritance
Asset 1: The hope of an eternal inheritance
v18 - in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people
We have been called to a specific hope.
This word “called” or “calling” is often used in Scripture to refer to how God has saved us. It’s an invitation to follow Jesus. He says “come, follow me”, and when we accept that invitation to repent and believe in Him, we receive a specific hope.
What is our hope? Is it just that we can have a positive outlook because God gives meaning to the world? It’s actually much more than that.
Our hope actually extends beyond just this life to eternity.
The hope of Christ followers is that we will receive a glorious inheritance from God.
What is our inheritance?
The writers of the New Testament used this word just as the Jewish writers of their time were using it. They said that our inheritance from God is eternal life. It’s already ours, we just have to wait for it.
Jesus said this to his disciples:
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
So if we follow Jesus, we will receive a reward, both in this life, and in eternity!
What does this mean for our lives?
1. We can feel confident to surrender every part of our lives to Jesus. Our surrender to Jesus will be rewarded.
1. We can feel confident to surrender every part of our lives to Jesus. Our surrender to Jesus will be rewarded.
Whatever we give up in this life is a small thing compared to the reward of eternal life that we will receive when Jesus comes back.
So don’t hold back any part of your life from Him. Live all in for Jesus, because it’s worth it!
2. We can have joy during our trials.
2. We can have joy during our trials.
Paul wrote Ephesians from prison for sharing the gospel. So when he says that you can have hope that God reveals to you, he isn’t just treating the difficulties of life lightly. He is living this out.
In the midst of this dark, damp prison, while feeling hungry and cold, Paul still has hope.
He knows that this life and all of the suffering that we experience will end one day, and we will be with Jesus forever and everything wrong with the world will come undone when Jesus reigns over all the earth.
Peter says something very similar:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
We have an inheritance that is more precious than gold. It will never tarnish or fade. Our inheritance is more certain than wealth, and having this hope can bring us joy in the midst of our trials.
*LOOK UP
No matter what is going on around us, the eyes of our heart are fixed on Him as we anticipate His return.
Anyone feeling grieved by various trials this morning?
I don’t know all of your trials and struggles, but I do know that all of us face difficult times in life.
Losing a job
Struggling to make ends meet
Being mocked for your faith
You can have hope in the midst of your pain and your struggle, because this life is not all there is. This is not the end.
Jesus is coming back, and He will make everything right in the world. Our trials are painful, but temporary.
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Your faithfulness in this present life will result in praise, glory, and honor for you when Jesus returns. He will reward your faithfulness!
3. Death has lost its teeth
3. Death has lost its teeth
Monsters, Inc. - monster puts in his teeth to go scare kids
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
-Our hope is resurrection! The fulfillment of your salvation will be revealed at the revelation of Jesus, the second coming. The dead in Christ will be raised and live forever with Him in the new heavens and the new earth.
And so, for us who believe, we don’t have to fear death in the same way as unbelievers. Death does not have the final word. Death has lost its teeth!
Asset 1: The hope of an eternal inheritance
Asset 2: The limitless power of God
Asset 2: The limitless power of God
When God gives you wisdom, and when God reveals Himself to you, you come to understand His incomparably great power for us who believe in Him.
God wants to open your eyes to realize just how powerful He is!
Paul uses 4 different Greek words relating to power in Ephesians 1, because one word is just not enough to communicate God’s power!
Story - Black & Decker drill vs. Milwaukee
You have a Milwaukee, but you’re acting like you have a Black & Decker.
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1. God’s power strengthens us so that we can have patience and even joy as we endure difficult things in life.
1. God’s power strengthens us so that we can have patience and even joy as we endure difficult things in life.
Paul prayed a similar prayer for the church in Colossae as he did for the church in Ephesus:
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
When we worship God by serving Him with good works and getting to know Him more, He strengthens us with His power. It helps to have hope in the midst of your trials, but it helps even more to have the Almighty God at work in your life to strengthen you during your time of need.
2.God has given us all of the spiritual power that we need to live a godly life.
2.God has given us all of the spiritual power that we need to live a godly life.
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
When we know Him, we are given all the spiritual power that we need to live a godly life.
It’s not impossible for you to break that habit of pornography or addiction. It’s not impossible for you to resist that temptation to lie. God has given you everything you need to live a godly life.
3. We can withstand the spiritual forces of evil and the devil himself because God’s power is on our side!
3. We can withstand the spiritual forces of evil and the devil himself because God’s power is on our side!
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
We don’t have to be afraid of demons. We don’t have to be afraid of Wiccans casting spells.
The living God has complete and utter authority over the power of the enemy.
We don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory!
