To Know Him
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Turn to Eph. 1.
What is your chief aim in life?
Target - what are you aiming for? What does your life reveal about your chief aim?
Where is Jesus in relation to your chief aim?
Is He your chief aim? Is He the motivation behind your chief aim? Is He off to the side?
Hold onto that as we explore Paul’s prayer. Remember, chapter 1 is divided into two sections - a blessing or praise and then a prayer. Verse 15 begins Paul’s prayer.
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Paul prayed that these Saints, who have already been sealed by the Spirit would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. He was not praying for a new spirit or a second blessing, but simply asking that the Spirit would help them comprehend and believe all they have in Christ – but not only comprehend but live it as well.
Why wisdom and revelation?
This is the Spirit’s role –
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
the Holy Spirit is the Great Revealer! Who could use more wisdom and revelation? But what do we Americans typically pray for – whether for self or others? Health. Comfort. _______.
Listen to another of Paul’s prayers.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
What is Paul concerned about? Wisdom. Understanding. How they live. Bearing fruit. Knowing God. What are we often more concerned about?
Let’s talk about wisdom and revelation. Understand that
Wisdom is gained. Revelation is given.
Revelation is always supernaturally given. Wisdom, though God does give it, is to be sought after – it’s mostly gained through experience and effort.
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Wisdom takes effort and it’s one of the key topics throughout Scripture - mentioned over 200 times. Several books in the Bible dedicated to wisdom - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes - all wisdom literature.
If wisdom is gained, how important is it for God’s people to seek and gain wisdom?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.
Seeking wisdom is not only important, it’s an imperative. It’s critical. When Christians stop seeking wisdom and knowledge (and stop living wisely) in a society, it creates a void. Just wanted to plant the seed.
Wisdom is important to God, but this goes beyond just gaining knowledge or intelligence. In Scripture,
Wisdom often means knowledge with personal experience and understanding.
In Scripture, wisdom is often personified, portrayed as someone we can know, someone we should listen to. Biblical wisdom has a relational aspect to it, and that relationship is always connected to God.
Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord,
but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”
Seeking and gaining wisdom is critical. So Paul prayed that they would receive the Spirit of wisdom - not just intellectual wisdom, but personal wisdom in knowing the One who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. There’s a difference between being intelligent and knowing God. There’s a difference between knowing God and merely knowing about Him. I have to ask - do you know Him? If you don’t, you’re not a wise person.
Let’s move onto revelation for a moment. Revelation (apokalypsis) is Divine communication. God alone determines what should be revealed, how and when. Like wisdom, revelation has a relational aspect to it.
The purpose of Divine revelation is to know God.
Regardless of the method, the purpose is to know Him.
God also reveals through His Word, through prophets and teachers, miracles, through godly counsel, through other believers, through music and arts, through Creation, through His Spirit etc. God’s revelation is critical to the Christian life, and we would be wise to learn the many ways God speaks.
Why is revelation so important?
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
I know a lot of people struggle to hear from God. And there are a variety of reasons - never trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, unconfessed sin, maybe a lack of faith, maybe wrong or impure motives, or maybe you're new in the faith and you have not learned how to identify God's voice.
A lot of reasons why we can struggle to have a revelation from God, and perhaps the one that’s most overlooked is Paul’s prayer. Why did Paul pray for them to receive wisdom and revelation? Vs
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
It’s all about knowing Jesus Christ.
Think of all the things that we ask of God, whether for self or others. “God, do this – do that ….” What would happen if God answered every prayer the way we wanted? Would we or whomever we are praying for know Jesus more? So we get that new job, that that extra check, or whatever. So what – if it doesn’t help us or others know Jesus? For example, what good is it if I become the most eloquent preacher in the world but I never know Jesus any more than I do today? Or if no one else knows Him because of my preaching?
Here’s my point - How often do we just want God to do something without concern for knowing God? Is that the kind of relationship we want with Jesus? Is that the kind of relationship He wants with us? Ever have someone keep asking you for favors without having a relationship?
In everything I go through, every situation, every trial, every …, I have to ask myself a question, do I want God to just make my life easier, or do I want to know my God deeper and more intimately?
What is your chief aim in life?
Just to get make it …? What is Paul’s chief aim?
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
His chief aim was to know Christ, because in knowing Christ everything takes its proper place.
More times than not, I don’t need what I think I need. But what I always need is wisdom and revelation, and to know Jesus more in every situation. Same for you.
Q -
What might happen if we committed to praying for one another like Paul from now until the end of the year?
Let’s do it.
Lastly - Do you know Jesus Christ?