Open the Eyes of My Heart

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

Ephesians 1:17–19 CSB

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

Introduction

Excited to kick off our new Vision Plan 2024 teaching curriculum.

We worked on this from July-November.

It’s one of the most satisfying things we do.

It’s a pleasure to work together with our eldership on this.

It’s all for you.

Don’t you just love the book of Ephesians? It is an absolutely amazing epistle .. so rich and so profound as it expresses what God has done for us in Christ.

Six Spiritual Blessings

Note Ephesians 1.3:

Ephesians 1:3 CSB

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.

every spiritual blessing.

Between here and the end of v . 14 he lists 6 things we presently enjoy.

We’ll be diving into these things in more detail in the coming weeks and months…

But notice...

You have been chosen.

Ephesians 1:4 CSB

4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.

You are part of God’s great, all-encompassing, eternal purpose.

Think of it… how amazing that is:

You have been given the highest privilege … you are God’s child through adoption.

Think of the responsibility it brings:

1.4b - God has determined for you to be holy and blameless.

This is all for a divine purpose:

Ephesians 1:6 CSB

6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

You have been predestined.

Ephesians 1:5 (CSB)

5 He predestined us ...,

From before time began, God predetermined that all who are in Christ will be his.

Whether a person is in that group, depends on what he has chosen to do with Jesus.

You have been adopted.

Ephesians 1:5 (CSB)

5 ...to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

God has brought you into a close, personal relationship with Him.

The basis of this is his heart of love.

You have been redeemed.

Ephesians 1:7 CSB

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

By his work on the cross, Christ purchased you from the curse of the law.

The purchase price was His blood, Titus 2.14.

This redemption has also brought you the gift of power from the Spirit. God helps you in the process of salvation.

You have received revelation.

Ephesians 1:8–9 (CSB)

8 ...he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.

9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ

The redemptive plan of God had been hidden, but now has been made known by the Spirit.

You have received an inheritance.

Ephesians 1:11 (CSB)

11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,

Again from before time began, God devised a plan to save us from sin …

Because of your choice to believe, you are now part of that plan.

We have already received it in part… how?

Ephesians 1:13 (CSB)

13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.

What happened when you heard and believed?

Galatians 4.6 says you received the Spirit. You were sealed.

This is your status.

You are owned by God.

The Spirit comes with the exercise of faith.

He is the content of the sealing.

This seal on us is the mark of God’s ownership of our soul.

That’s what a seal was in the ancient world.

All of a person’s significant possessions were marked with the impression of the seal … even slaves & livestock.

The presence of the Spirit in your life is the mark that you are owned by God.

The Spirit is the Down-Payment or Guarantee That we are Receiving This Inheritance

Ephesians 1:14 (CSB)

14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

God so values His people that He has put down a deposit and will complete the transaction at a point in the future.

And so by giving us the Spirit, the believer has already begun to experience their inheritance.

Verse 14 is your experience.

His presence in your life is the mark you are owned by God.

Look at Paul’s writing in Galatians:

Galatians 4:6 CSB

6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

This is our assurance. He is with us. He will be with us until and through the end.

This is all so profound.

I think these truths are difficult for us to understand. We may go our entire life and not comprehend all there is to know about this.

And I think Paul had this same concern for the Ephesians....

And this is why he prays the prayer he does we referenced in today’s scripture reading.

Verses 1-14 describe or define our position.... our status before God.

Now, in v. 17-23 Paul prays that we will understand what that means … before he will get into how we live inside that position in chapters 4-6.

Before you can effectively do the things that are called for in the practical application part of Ephesians...

You have to understand the basis for who you are in Christ.

That is the foundation from which you operate.

And that is what Paul is praying for in our text.

Ephesians 1:17–18a (CSB)

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened ...

May come to a greater realization of our status … so that we will more clearly understand why we have been called to live the way we do.

This is our great challenge, I think … that is, working to make sure our practice matches our position.

You are a child of the King.

You are one with Jesus Christ.

He lives in you and through you and that demands out of each of us a certain response.