The enemy has already been defeated at the cross, he’s just awaiting his sentencing at the second coming.
He has no power against the Lord!
4. God is infinitely more powerful than we could ever imagine!
4. God is infinitely more powerful than we could ever imagine!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
God is able to do WAAAYYYY more than we can even ask Him to do. Way more than we can even imagine is possible. And His power is at work inside of us!
Most of us are thinking way too small
If every prayer you prayed was answered was answered, what would be different? Would you just have an easier life and not have health problems? Or are you asking God for bigger things?
Testimonies
LORD HELP ME - DIDN’T HIT THE TRACTOR
PRAYING AWAY THE RAIN BEFORE OUTREACH
PRAYED AGAINST 8-YEAR INSOMNIA-HEALED
BEST FRIEND PRAYED AND HAIR GREW BACK IN MEXICO
PRAYED FOR PASSPORT TUESDAY AND IT ARRIVED ON FRIDAY
Application
Is your view of God too small?
God can’t heal, God can’t change this thing, God is far away...
Do you feel like you can’t live a godly life?
It’s just impossible for you to live like God wants you to…NO, God can set you free from sin and transform you from the inside out!
Have you accepted the work of the enemy instead of being strong in God’s power and standing firm against the enemy?
What would your life look like if you really believed that nothing is impossible for God? How would you live differently if you knew that He can do infinitely more than you could ever imagine?
Conclusion
Conclusion
God has already given you eternal hope and His supernatural power is at work in your life! Do you see it?
Or are you living like there is no hope?
Are the ups and downs of this life what defines your existence? Or do you actually believe that there is hope for the future beyond the pain of this life?
Do you live with the same values as unbelievers who have no eternal hope?
God wants you to really really grasp the hope that He has given you as His child. No matter what you’re walking through, there is hope for you!
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Are you living like God has no power?
Are you living a life that depends on the power of God, and expects Him to move, or are you just trusting your own power?
If every prayer you prayed was answered was answered, what would be different?
Are you praying small prayers because you actually have a small view of God? Or are you praying big prayers because you are convinced that God’s power has no limits?
Response Moment
If you want to know God more and receive wisdom and revelation from Him
Stand (if you’re able) and hold out your hands
PRAYER
-repent for not believing that God could change anything.
-give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation
END - Jill transitions to video
What response do I want?
Feel—the power of God, thankfulness, hopeful during trials, less fear
Think—God is so powerful, there is hope for me
Say—Affirm God’s power, verbalize their hope, repent for not believing in God’s power, or living for this life
Do—Praise God, thank God, trust God
Text
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked 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 authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Subject:
Central Truth:
Textual outline
Paul prayed that God may give the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom and revelation
In the knowledge of Him
Having the eyes of your heart enlightened to:
the hope to which He has called you
the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
His power toward us who believe
immeasurable greatness
according to the working of His great might
that he worked 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 authority and power and dominion
and above every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Principle Outline v1
When God reveals more of Himself to you (gives you spiritual wisdom), it opens your heart to know that you have:
The hope of eternal life
The unlimited power of God on your side
Jesus is King for all eternity
Subject: Where can I find hope and real spiritual power?
Central Truth: God is the true source of hope and supernatural power.
Principle Outline v2
2 priceless assets from God in your spiritual portfolio.
Asset 1: The hope of an eternal inheritance
Asset 2: The limitless power of God
Subject: What would the greatest Christian in history request from God for you?
Central Truth: The greatest Christian in history would ask God to reveal to you the hope and the supernatural power that God has already given to you.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
“deposit guaranteeing” - Business documents used this greek term to designate a down payment or first installment.
Building on OT Promises (Isa. 65:9; Jer. 31:11; Mic. 4:10), Jewish interpreters spoke of God’s people inheriting the world to come and they looked for God to redeem them from oppression.
Under His feet - v22
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
Wisdom - v17
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Seated at His right hand - v20
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Knowledge of God/Jesus
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Inheritance
Are we His inheritance?
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
eternal
For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
eternal reward, not payback to wrongdoers
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
eternal, promised
connection to “called”
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
KEY PASSAGE
living hope=inheritance (imperishable, undefiled, unfading)
kept in heaven for you
not yet revealed
the revelation of jesus christ
obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls
English Standard Version Chapter 15
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Lexham Theological Wordbook κληρονομία
κληρονομία (klēronomia). n. fem. inheritance. Property possessed by a lawful heir.
This word is the usual Septuagint translation of נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ, “inheritance”). In the NT, Heb 11:8 follows the Septuagint usage in its discussion of the klēronomia of Abraham. The term refers to temporal property as well in the Gospels (e.g., Mark 12:7; Luke 12:13) and in Acts 7:5. The other NT uses of klēronomia refer to the present right of Christians to receive future spiritual blessings (e.g., Acts 20:32; Gal 3:18; Eph 1:14; Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4).
