The Authority of Christ Ephesians 1:15-23
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Remind them about the Blessings
Last week we covered the blessings of redemption in verses 3-14 of chapter one.
These are the blessings that God pours out upon us when He redeems us from the darkness when we believe by faith in the Lord Jesus.
a. Predestined (verse 5, 11)
b. Chose (verse 4)
c. Adoption (verse 5)
d. Sealed (verse 13)
e. Inheritance (verse 11, 14)
f. Forgiveness (verse 7)
g. Redemption (verse 7, 14)
h. Holy and blameless (verse 4)
i. Grace (verse 6, 7)
j. Lavished (verse 8)
These are the things that give you a new identity. This new identity makes you a part of His family. As a part of His family you enjoy all the benefits of the heavenly places. Benefits to strengthen and encourage you. Benefits to protect you from the lies of the evil one. Benefits that are a part of the armor of God to protect you in your daily walk with God.
Now let’s take a look at what Paul says next.
Ephesians 1:15–23 (NASB95)
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,
16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Transitional Sentence: This second half of chapter one ends with Paul reminding you that the blessings he mentioned in the first half were of great value because the authority of Christ Jesus is greater than anything else.
(verses 15-17)
Paul starts off by praising the Ephesians for their faith and love that they have for each other and all the saints. Its always good to be reminded about the things you are doing. So often you may do something for someone or the church and no one even notices. No one ever reminds you that you’re doing a good job. He does these things because he knows what is going on, Paul hears things. People come to him and provide him information about what is going on in the churches so that he might know better how to pray and encourage the churches.
He also reminds them that he is thinking about them and praying for them. Some of them he may be praying for by name, others collectively as part of a specific fellowship. But pray for them he does.
But then in verse 17 Paul tells them something about what he is praying for. He tells them that he is praying for them to receive a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. He wants them to know Christ Jesus even more than they do.
So what exactly is he praying for? Well...
Wisdom - The trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight.
Revelation - communication of knowledge (previously hidden) to man by a divine or supernatural agency; especially communications that proceed from God or Christ. Matthew 16:17
Matthew 16:17 (NASB95)
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
So, Paul is praying that the Holy Spirit would reveal to you knowledge about Jesus and an ability to use the knowledge you have about Jesus that you might better stand against the dark forces of this evil generation.
This is the same spirit of wisdom and revelation that each of you should pray for that you too might better stand against the dark forces of evil.
But where does this knowledge of God come from that we might know Him better. How can you get this knowledge?
Well, the Knowledge of Him comes from Scripture and all of nature, which can show you His divine attributes.
All of Scripture proclaims that God has made himself known and that he is knowable. However the knowledge of God is limited, because of the uniqueness of His divine nature and the varying conditions, whether fallen, or redeemed that each of you contends with.
God created you with the ability to know Him; the Bible doesn’t say that such knowledge is innate. It suggests rather that you acquire the knowledge of God through your senses by perceiving God’s creation. From all of nature, people acquire perceptions that develop in you an impression about God and His existence. These impressions upon your mind is a limited kind of knowledge, but the impressions are enough to leave everyone without excuse before God at the judgment. Romans 1:20 says “20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” But the impressions are incomplete, further impaired and marred by sin. Your knowledge of God through nature, with the aid of reasoning and proof, enable you to understand certain truths about God. But even this is not enough to communicate what we must know and do to be saved. That comes from a special revelation. The proof found in nature must be corrected and deepened by this special revelation. It is only through the special revelation that all of God’s attributes such as love, mercy, holiness, and righteousness are knowable. The knowledge of God through nature, when submitted to biblical revelation, strengthens and expands the doctrines of the Christian faith.
When you are out in nature do you see His divine attributes. When you see the sun rise or set, the power of a thunder storm, the beauty of freshly fallen snow, or the colors of the trees as the leaves begin to change? All of this should point you to God as the creator of the heavens and the earth.
(verses 18-19a)
As we move into verse 18 Paul prays that the eyes of your Heart will be Enlightened. The heart is the “home of the personal life,” and so we label people, according to the heart. Someone can be wise, pure, upright and righteous, pious and good, or whatever other adjective you might want to use to include dark and dead. The heart is also the seat of the conscience. It is naturally evil, and so it mars a man’s life and character. Ezekiel 11:19 says: “19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,” So, the heart must be changed and regenerated, the heart of stone must be turned into flesh before a man can willingly obey God.
The process of salvation begins in the heart when you believe and receive the Gospel of Christ Jesus while the rejection of the Gospel hardens the heart.
Let’s not forget about the eye. It is the way of perception. You perceive things through your eyes. So, if the eyes of your heart are enlightened you will see things through your inner being. You will be able to understand the scriptures and more easily see God’s divine attributes in nature.
With this enlightenment Paul prays that you may receive three things.
The first of the three is to know what is the hope to which He has called you. Paul can talk about ‘your call’, but to emphasize what you have depends on completely on God’s initiative, Paul calls it ‘His calling’. This calling can be spoken of as having taken place in the past when God has called men and women to himself; or as continuing in the present 1 Thessalonians 2:12 says: “12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” which involves a life of service and sanctification. But also, it is the upward call of God that gives those without hope the expectation of an eternal destiny. This hope, is not a vague longing for the triumph of goodness, but it is something that is guaranteed because of the presence of the Spirit in our lives. Ephesians 1:13–14 “13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” This guarantee from God has promised this future inheritance. The call of God is effective as a promise of life with Him forever, and this hope in turn should affect your life in the here and now. 1 John 3:2-3 says: “2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
The second thing that Paul prays for is that you would know what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
The Greek word translated here as inheritance carries with it the idea of a birthright. Your birthright or promised inheritance is to be a part of the kingdom of God and to receive the blessings that come with sonship. Paul’s prayer is that you would see how great a thing this inheritance is. No matter how much wealth could be amassed and passed on by way of an inheritance in this life it would not even come close to the glory of the riches we have as a member of the body of Christ. In light of the blessings that God lavishly bestowed upon His children why would anyone want to reject such a gift? These are the most glorious riches we could ever receive. This inheritance provides for our eternal future Romans 8:17 says: “17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Heirs to the kingdom of God, heirs to eternal life in Christ Jesus.