Today

So in the remainder of our time together today.... we’ll look at this prayer from a high-level view.

What is the basis for it?

What he prays for.

The goal of the Spirit’s work.

And we’ll talk about what our intention this year is behind the theme… open the eyes of my heart.

Let’s Pray...

Paul’s Prayer

The Basis for Paul’s Prayer

So let’s go back to v. 15-16.

What is the basis of Paul’s prayer?

Ephesians 1:16 (CSB)

16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

What caused Paul to be thankful?

Ephesians 1:15 (CSB)

15 ...your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

The Ephesians had embraced the gift of salvation and it changed their life.

What Paul Prays For

That they receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation

Ephesians 1:17 (CSB)

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

This was not a prayer he gave for them on one occasion.

Rather, it is a summary of how he prayed for them regularly.

It is for their encouragement.

But it is also to prompt them to remember they need to keep growing and making progress.

A Spirit or The Spirit?

Ephesians 1:17 (CSB)

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

What you read in v.17 depends on the translation because the definite article “the” is missing.

So, for example, my other favorite translation says:

Ephesians 1:17 (NASB 2020)

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

So if you take this rendering, Paul is speaking of our own inner disposition or attitude.

i.e., a spirit we must possess that is one that is open to instruction and willing to use the wisdom it provides...

So which is it?

It is impossible to know since Paul uses these terms interchangeably.

There are many references to the Spirit without the usage of a definite article.

Some think that Paul has Isaiah 11.2 in mind here, which speaks of the Spirit resting on Jesus.

There the Spirit is described as a spirit of wisdom and understanding.

So it would see that the same Spirit that rested on Jesus rests on us.

In the parallel account in Colossians 1.9-10, the Spirit is in view.

The verb for filling there is passive, i.e., you don’t fill yourself … the Spirit fills you by the Word.

Not necessary to get lost in the weeds.

Know this...

The Spirit’s work is not a one time thing. He didn’t just regenerate you at your baptism. His work is ongoing.

And, your life is to be characterized by an ongoing desire for and growth in the knowledge of God.

So it could be either way. In the end, I don’t think it matters.

Bottom line is Paul is praying that God will help them...

To Understand Their Status

i.e., who they are in Christ.

You will never be able to live out principles you don’t understand.

Now, let’s make this personal. God wants you to learn His truth & He has given you the Spirit to teach you and help you understand His word.

The Spirit helps you get to know God better and grow in your relationship with Him.

He does not do this by directly planting knowledge in your mind …

but He does this non-miraculously by giving you the ability to discover it through the study of the Word.

You can pray for help in clearing your mind, preventing distractions, help in concentration, and help in recalling ideas .. or putting ideas together.

His goal is to help you capture what is in the word so you can allow it to sink deep into your heart so it becomes a settled conviction.

Consider James 1.5.

James 1:5 CSB

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.

Here we are not instructed to pray for a new revelation from God… we pray for discernment in how to use and apply what He has already revealed.

To Better Know God

So, back to Ephesians,

Ephesians 1:17 (CSB)

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

God can use the Spirit within you to sharpen your spiritual eyesight … and this is what Paul is praying for.

This is not about the mere receiving of facts (knowledge), but the application of truth to life (wisdom) … a practical understanding of how to live.

And more than that … Paul prays that we grow in our knowledge of God himself.

Philippians 3:10 (CSB)

10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

knowing here

involves knowing about Him.

and knowing him experientially as Father.

You have been given the Spirit as a resource for living the Christian life.

He has not given you the Spirit to fulfill your every self-serving demand.

Instead He grants you a growing and deeper knowledge of God.

Remember, His purpose is to promote and empower a holy life.

Ephesians 1:4 CSB

4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.

The aim is to help you be holy & blameless.

The Goal of the Spirit’s Work

Ephesians 1:18 (CSB)

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened ...

When we put it all together, Paul is praying that their hearts will be enlightened so they will know what God has given them.

The “heart” here is our mind and will and thinking.

It is the “center of our personality.”

Let’s look closer @ v. 18:

Ephesians 1:18 (CSB)

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened ...

