ephesians 1:18 the message ephesians 1:18 the message

Arriving at the church the next day, he found a seat behind a large pillar. Theyre depressed and discouraged because they dont see the big picture of eternity. But they unravelled the mystery by telling me that they put in, in enriching manure, all that they took out in the days of golden harvest. Perhaps it is because many of us assume in advance how the meeting will go. If the Christian message is true, the world is on the way not to dissolution but to consummation. Read Joshua 1:19 and then answer these questions: What were the circumstances of Joshuas call (vv. The Son has accomplished redemption through His death (Ephesians 1:7) and provided the necessary provisions for an inheritance for the believer (verse 11). Faith and Riches - Do you want to be rich? Ischus is used of the ability of human beings in Mark AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31:10; Ezek. Click for multiple Scriptures dealing with the other view (#2) that the inheritance refers to what believers will inherit one day by virtue of their position in Christ. The grassland yields pasture to the cattle; and there is not a square inch of the enclosed territory that does not minister to the needs of the new proprietor. 2:12) as, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.. I hold fast to the opinion that our God is ever trying to reveal Himself to us. He purchased it and paid for it with the blood of His Son. (Galatians 5:16-note) Obeying that command would settle the matter of walking in the flesh verses walking in the Spirit. One day a man is walking through a field. The hope that your effectual calling instills is grounded in Gods promises and in Christs accomplishments (1 Peter 1:3), and is characterized by confidently expecting and yet patiently waiting for those promises to be fulfilled. The Message Compact Bible--soft leather-look, black, The Message//REMIX 2.0, Purple Swirl - Imperfectly Imprinted Bibles, The Message Deluxe Gift Bible--soft leather-look, amethyst gem, The Message of Hope: Discover Meaning and Purpose for Your Life - eBook. The surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Christians are not like the Gentiles who have no hope (Eph 2:12+), but are those who have hope or firm assurance (cf "full assurance of hope" Heb 6:11) that God will do good to us in the future because Christ has purchased salvation for us on the Cross in the past (see notes below on Ro 5:1-2), sanctifies them through His Spirit in the present (Gal 5:16-25-note), and will lead them to glory in the future (Col 1:27+; 1Jn 3:2,3+ ). Lord, help me to influence prayer time at my church so that it is a healthy representation of the full Christian life, from supplication to praise. Understanding that you have already received grace upon grace (John 1:16), abundant life (John 10:10), and everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) gives you confidence that Gods future grace and resources will be more than sufficient (2 Cor. (cf Ps 42:1, Mt 5:6+, 1Pe 2:2+). One demon says to the other, "Demon, if those liberal theologians ever really let Jesus Christ out of that tomb, and those so-called Baptist preachers begin to preach itwhew! "For we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God." Second, this enlightenment comes to the heart of the believer (Eph. Live today in anticipation of Christs imminent return. The Word of God is scarcely preached while rock music and religious performers entertain worldly pagans. The Father has chosen (verse 4) and predestined (verse 5) believers to adoption in Jesus Christ. In the four Gospels, we see Gods power at work in the ministry of Jesus Christ, but in the Book of Acts, we see that same power at work in ordinary men and women, members of the body of Christ. Play Chris Tomlin's Resurrection Power. He said, "It's not like you to be shy." By Gods great mercy we have been begotten again (1Pet 1:3-note). What an objective in prayer! How could they have more than what they had? From her own people Rome raised an army, animated it with patriotism, and ordered it to fight. And I see my past has been redeemed The psalmist understood that the supernatural Word of God was unlike any writing of man and thus pleaded with God to Open (Hebrew galah = Piel stem always denotes "to uncover" something which otherwise is normally concealed. The hand that bled to make it mine, (see Ephesians MacArthur New Testament Commentary), Old fashioned Holy Ghost power is the need of the day. 1:18; Eph. (See dictionary discussion of Inheritance), Kleronomia - 14x in 14v - Mt 21:38; Mark 12:7; Luke 12:13; 20:14; Acts 7:5; 20:32; Gal 3:18; Eph 1:14, 18; 5:5-note; Col 3:24-note; Heb 9:15-note; He 11:8-note; 1Pet 1:4-note. (play "The Solid Rock"), Latter in Ephesians, Paul reminded the Gentile believers that in Christ they "were called in one hope of your calling (Eph 4:4+). J C Philpot -It is no great mystery that the Son of God should be exalted to the throne of power. (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament), Glenn Spencer on believe - This is a condition for the victorious life. Lawrence Richards has a pithy comment stating that "One way to build our own prayer lives, and to direct our intercession for others, is to model our prayers on those found in Scripture. 