The third thing that Paul would have you know would be to know what is the Surpassing Greatness of His power.
Paul says this in some pretty strong terms, both by speaking of its surpassing magnitude, and by using some powerful synonyms. The four words are translated in the NASB as ‘power’, ‘working’, ‘strength’ and ‘might’. The power or dynamis of God is not an abstract quality, but it is known according to its working which you can see and perceive through nature. The Greek word for working is energeia from which our word ‘energy’ comes from and the phrase is also used in Colossians 1:29 “29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” This is also His great ‘strength’ (kratos), that attribute of His divine nature that is praised in the New Testament doxologies such as 1 Tim. 6:16; and it is His might (ischys) which he possesses and can make available to us. The hope of the prayer is that the mighty power of God may be known through experience in you who believe. Paul is confident that this strength belongs to you on the simple condition of believing and accepting it from Him, as a gift that He wants you to have.
(verses 19b-21)
The power that God makes available to you is the power demonstrated, by God’s own hand, power which He accomplished in Christ in two separate acts.
The first act showed His power when He raised Christ Jesus from the dead. The New Testament describes the resurrection as the work of God the Father Acts 2:24 says: “24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” God’s raising of His Son from the dead is a sign of His approval, the acknowledgment of Him as His Son, and the declaration of Him as Lord of all Romans 1:4 says: “4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” But Jesus’ resurrection is also the manifestation of the Father’s power.
The second act of power was that He set Jesus at His right hand. The ascension isn’t described very often in the New Testament. One example is Mark 16:19 “19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” but His ascension is assumed on a regular basis and its significance stressed Romans 8:34 “34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Sitting Jesus at His right hand is the highest honor that God could bestow on His Son. It means Jesus has equal status with God and that Jesus is Lord over heaven and earth and will rule for all time.
In this idea of sitting at God’s right hand we have an allusion to Psalm 110:1 which says: “1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”” This verse is often referenced in the New Testament. The exalting of the king of Israel as God’s anointed has its highest application when used to describe the Christ. It was used some before His coming, but mostly after his death, resurrection and ascension.
So Christ Jesus has been exalted to the highest place of honor, the right hand of God the Father. His work on earth was finished and He made a way for you to receive salvation through grace by faith. Grace that saves and grace that makes God’s power available to you.
Paul prayed for himself Philippians 3:10 “10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;” Paul often refers to the mighty acts of God not only as the power that you can possess but as the divine strength that can raise you to new life with Christ Jesus that you might live in the heavenly places with Him.
(verses 22-23)
By placing Jesus at His right hand the Father has put all things under His feet, and so, the words of Psalm 8:6 which says: “6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,” point to Christ Jesus’ full and complete victory over all power, authority and dominion here and in the heavenly places .
With all things at His feet Christ Jesus was crowned as Lord over all, especially in His relationship to the church, because the Father made him the head over all things for the church. However, Paul does not simply speak of Jesus as given to be head of the church, but that He is ‘supreme head’ or more literally head over all things. Jesus was given to the church, as head over all things. This gives the church authority and power to overcome all opposition because Jesus is the head and Lord of all. Jesus had authority because He was under the Father’s authority; He was doing the will of the Father and therefore had all the authority of the Father. This authority is given to you, as long as you go out in His name, in obedience to Him, and do His work Matthew 28:18–20 “18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
To benefit the church Christ Jesus is given to it as the head. His purpose for the church and its relationship to Him is best spoken of as the church being His body. The church as His body is the company of the disciples of Christ; but it also expresses the union of His people with Him as in the parable of the vine and the branches in John 15. The life of God flows through all the members of the church and it speaks of the whole as functioning in obedience to Him, carrying out His work in the world.
The church is not only his body, it is intended to be the fullness of Him who fills all in all. It is God’s purpose that the church should be the full expression of Christ Jesus, who fills everything. Colossians 1:19 “19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,” speaks of all the divine fullness dwelling in Christ Jesus. So He is the full expression of the Godhead and you should be filled with all the fullness of God. In other words you should receive all the attributes and gifts of God that His children should receive because the head fills the body, the church, with movement and perception, and inspires the whole body with life and direction. By His resurrection and ascension Christ Jesus is exalted to be Lord of all, Jesus is head of all things for the church and the church is His body. The church is intended to express Christ Jesus in the world; and the church is intended to be a full expression of Him.
Exit: In order to understand this full expression of Christ Jesus Paul prayed that the Ephesians would receive a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. This prayer is for you too. You should come to know His calling on your life, especially the one that brought you into the family and gave you an inheritance in Him. An inheritance far greater and more glorious than anything you could ever receive in this life. You should also come to know the surpassing greatness of His power working in the world which raised Christ Jesus from the dead. With His resurrection and ascension Christ Jesus was seated at the right hand of the Father and crowned with glory and honor and all things were put under subjugation to Him. Then He was given to the church, His body, as the head of the church. Through Him we have life and power.
If you don’t know Christ Jesus or don’t have a personal relationship with Him then this prayer is for you. This prayer that you might have a spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of God.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Pray!
