Sometimes the passing enticements of this world seek to blind our eyes to the riches of the glorious inheritance that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. That having the eyes of your heart enlightened. 2 Corinthians In conclusion, is supernatural power that is in actual operation. The resurrection power that raised up the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the power that works in every single believer. From her own people Rome raised an army, animated it with patriotism, and ordered it to fight. But where is He?. The Greek text may be interpreted in either of two ways. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. But prayer meetings often slip to the bottom of attendance records. It will fill you with thanksgiving, joy, and hope. To shine or to brighten up. What was Davids response to Gods power (v. 13)? --DJD. The power that EVERY believer in Christ has access to every day of their life until they see Jesus face to face! He wanted them to rise above self-serving behavior and develop the character and likeness of Christ. Our faith must grow. True enlightenment continues to elude many because they have denied its source and have turned to gurus and teachers who have no light to give. It can be used of any kind of extraordinary power. It is an amazing thought (which calls for an appropriate response) that as believers in Christ we are no longer our own but that we belong to God. KJV The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Wiersbe - In the prison prayers of Paul (Eph. 46) he admonished them to employ that power in faithful living for their Lord. 19:11; Ezek. How you perceive your spiritual resources dictates how you live. Even true believers greatly want heavenly wisdom. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that . Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17, Psalms 121:3, Philippians 4:19, James 1:17, Ephesians 1:3, Revelation 21:9, Romans 8:21-26, . (Lehman Strauss Commentary Devotional Studies on Paul's Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians- online), Mal Couch - While this is Pauls great desire, that believers truly have a deep spiritual understanding about their relationship with the Lord, this is rarely achieved by the average Christian. Im convinced the single greatest problem carnal Christians have is that they dont know the hope of His calling. Here is how this applies: As a believer, you are always in need of the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of your heart to the great truths of the Bible. There are at least six ways that God wants us as believers to know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us: Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Gods Ultimate Purpose [Baker], pp. Play Chris Tomlin's Resurrection Power. Jesus was buried and remained in the tomb for three days (John 19:42). But, also. ANSWER -The Bible often mentions people being called by God for a specific ministry or service. Isnt that magnificent? It is possible to excel in mechanics and fail in dynamic. No amount of worldly noise or manmade programming will make up for the sad lack of the Holy Spirit's presence. No, because hes after the treasure. 2:9). Comment: "The Blessed Hope" is not an abstract concept, but an Alive Christ, for it describes the appearing of Christ in His majesty and glory at His Second Coming. We need not pray for power to endure suffering. Where do we find the power to overcome anger, resist greed, offer forgiveness, or pursue sexual purity? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:18 titled "The Hope of His Calling," Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds this great prayer of Paul and carefully navigates between the general call of God in the gospel for all and the effectual call of the Holy Spirit for believers. Only here in the NT (hapax legomenon)BDAG -1. quality of exceeding a standard involving physical magnitude (size),2. quality of exceeding a standard of excellence, greatness.". (Eerdmans Publishing- usedby permission), It is difficult to give a clear distinction between the 3 Greek words that expand on the meaning of "the surpassing greatness of His power (dunamis)", but in simple terms it pictures the piling up of similar terms in an attempt to convey the magnitude and capability of God's incomprehensible, infinite power. Don't you think it's time all Heaven broke loose? But because Israel rejected that call and followed idols, they never flourished in the way God wanted to prosper them. When her teacher finally did let her discover for herself that she would one day be Queen of England, Victorias response was, Then I will be good! Her life would be controlled by her position. Eyes (3788) (ophthalmos) is literally the organ of vision but in Paul's use is obviously figurative. In Philippians 3:21 Paul states that the Lord Jesus Christ "will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the (supernatural) exertion (energeia) of the power that He has (KJV - according to the working whereby He is able = dunamai in present tense = continuously able) even to subject all things to Himself (Php 3:21+), The surpassing power which