Inheritance: eternal life (resurrection)
Calling
called to salvation?
Ekklesia: “called out ones”
As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Called to be Israelites
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
Euphemism for saved, belief in Jesus
Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
Euphemism for saved
You were bought with a price
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
called to the one hope that belongs to your call
called to the Lord, faith, baptism, God
Grace was given to each one of us
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Lies ahead - fullness/fulfillment of salvation
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
context of second coming and final judgment
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
saved us and called us
because of grace (salvation)
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
heavenly
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
forgetting that he was cleansed from sin
there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of Jesus
But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Lexham Theological Wordbook κλῆσις
call, calling. The act of calling someone or the goal to which someone is called.
This noun is related to the verb καλέω (kaleō, “to call”), and is used in the NT only of callings issued by God (e.g., Rom 11:29; Heb 3:1).
call, implying a new relationship (Eph 1:18;
1. calling — an authoritative summons (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something; especially a summons to the hope of salvation in Jesus.
HOPE
Wiersbe: The word hope doesn’t mean “hope so,” like a child hoping for adoll or a bike at Christmas. The word carries with it “assurance for the future.” The believer’s hope is, of course, the return of Jesus Christ for His church…when we were lost, we were without hope (Eph. 2:12), but in Jesus Christ we have a “living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3) that encourages us day by day.
The Christians who once lived [in Ephesus} are today in heaven, enjoying the glory of God!
The fact that we shall one day see Christ and be like Him should motivate us to live like Christ today.
GIVE
didomi—to allow someone to have what the person has requested
Also translated “grant” instead of “give”
POWER
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
God has given us all of the spiritual power that we need to live a godly life. When we know Him, we are given all the spiritual power that we need to live a godly life.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
We can withstand the spiritual forces of evil and the devil himself because God’s power is on our side!
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God is able to do WAAAYYYY more than we can even ask Him to do. Way more than we can even imagine is possible. And His power is at work inside of us!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Expository Notes
Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary (Bock) i. Prayer for Understanding of Their Hope, Riches and Especially Power (1:15–23)
Prayer for understanding of their hope, riches and especially power
The verb give looks like a request for God to send something that is not already present, making this less than likely to be the sense, given that the already present indwelling of the Spirit has this impartation of wisdom in response to revelation as part of the goal of indwelling. So most translations opt for ‘a spirit of wisdom and revelation’ (NASB, NLT, NET, RSV), which would mean our human spirit influenced by or with reference to wisdom and revelation from God. The picture is of a spiritual maturity rooted in a proper perception of the way things are in terms of knowing God. The Holy Spirit is still in view here, but in a more indirect way.
The knowledge and wisdom combination tells us that we are not just talking about mere facts here, but about the application of truth to life, a practical understanding of how to live life.
The reference to heart speaks of the seat of understanding, ‘the centre of personality
The request is that they may know three things: (1) the hope of his calling; (2) the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints; and (3) the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe. When Paul gets to power, he will focus on it because the other two topics depend on what God by his power is able to do through and for us. There is a rich hope that we need to appreciate, a trajectory of the faith walk that enables a richness of life. There is also a treasure trove we have received by grace that is to motivate that calling and walk. It is all driven by the power we have access to in Christ so that success is not only possible, but eventually guaranteed when God finishes what he will accomplish through the Messiah.
The hope of his calling looks to the time when God will fully redeem us. At that time, peace with God among peoples and the creation will be fully restored and all will be reconciled (Rom. 5:2–5; 8:17–30; 12:12; 15:13; 2 Cor. 5:17–21; Gal. 5:5; Col. 1:5; Titus 1:2).
The wealth of his glorious inheritance is much of what the rest of the letter is about. Grace gives believers many blessings and forms our identity.
It is an honour to belong to God and to receive what he gives as a result. This is where the core of a stable personal identity in Christ comes from: we belong to the Creator God and are precious to him.
four different terms denoting power are present in verse 19: power, working, strength and might
dunamis: power
energeia: working
kratos: mighty
ischus: power
It is hard to determine any distinction between the terms so that the effect is rhetorical: any way you can think about or express power is what you have access to as a believer.
If there is any distinction, then dynamis is potential power and energeia41 is realized or active power, while the last two terms are basically synonyms for the capability God possesses to act: kratos is used to affirm God’s attribute of power in exclamations like ‘power be to God’ (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 Pet. 4:11; Jude 25; Rev. 1:6; 5:13), and ischys refers to God’s might or strength (Eph. 6:10; 1 Pet. 4:11).
