The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Ephesians 1:15-23
Ephesians 1:15-23
“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?” - Corrie Ten Boom
Paul’s immediate response to hearing news of the Ephesian’s faith in Christ was thanksgiving and prayer. Not just one prayer, but consistent prayer.
For the Apostle Paul prayer was not a spare tyre for when things go wrong - prayer was his steering wheel, prayer was his engine room, prayer was his mainsail.
And it was on account of the faith and love of the Ephesians that Paul began to give thanks and to pray.
Witnessing faith and love in the lives of others ought to be reason for thanksgiving to God, it ought to be something that presses us to our knees in prayer. Because these are not ordinary fruits in someones life! These are supernatural fruits! This is evidence that God is at work!
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Luther - “Faith is no such easy matter as our opposers imagine, when they say, ‘Believe, Believe, how easy is it to believe.’ Neither is it a mere human work, which I can perform for myself, but it is a divine power in the heart, by which we are new born, and whereby we are able to overcome the mighty power of the Devil and of death; as Paul says to the Colossians, ‘In whom ye are raised up again through the faith which God works.’
Their faith was evidenced by love for ALL the saints.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
We are saved by faith alone - but saving faith never comes alone. It is always joined by love. Love to God and love to people, especially those of the household of God.
The Apostle prays that they might
receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God
That the eyes of their hearts might be enlightened
That they might know the hope of His calling and the mighty power of God through Christ.
The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
Paul’s urgent plea was that the Ephesians might have more knowledge of God!
Knowledge of God = theology. John Gray tirade about theology - calling it assinine.
Many want to divorce the Spirit of God from the Word of God today. But you can’t have knowledge of God except by His Spirit, and His Spirit is leads us in all truth concerning Christ, the Word of God. The Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to know God through His word, not apart from it. Kathryn Krick etc.
“The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls Father.” - Spurgeon
Knowing God comes by revelation of the Spirit. True and saving knowledge of God doesn’t come through intellect or rigour, it comes through the revelation of the Spirit.
But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t study our Bibles. We need to be diligent both in study and in prayer!
No verse of Scripture yields its meaning to lazy people. - AW Pink
Matrix: There’s a scene where Neo and Trinity are on a rooftop and there’s a helicopter. Neo asks - “know how to fly that?” and Trinity says “Not yet”, someone back at base then uploads a flight programme instantly into her brain and she can fly it. I’ve met some Christians who think this is how God reveals His truth to us; when we’re saved He uploads the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD programme directly into our brain and Bobs your uncle!
I had one young man tell me that he didn’t think it was necessary for him to come along to a teaching session on the Fatherhood of God because he already knew all about that!
God reveals to the heart not the brain - and we never arrive at a place where we perfectly understand all there is to know about him!
We need to have a spiritual thirst for more knowledge of God.
2. The eyes of your heart may be enlightened
Till the Lord opens them, the eyes of our heart are blind. Till the Spirit has become our instructor, all that we know is folly and ignorance. Till the Spirit of God has made it known to us by a secret revelation, the knowledge of our Divine calling exceeds the capacity of our own minds. - Calvin
You have been given a new heart, a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. A heart that Paul says has eyes. You’re no longer blind to the truth, your eyes have been opened.
But they can always be more enlightened. The eyes of the heart can grow dim through lack of devotion or back sliding.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
God’s Spirit gives light so that we can see more clearly who God is!
3. That you might know the hope of His calling and God’s mighty power toward you in Christ
Paul wanted them to KNOW the HOPE of their calling. Biblical hope is confidence in God’s promises, hope stands on the word of God and looks forward with faith that He will accomplish all He has promised.
Hopelessness is a terrible thing, it robs you of joy, it robs you of peace. When your heart is filled with hope you are able to enjoy life, you’re available to encourage and strengthen others around you. It has been said, ‘he who has the most hope, has the most influence.’
Our hope is found in our calling:
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
We can have hope because the immeasureable greatness of God’s power is to us, for us and in us who believe.
It is the very same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the father’s right hand far above every rule and authority both in the heavens and in the earth.
There is no court or authority that can bind you, or condemn you if you have been set free by the highest court of all.
Pray