Present perfect tense.

They have already been enlightened when they were saved...

But now he is praying that the Spirit will help them understand the Word in more profound ways.

This is why we heed the instruction of Colossians 3.16

Colossians 3:16 CSB

16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Clearly we are participants in the process.

The more we allow the word to dwell within us, the more we will be transformed in to the image of Christ.

The Spirit helps us make it burn in our minds.

It’s the same idea as expressed in Luke 24.31-32:

Luke 24:31–32 CSB

31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?”

As We Close...

Dreamed about my grandmother Thursday night. Her 101st birthday was last week.

In the dream she had gotten old and was not able to get around very well.

I was in her swimming pool at the beginning of the season, cleaning it … scrubbing, water hose in hand, trying to get all the algae and build up washed away.

And we were arguing because I wasn’t doing it the way she would and I kept asking her to get me some bleach, and she didn’t like that.

She could be a stubborn woman set in her ways … and once she made up her mind on just about anything … that is the way it was for her.

Next thing I know she went in and brought out what I asked for … big sigh and frown on her face … and turned around and walked away as I continued to scrub. That was the end of the dream.

So what about us?

Do we pride ourselves about being set in our ways?

Make our mind up on something we believe and that’s it?

Never consider there is more than one way to do something and accomplish the same result?

Reject that there are differing viewpoints and perspectives?

In the Message from the Shepherds in the Vision book, they mention “aha” moments.

Moments where our beliefs are shaped and shifted as we move more and more into the light of truth.

Where things we couldn’t see before, now we see clearly.

That should be all of our desire.

There is a Tension within the Scriptures That we Must Appreciate

Scripture calls for maturity.

Philippians 4.1: It calls us to “stand firm.”

2 Timothy 1.13-14: It calls for us not to depart from that which we have received.

Psalm 1: To become like a tree planted by the water that will be resistant to drought, stress, difficulty, storms.

Colossians 2.6-7: We’ve just spent an entire year talking about what it means to be rooted. established. being built up.

Stable. Secure. Immovable.

Maturity Understands Growth is Uncomfortable.

Growth involves change and being adaptable. And therein lies the tension.

Growth takes you somewhere where you’ve never been before.

There is a natural human inclination to resist change.

This can stifle growth. Leads to atrophy and even death.

Maturity understands there are multiple ways to get up the mountain.

One of my favorite mountains to climb in the Black Hills has 4 or 5 different ways to get up to the top. I’ve climbed them all.

Each has it’s own features and benefits.

Each range in difficulty … some are more exciting than others … but they all lead to the same place and all are part of the same goal.

Growth involves changing perspectives.

Like climbing a mountain. As you ascend, what you see and assess constantly change.

You move away from the valley floor with its limited view and as you climb things open up … and you are able to see a wider and wider view …

all the while you are still on the same mountain … you’ve not departed and decided to climb a different mountain … but your view expands … and you comprehend the bigger scene of something much wider and deeper and broad.

An inability to understand this tension and respond to often leads to two extremes:

Resist change at all costs.

Individually

We can refuse to listen to things that are meant to challenge our thinking.

We don’t like to be questioned.

We resist thinking things through.

While we may hear what someone else is saying, we are listening for things to disagree, telling ourselves it is wrong, and formulating a response.

Congregationally

Local churches can get so set in their ways that they lose touch.

Methods change. Approaches change.

As a larger movement …

The restoration movement has not arrived and has not concluded.

Develop more of a loyalty to our subgroup than Jesus Christ.

Abandon God’s Teaching

And yet… on the other hand, the other failure to understand the tension between growth and being firmly grounded … is of course to abandon the teaching we have received, the doctrinal truths revealed by the apostles, and go another way.

So there must be balance in our approach.

This Year

We’ll be challenging ourselves.

Our intention is to go deeper.

Our direction is “biblical.”

Our aim is Jesus

Will you be an active participant in the Spirit’s work of transformation?

2 Corinthians 3:18 CSB

18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Let your faith be your sight

Allow it to provide a lens by which you can see your purpose for life and your eternal destiny.