God demonstrated what he can do for us (1 Cor. 6:14; Phil. 3:10) when he raised Jesus from the dead and gave him a seat that showed that Jesus shares in the execution of salvation in the world (Matt. 28:18).
It makes no difference whether the authority in question is visible or invisible: Christ is above it (Col. 2:10, 15). Neither the authority of Rome nor that of hostile spiritual forces can stop what God is doing in Christ. In a context where Rome claimed such total power or shared the state’s power with provincial cities, the remark is important.
This is a way of saying that the rule remains for ever by appealing to the common Jewish view that there is this age and an age to come
First, God put all things under his [Jesus’] feet, an allusion to the initial role of humanity in the creation (Gen. 1:26–28) as well as to the divine authority Jesus possesses as part of the shared rule over creation (1 Cor. 15:20–28). Psalm 8:6 is cited here, a text with roots in the central Genesis 1:26–28 passage that mentions the creation of humanity and the call to rule or manage the creation well.
The Message of Ephesians 2. A Prayer for Knowledge (1:15–23)
It is not that they may receive a ‘second blessing’, but rather that they may appreciate to the fullest possible extent the implications of the blessing they have already received. So the essence of his prayer for them is that you may know (verse 18).
Word Studies
Lexham Theological Wordbook επίγνωσις
επίγνωσις (epignōsis). n. fem. knowledge, understanding. Relating to knowledge of transcendent value.
In the NT, epignōsis generally refers to knowledge of a spiritual or moral nature such as awareness of one’s sinfulness (Rom 3:20) or knowledge of God (Col 1:10) or his truth (Titus 1:1). The word is used 20 times in the NT. The three times the word is used in the letter to the Romans, it refers to spiritual blindness, not having the true knowledge that points to God. In every occurrence outside of Romans (that is, the remaining 17 times), epignōsis indicates spiritual understanding such as knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Tim 2:25; Titus 1:1; Heb 10:26), knowledge of God (Eph 1:17; Col 3:10; 2 Pet 1:2–8), or knowledge of God’s will (Phil 1:9; Col 1:9).
Wiersbe, NT, p. 589ff.
We were born rich when we trusted Christ. But this is not enough, for we must grow in our understanding of our riches if we are ever going to use them to the glory of God.
William Randolph Hearst art collection illustration
Ephesians written from prison (prison prayers-Eph. 1:15-23, 3:14-21, Phil. 1:9-11, col. 1:9-12)
In none of these prayers did Paul request material things. His emphasis was on spiritual perception and real Christian character. He did not ask God to give them what they did not have, but rather prayed that God would reveal to them what they already had.
Enlightenment comes from the Holy Spirit. Man…needs the Spirit to enlighten him (1 Cor. 2:9-16) The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us from the Word, and then gives us the wisdom to understand and apply it. -ASSUMES that HS is in view in the passage
Heart means the inner man, and includes the emotions, the mind, and the will.
The inability to see and understand spiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but of the heart. The eyes of the heart must be opened by the Spirit of God.
By nature we are took weak to appreciate and appropriate this wealth, and to use it as it should be used. God’s power enables us to use God’s wealth.
There are enemies who want to rob us of our wealth. We could never defeat these spiritual foes in our own power, but we can through the Spirit’s power. Paul wanted us to know the greatness of God’s power so that we would not fail to use our wealth, and so that the enemy would not deprive us of our wealth.
In Eph. 1:22-23, Paul explained the practical application…there is a living ocnnection between you and Christ.
Through the Spirit, we are united to Him as the members of His body. This means that we share His resurrection, ascension, and exaltation. We too are seated in the heavenlies, and all things are under our feet.
The power of the Holy Spirit, available to us through the resurrected, ascended Christ, is available to all Christians—by faith. It is grace that supplies the wealth, but it is faith that lays hold of the wealth. We are saved by grace through faith.
Will you begin to know by experience God’s calling, riches, and power?
Illustration
William, as the only heir to a mining fortune amassed by his father, George, was free to acquire works at a feverish pace. During the 1920s and 1930s, he continued to acquire art through auction houses and dealers in the United States and throughout Europe. As the items accrued, Hearst soon outgrew rented storage and purchased a five-story building on Southern Boulevard in the Bronx, New York, to secure his growing collection. There he hired a full-time staff to photograph and record each item purchased and a squad of ex-marines to protect it all.
Personal notes
True wisdom, true enlightenment, true wealth, and true power are found in knowing God.
Our eternal reward gives us hope in the present.
Paraphrase: “Having the understanding/perception of your inner self illuminated/enlightened”
God is the source of wisdom and revelation.
Englightened: insight