God's Spirit uses in continually energizing our supernatural life (Php 2:13-note), in ministering to our spiritual needs, is in accordance with, commensurate with His infinite, immeasurable divine energy. (Dt 32:9+). (seeEphesians Through Revelation), Complete Biblical Library - This power always operates "in Christ." Year after year the process is repeated, until, perhaps when twenty years have come and gone, the fences are needed no longer, because the extent of occupation is commensurate with the extent of the original purchase. Right here is where the average Christian fails. Sometimes familiarly with the glorious superlatives of our heavenly calling, and the eternal hope of glory that is set before us, causes our eyes to become dimmed and our hearts to become complacent. All Christians have the same hope. He does not ask God to give them what they do not have, but rather prays that God will reveal to them what they already have. If anyone should instill hope and bring out the best in others, it should be the Christian. All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. He sealed us with the Holy Spirit so that we might be kept until the day of redemption, absolutely, totally, eternally secure in our salvation. Freedom, You have given us freedom From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure (I John 3:3). synkleronomos is a fellow heir, and kleronomeo means be an heir, inherit. Living in the light of Your goodness 9:15; 1 Pet. To use the Greek word, it is amaranthine (see amarantinos). The hope of his calling.--(See Ephesians 4:4.) (The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the Christian). This seemed to me very extraordinary. THOUGHT - MacArthur's comment makes "sense" because if you love Him, you will obey Him (Jn 14:15) and (Spirit enabled) obedience to Him opens the "windows of heaven" to have spiritual blessings poured out (in this case enlightenment) from Him. get to know the Bible better! That men might know the measure of Gods power. God's power goes far beyond all other power. Titus 29:1113). 4:18), being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. In other words, sin blinds the minds of unbelievers and renders them incapable of understanding the truth of the gospel, unless God opens their blind eyes (2 Cor. Ephesians 1:18. Live today in anticipation of Christs imminent return. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened- Physical eyes (or ears) cannot see (hear) these deeper truths. 1:51; Acts 19:20; Eph. Huperballo is used only 5x in the NT but 3 are in Ephesians. But wholly lean on Jesus name. When we are saved we receive all of Gods grace and all of His power, and that assures us of the realization of our eternal hope. Revival and blessing come to the church when we stop looking at a picture of God and look at God Himself! Job Proverbs 20:27The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. The orphans are helped, and God is glorified. Perhaps he perceived a power shortage in the Ephesians saints! Thus, Love the Lord thy God with all thy strength (Mk 12:30): according to the working of his mighty power (Eph. This is obvious when the writer of Genesis says that Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived (Gen. 4:1 ESV, emphasis added). Eido/oida is distinguished from ginosko(epiginosko, epignosis - the other major NT word group for knowing) because ginosko generally refers to knowledge obtained by experience or "experiential knowledge". What power! Now I have resurrection power living on the inside The NET Bible is similar translating it ""since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened". Blessing upon blessings! As priests, these sons certainly understood the facts about God, but they did not have a relationship with him. The eye on yours is dusty. He cleaned it and the problems disappeared. Also, the parallel passage (Col. 1:12) refers to our sharing in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Other Scriptures also refer to the inheritance that is stored up for those who are Gods children through faith in Christ (Acts 20:32; 26:18; Heb. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. Is this not every believers great challenge and need?! The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. If, for example, you realize you have every resource for godly living (Eph. The power that God has made available to the believer is according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Eph 1:19-21). The only aim of the life is that the Son of God may be manifested, and all dictation to God vanishes. His call now is to all those redeemed by the blood of Jesus to showcase to our world Gods mercy, grace, and salvation (Hebrews 12:14;Matthew 5:16). The verb belonging to this is kleroo, to draw lots, apportion by lot (only in Eph 1:11-note, Heb 1:4-note). He will fully gain His inheritance when the saints are removed from this earth and come into his presence. that money cannot buy. Virtually all the authorities agree that "heart" is the correct translation. In Ephesians 1:19 and Ephesians 6:10, ischus describes the strength of God bestowed upon believers. