The Eyes of Our Enlightenment

Ephesians 1:13-18

Introduction: Have you ever had your eyes open to something that you have never seen before? You sit down at a picnic table and suddenly you see one ant, then another and before you know it you're covered in ants. How did you not see this table was covered in ants? Sometimes we are blind to what's right in front of us. They say that you are so far in the forest you can’t see the trees. Ephesians chapter 1, Paul prays for us that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened so that we can see spiritually what is right in front of us. What does he want us to see? First a little context.

Last week we learned that we were chosen by grace. Paul opened the letter in verse 3 with praise for God, who blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Paul lays out blessing after blessing of what God has done for us in Jesus and he lifts our eyes to see heaven‘s perspective from there, we see in verse four that God chose us before the creation of the world and marked out of path for us to be adopted to be his kids. Paul is going to stay on this path praising God explaining all of his extraordinary blessings for us in Christ and praying that our eyes would be open to see it. Sometimes we need to climb a mountain to look back down and see how small our problems are. Ephesians gives us a heavenly perspective so God can fulfill his amazing plan. The book of Ephesians gives us that mountain-top view through the words of the apostle Paul. Let’s pray

Opening Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this time to gather in Your presence. We ask that You open the eyes of our hearts so that we may see Your truth clearly. Let Your Word bring enlightenment to our spirits today as we seek You and Your wisdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

So the title of our message today is "The Eyes of Our Enlightenment." This phrase reflects a deep spiritual concept—the idea that we can gain spiritual insight and understanding through the eyes of our heart, as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 17-18 the bible says

17 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. 18 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,

This is the foundation of our message today

I. What Is the Eye of Enlightenment?

When Paul prays that the "eyes of your heart" be enlightened, he’s speaking of spiritual sight, not physical sight. He is asking God to give us wisdom and revelation so that we can perceive spiritual truths beyond what we see in the natural world. We will see in chapter 6 how this connects. This letter shows how important it is to always begin at the beginning in order to comprehend the ending.

- The Eyes of Our Heart: Just as our physical eyes help us navigate the world, the eyes of our heart help us navigate the spiritual realm. They allow us to perceive God's will, His purpose for our lives, and the deeper meanings of Scripture. Look at his choice of words “Enlightenment” The word "enlightened" means to illuminate or bring light to. In this context, it is the Holy Spirit who enlightens or illuminates our hearts so that we can comprehend spiritual truths. Paul is praying for the Ephesians (and us today) to receive this divine enlightenment.

In the book of Proverbs, we read:

> "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)

True enlightenment begins and ends with knowing God.

This is why we are on this journey of becoming more spiritualy in tune with God. That we go deeper and deeper. I never heard anyone say well I finally got to the bottom of this God thing. Look at Verse 13

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

It is through His Spirit that we gain wisdom and revelation, not just about life, but about God Himself. In bible times a seal was placed to mark a finished transaction to show ownership and to ensure security and the king seal says don’t mess with the king's stuff. back in verse 13 when you believed you were marked in him with a seal. The seal on us is the Holy Spirit like an invisible tattoo. inverse 14 the spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. In other words, God hasn’t finished his work in us. We don’t live in the castle just yet we haven’t reached unity and we’re not done being saved, but the Holy Spirit is upon us and he is the down payment the deposit guaranteeing that God will make the full payment. Every day and every hour, every minute and every second we should grow our wisdom and knowledge of the holy through His spirit. Let’s take our halos off this morning and ask how often do we place this source above all other sources as we navigate through our spiritual journey?

Paul gets it and that is why in verse 15 Paul turns From praise to prayer. He praises the Ephesian believers and this is also my prayer for you first I thank God for you second I ask God our glorious Father that he 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

II. Why Do We Need Enlightenment?

18 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,

There are three reasons Paul points out in Ephesians 1:18 for why we need this enlightenment:

1. To Know the Hope of His Calling:

Paul prays that the eyes of our heart be enlightened so that we may know the hope to which He has called us. Hope is not mere wishful thinking; it’s a confident expectation grounded in God's promises.

Definition of expectation strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future

My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name

In **Jeremiah 29:11**, God says:

> "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Let’s chat about a few folks in the bible who had hope.

1. **Abraham**: Abraham is often referred to as the "father of faith." Despite his old age and Sarah’s barrenness, he hoped and trusted in God’s promise to give him descendants. (Genesis 15:5-6, Romans 4:18). His hope was rooted in God’s ability to fulfill His promises.

