Ephesians 1 pt2

INTRO: People want assurance and security. And we have that in Christ.

V.13-14

Deposit = Down payment

Putting money down on a house guarantees the rest is coming.

There is a major false teaching of “Once saved barely saved” that many of us have accidentally bought into. We must know and agree with that “You have security in Jesus so long as you’re keeping on in faith”.

God knows those who are His.

Revelation 7:1-4

Commanded to delay until God’s people are sealed. That doesn't protect from physical death but eternal damnation.

Seal on foreheads = identity. Not literal, but rather symbolic of security, identity, preservation.

The “mark” is for our benefit so that we know He knows His own!

God doesn’t forget or neglect His people. “Well it feels like God doesn’t know what’s going on!” But remember from wisdom writings that Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in The LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.” and Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can know it?”

My standard isn’t how I feel about something. My standard for truth is what God says reality is.

V.15-16

“For this reason...” — WHEREFORE?

God planned a plan to save man from sin because God loves people. And God established a place of safety, and all I gotta do is what He says to get in that place where ALL spiritual blessings are. Blessings for now, blessings that will unfold later...God wants to bless us - But I got to be where God says the blessings are. In Jesus. And He planned since eternity to provide the way forward for me.

For THAT reason(s)...and the fact that you have proven yourself to seeking God deeper, I Paul pray something very specific for you.

You see there is benefit for you to get to know people better, because you can pray for them better. You ought to be able to pray for those in the Church more deeply than just listing their name. That’s a great place to start, no doubt! But you ought to grow in your discipline of prayer too.

Out of a deep appreciation of another’s faith, Paul prayed. Not that they were perfect and all of them mature. But we ought to look at any one person of faith and have a deep appreciation that they are trying to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

He prayed that they would grasp the richness of their position, their highly blessed status, and identity in Christ. When the Church fails to recognize how great and blessed we have it, we can easily under perform in our purpose in this world.

So Paul seeks to enlighten both them and us, deepening our appreciation for God and helping us see the true blessing of the Church.

V.17-18 - Prayer for 3 Ways of Understanding and Knowledge

1st: A Spirit of Wisdom

NOT spirit meaning the Holy spirit

This is more of an attitude, a position you take that Christians use the information God has given us.

He says something similar in Ephesians 4:23 “and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind...”

Again, not Holy Spirit. But Paul is praying for Christians to be wise and discerning while reading the Word of God.

That requires intense thought and meditation on what God has spoken.

2nd: Revelation of Jesus

Why? So that they can know Jesus better.

We’re not talking about miraculous or empowering revelation as seen with the prophets and the apostles.

Revelation = revealing, insight.

Ephesians 3:3–4 “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,”

The Revelation of the mystery has already happened. Paul says when you read it you can know it! All of it.

So Paul prayed that we can understand the revelation to better understand Christ, to appreciate deeper His role in God’s scheme of redemption and His victory that has already happened.

3rd: Enlightened Eyes

A measure of understanding that you have and those outside of Christ can’t fathom.

The BIGGER view of the world as it relates to God and eternity.

Habakkuk 3:19 “Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength, And He has set my feet like hinds’ feet And makes me tread on my high places...”

That’s for you to keep the faith, to cling to Hope.

God didn’t call you and bring you to a place of UNCERTAINTY, but instead to “assuredness” and security.

And don’t forget, Paul is praying this so that they can see the richness and the privileged of their status in God.

People with enlightened eyes see the Church from God’s perspective – Holy; Perfect; Pure; Bride of Christ, Beautiful

Ezekiel 16:1-14 – From castaway to God’s queen

Didn’t look like they were taken care of until God stepped in; as Israel went from slave to free, they were given a lot of gold

Parallel of the Church – made beautiful; given rich gifts – from what God did, nothing we could’ve done or do to do this

Should we be viewed as broken people? Or should view the church and each other from the eyes of God?

God has spent, and is spending continuously, His energy and gifts to further glorify His Church, making the inheritance that much better.

That Ezekiel chapter comes with a warning to us to learn from the past: don’t squander what you have in God, don’t think less of it and don’t think less of God.

It’s for you to aide the blind of the world. You will walk past people that need help spiritually if your spiritual eyes are closed.

So, Paul prayed for them and for us that we can become wiser individuals, that we can understand what God has dispersed and made known, and for us to see and remember the big picture not stay focused on the valleys.

V.19-23 - Awareness of God’s Power

Paul is trying to illustrate God’s incomprehensible power in a comprehensible way.

V.19-20

Think about the power it takes to give life to the dead:

It takes immense power to restore physical life to dead body. It takes even more to restore perfect life to a mangled body that was beaten, flogged, and nailed to a cross!

It took another display of power to lift him out of this world and enthrone Him above all.

It takes immeasurable power to take a dead body and then enthrone Him as a living conqueror over death itself!

V.20-21

His sovereignty is not just earthly but cosmic! Not only over the world, but over the heavens, not only over time but over timeless eternity!

The Church must not just talk about God’s power and Christ power but UNDERSTAND it.

V.22-23

Compare this to Colossians 1:18 “And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

He’s head over the Church AND everything else that there is!

However the Church is the only one that has the exclusive right of being His body!

And here in Ephesians he’s saying that it’s also for the Church’s benefit - of course!

It is difficult to understand what the fullness of Christ is. The word “fullness” comes from the Greek word “pleroma”. (almost looks and sounds like plethora) It’s the complete sharing in all that He is and all that He has.

I think that goes back to Ephesians 1:3 “...has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”

Why? God doesn’t keep anything held back that would be for our benefit. Jesus doesn’t keep anything in reserve! We get HIM, all of HIM.

Illustration: parent with divided attention.

Imagine a child trying to get their parent’s attention. The child tugs on their parent’s sleeve, saying, “Mom/Dad, look at this!” But she’s busy answering emails, stirring dinner on the stove, and listening to the news in the background. She hears her child, but her attention is divided—partially there, but not fully engaged. Now don’t feel bad that does happen on occasion, but it shouldn’t be normal.

Now contrast that with a parent who kneels down, looks their child in the eyes, and gives them their full attention. That child feels valued, loved, and completely seen.

With Christ, we don’t have a Savior who is distracted or withholding parts of Himself from us. He’s not giving us partial attention while focusing on something else. Instead, He offers everything—His power, His authority, His love, and His blessings—fully and completely for His Church.

Paul wants us to grasp this truth: we don’t get a portion of Christ; we get all of Him. He doesn’t hold back. Just as Ephesians 1:3 says, “He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” That means everything we need for our security, purpose, and strength is already ours in Him.

But if we fail to understand the fullness of Christ’s role in our lives, we may live as though we only have pieces of Him—just enough to get by, just enough to survive. Paul’s prayer is that we would open our eyes to see what is truly ours: the complete, undivided, and powerful presence of Jesus Christ, ruling and reigning for the benefit of His Church.

We read this chapter and should be saying “THAT’S AWESOME GOD!...but why?” For your assurance, and for you to move forward to accomplish the mission. We’ll talk about that mission being both inward and outward in the coming chapters.

Don’t live a partial Christian life because Christ isn’t a partial savior. He give his best, and he wants yours. We might say “well that doesn't amount to much” - but God just wants what we have.

A full life devoted to God that understands deeply the value of what we have in Him.