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. So pray for others and for yourself, that God will enlighten the eyes of your heart through His Word so that you will know what is the hope of His calling. The " heart " is the inner man, including the emotion and will; it is the whole self, man's inward being. 15-19Thats why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldnt stop thanking God for youevery time I prayed, Id think of you and give thanks. With all these avenues confirming her decision, she feels confident moving forward into the call of God for her life. It is a great truth that God does choose the inheritance for his people. All rights reserved, Life Application Study Bible: New Living Translation, Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company, Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. What kinds of trials did Paul face? In that verse protected means to keep or guard and reflects Peters confidence that salvation is inviolable. And what is - And is a connective, which signifies that a word or part of a sentence is to be added to what precedes. By it He speaks to the soul, grants saving faith, and ushers elect sinners into salvation (John 6:3744, 65; Acts 2:39). (Galatians 5:16-note) Obeying that command would settle the matter of walking in the flesh verses walking in the Spirit. Herein lies the means of victory! The gospel is dynamic, Gods dynamic, and so is powerful in the transformation of human lives. It conveys the idea of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled. Im taking this message from this phrase in Ephesians 1:19: the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe. I know that the vast majority of you do not feel that power. KJV And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. A day is as a thousand years. How can we fail with Him as our Head and with such power at our disposal? I PRAY THAT THE EYES OF YOUR HEART MAY BE ENLIGHTENED: pephotismenous (RPPMPA) tous ophthalmous tes kardias [humon] : Psalms 119:18+ Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. Morning and Evening, Spurgeon - In the resurrection of Christ, as in our salvation, there was put forth nothing short of a divine power. The church is Christs body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. His power delivered over 6 million people save through the Red Sea, while at the same time destroying the entire army of Egypt, the greatest army in the world at that time! And he prays for you to understand the surpassing greatness of that truth. We have it all now, and we will have it throughout eternity." The American Standard Version reads: the eyes of your heart, not mind. The emphasis is not on that which is little, but rather that which starts out small and grows into something bigger and stronger. It abounded with orators and philosophers, and men of great wisdom and learning {c}; and was formerly a very rich, trading, flourishing city, but now a village, and a poor desolate place; it retains the name of Efeso, though the Turks call it Aia Salik. (Bible Knowledge Background Commentary). But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1Cor. God wants you to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power toward believers. Moth and rust cannot consume, nor thieves break through to steal. Throughout Ephesians 1 Paul is clearly struck with the magnificence of our inheritance in Christ. Megethos is used in Lxx in Ex 15:16 "By the greatness of Thine arm' (Where "His arm" is tantamount to His power. The, the definite article. God's people do not fight for victory but from victory! After the supplies had been purchased and were being loaded in the wagon, the owner of the store said to the boy, "Son, you have been such a good boy, I'm going to let you put your hand in the candy jar and get all the candy you can grab." Calmen had expected her former teacher to say, "I knew you could do that.". (2Pe 1:2-4-notes 2Peter 1:2; 1:3; 1:4). Will this day ever end? If you are in a strained marriage, a single person aware of your loneliness, or if youre physically afflicted, a day can indeed seem like a thousand years. Paul is praying for a deeper spiritual understanding, that "Aha" reaction we have when we begin to really understand something and exclaim "I see it! The hand that bled to make it mine, GOD'S INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS. Lord, where are You? you cry. We want to get out of the trial, solve the problem, move on. ESV and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. 1 Corinthians 2:12) as, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.. Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. (cf Ps 42:1, Mt 5:6+, 1Pe 2:2+). First, he raised Christ from the dead (v.20). In other words, if we now have come to believe in Christ, we can know that it took nothing less than Gods mighty power to bring us to that point. Thus power unto salvation (Ro1:16): the kingdom coming in power (Mk 9:1): God himself called powerthe right hand of the power (Mt. (Eph 4:1+). (ED: AKA AS NOT "ABIDING IN CHRIST!" 