2. **Job**: Even in the face of overwhelming suffering, Job maintained hope in God’s justice and redemption. Though he lost his family, wealth, and health, Job clung to the hope that his Redeemer lives and that he would see God (Job 19:25-27).

3. **Hannah**: Despite years of being barren and ridiculed by others, Hannah maintained hope and persistently prayed for a child. Her hope was fulfilled when God granted her a son, Samuel (1 Samuel 1:9-20).

4. **David**: In many of the Psalms, David expresses hope in God during times of trouble, despair, and uncertainty. Psalm 42:5-6, for example, shows David speaking to his soul, encouraging himself to hope in God despite his distress.

5. **Paul**: The Apostle Paul is an example of hope in the New Testament. Despite facing persecution, imprisonment, and suffering for the gospel, Paul remained hopeful in God’s eternal promises. In Romans 8:24-25, Paul talks about waiting for the hope of future glory with patient endurance.

6. **Mary, the Mother of Jesus**: Mary demonstrated hope when she accepted God's message through the angel Gabriel, believing in the fulfillment of God's word despite the uncertainty and challenges it brought (Luke 1:38).

Hope in Christ**: The world is filled with uncertainty, but the hope we have in Christ is unshakable. Enlightenment allows us to grasp the magnitude of the hope we have in Jesus. When our hearts are enlightened, we can live not in fear, but in the certainty of God's faithfulness. This hope becomes clearer to us when we see through the eyes of enlightenment.

2. To Understand the Riches of His Glorious Inheritance:

Paul continues by speaking of "the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people." This isn't just about the material wealth of the world but the immeasurable spiritual riches that are available to us in Christ.

- **Spiritual Riches**: When the eyes of our heart are enlightened, we realize that our inheritance in Christ far surpasses anything this world could offer. We inherit eternal life, spiritual blessings, peace, joy, and a relationship with the living God. This is the wealth that truly matters.

Jesus Himself said in **Matthew 6:19-21**:

> "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Don’t allow your disagreements, time, or talents to be wasted dealing with stuff.

Enlightenment helps us value what truly matters—our heavenly inheritance.

3. To Grasp the Greatness of His Power Toward Us

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

So if you have embraced the Holy Spirit, confident about His Hope, then His power will be a sweet view to your eyes of enlightenment. Paul also wants us to know “the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). -

**Resurrection Power**: The enlightenment we seek helps us to not just know about God’s power intellectually but to experience it in our lives. This is resurrection power—He wants our eyes open to see God‘s power that surpasses everything no matter what power comes against you. God has a greater power for us who believe. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead. That came from heaven is for us. And here Paul raises our eyes to see Jesus seated at God‘s right hand, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, Jesus reigns over whatever power or demon or master Jesus is greater and higher than anything else. That’s the power we need to know. Paul explains it like this in Phil. 4:13

Philippians 4:13, Paul declares:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

When we are enlightened, we understand that we are not powerless. God's mighty power is at work in us, enabling us to live victoriously.

III. How Do We Receive Enlightenment?

1. **Through Prayer**: As we see in Ephesians 1:15-16 , 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Paul prays continuously for the Ephesians to receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Enlightenment comes through communion with God, asking Him to reveal His truth to us.

James 1:5 reminds us:

> "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

2. **Through the Word of God**: The Bible is the primary tool through which the Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts. As we study and meditate on Scripture, the Spirit opens our eyes to deeper truths.

Psalm 119:105 says:

> "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

3. **Through the Holy Spirit**: Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is the source of all enlightenment. Without the Spirit, we are spiritually blind, but with the Spirit, we can see the truth clearly.

### **Conclusion:**

In closing, the "Eye of Enlightenment" is not about gaining some secret knowledge or wisdom from the world. It’s about having the eyes of our hearts opened by the Holy Spirit to know God better, to understand the hope of our calling, to see the riches of our inheritance in Christ, and to grasp the greatness of His power at work within us.

As Paul prayed for the Ephesians, let’s make this our prayer too—that God would open the eyes of our hearts, that we may live in the fullness of His wisdom, power, and love.

**Closing Prayer:**

Father, we thank You for Your Word today. We ask that You continue to open the eyes of our hearts so that we may walk in Your light and live according to Your truth. May Your wisdom guide us, and may Your Spirit lead us into all understanding. We give You all the glory and honor, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

This message is a call for us to seek spiritual enlightenment that comes only from God. May we continually ask for our hearts to be opened, so that we may see with the eyes of faith and live out His purpose for our lives.