1:18) (ED: I WOULD SAY THIS IS ALSO THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT). If you identify with these sentiments, you are not alone. The power of God we experience in our lives is the same power by which God raised Jesus Christ from death. If not, why not? The hope of your calling is grounded in Gods promises and in Christs accomplishments. 2 Kings Living in the light of Your goodness God gives usspiritual giftsto aid us in our call to service. He gives them to us by the handfuls. It tells us all we need to know to walk with God and live wisely in light of eternity. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. In all those ways the Holy Spirit empowers Gods children. Ephesians 1 1-2 I, Paul, am under God's plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus. We have an inheritance in him, and he has an inheritance in us. As we experience God's power in our own lives, we can encourage others. It grows even taller when he prays that we would know the glory of Gods inheritance in the saints. What did Paul ask? God gives Himself to each. J C Philpot -It is no great mystery that the Son of God should be exalted to the throne of power. Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for the Spirits transforming work within you. Joel Thats too tedious, and besides, we think that were smart enough to figure this out without reading the directions. Into the city enters nothing that defiles, or works abomination, or makes a lie. (Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith). Consequently it should fill you with joy (Rom. But a day is coming -- oh! My hope is built on nothing less God demands that we obstinately oppose Satan, as those Romans untiringly harried Hannibal. We could never defeat these spiritual foes in our own power, but we can through the Spirits power. Kleronomia is literally what is received as a gift from someone who has died, but figuratively as in this verse it refers in a religious sense to God's promised salvation, gifts, and benefits. How did God respond to Pauls prayer to remove his thorn in the flesh? 10:32; Rev. For example, a young nursery worker may read about babies languishing in Romanian orphanages. Oh! In the Old Testament, thats what Israel was called; she was called The Lords Portion, the Lords inheritance. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as He sees fit and then calls us into a field of service that utilizes those gifts (1 Corinthians 12:111). So that Paul portrays the heart as having eyes to see and by seeing to gain knowledge. The gospel call is given by men and is a universal call to repent and trust Christ for salvation (see, e.g., Matt. Let that motivate you to praise your rich and glorious God for His rich and glorious inheritance! The definite article in Greek ("the") precedes pisteuo, which means these are literally "the" believing ones (i.e., they are genuine believers). 6:22 =that he may comfort your hearts. Daniel But you cant understand this manual by mere human insight or wisdom. CSB and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. Gods calling of Israel was to showcase Gods salvation to the pagan world. So that (1519) (eis) conveys the primary idea of motion into any place or thing figuratively as here speaks of the purpose for the Ephesian saints having been enlightened. Ephesians 1works through the various roles of the Trinity in the redemption of man. And because the height of this mystery cannot be easily attained unto. Hope for believers is not the worlds wishful thinking, but the absolute certainty that God will make true what he has promised. The real work of a Church depends upon the power of the Spirit." 4:18; 2Co 2:14), and touch (Acts 17:27). As you face this new day, do so with the confidence that you are one of Gods elect. It is a very high honor conferred upon God's servants, that it is said of them, "He shall choose their inheritance." We are not in heaven yet; but we are as safe as if we were. ), How is this resurrection power demonstrated even in this letter? Now, I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness It would have been a tall prayer if Paul had prayed that we would know Gods inheritance in the saints. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to his people. MacArthur makes an interesting assessment commenting that "One cause of immaturity in the church at Corinth was reliance on feelings above knowledge. I cant handle hearing all of the heartbreaking prayer requests for sick children, terminally ill relatives, and church members in financial turmoil.. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. However, this is not a new sentence in Greek. All rights reserved), The treasures of earth are not mine, 4:4, 6). Ezekiel NET NOTE has an interesting comment that a paraphrase reads "Since you are enlightened by Gods Spirit, I pray that you may comprehend the hope to which he has called you, the spiritual riches that await the saints in glory, and the spiritual power that is available to the saints now. Thus, the prayer focuses on all three temporal aspects of our salvation as these are embedded in the genitivesthe past (calling), the future (inheritance), and the present (power toward us who believe).
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