2 Peter 5:13): shall not be able (Lk13:24): I can do all things (Phil4:13): availeth much (Jas. An almost identical prayer is recorded by Clement of Rome(written between 75-110 AD, cf to Ephesians 60-62 AD) asking God to open the eyes of our heart to know you. (Also a good prayer!). Observe that the power which raised Christ from the dead was glorious. God never has museums. Try to grasp the scope of that thought, dearly beloved of God! It would seemingly be enough to mention the power of God, who is omnipotent. We have His "seal" on us, and more accurately within us in the presence of His Holy Spirit. Finally. 4.4 [on Deut. Look at our Lords body in the tomb. All of these pieces of armor must be put on with prayer (v.18). Have you ever wondered why church prayer meetings tend to have low turnouts? Camp out here in a letter that begins with "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly in Christ." Start for FREE. Dunamis does not refer to explosive power, as if the gospel will blow men to bits but as discussed above, it refers to intrinsic power. Note that all three clauses (hope, inheritance, power) are linked to the verb "will know". He teaches you to recognize and uphold what is excellent so that you will be sincere and blameless before God (Phil. 6:9; 7:9; 8:7; Joel 2:22; Amos 2:14; 3:11; 5:9; 6:13; Mic. Its in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Because God's resurrection power continues to work in us, it helps us (ED: MORE ACCURATELY IT ENABLES US! He does not tell us, but other words in this letter, in the other great prayer which it contains, may help us to supply the missing words. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? A. It is interesting to note that photizo (enlightened) was used by the pagan Mystery religions as a technical term for the rite of initiation into their inner secrets! NIV and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 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. Thats why he prayed for our enlightenment (Eph 1:18). The power he prays we will know is literally according to the power of the strength of his might which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead (vv. I finally see what youre telling me, Lord!" 31:3; Ezek. But that one in our nature should be exalted to that seat of pre-eminence and power; that the Mediator between God and man should be the man Christ Jesus; that the hands which once were nailed to the cross should now hold the sceptre, and that the feet which once walked on Lake Gennesaret, which were weary and dust-soiled at Jacobs well, which were washed with a sinful womans tears and kissed in penitential grief and love with polluted lipsthat these very feet should now have all things put under them both in heaven and earth, there is the mystery. Let that motivate you to praise your rich and glorious God for His rich and glorious inheritance! Another English word dynamite, is derived from dunamis and since dunamis is used by Paul to describe the "power of God", some have suggested that the gospel is "Gods dynamite". Hoehner on kratos -In the NT it is used twelve times, four times by Paul, twice in Ephesians (1:19; 6:10) and it always has reference to supernatural power: once of the devil (Heb 2:14), and the other eleven times of God. 18:23, 24.; 32:18, 19.; Josh 17:4; cf. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company unto eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained election. The giant trees are cut down; and their roots burnt out, or extracted by a team of horses. The Greek tense is aorist imperative which speaks in context of a request in the form of a command and speaks of urgency and need) my eyes, that I may behold (careful, sustained, and favorable contemplation - LXX translates with katanoeo from kata = down + noeo is literally to the the mind down on and speaks of giving very careful consideration to some matter, think about very carefully, consider closely. THOUGHT - Beloved, there is a powerful principle taught in this section. Salem Media Group. Precious things of the sun and of the moon, for God is light; of the ancient mountains of his faithfulness, and the everlasting hills of his truth; of the fountains and brooks of his love, that gush spontaneously forth to satisfy and enrich. Then again, Nick has become his father, killing a man with no consequences, no guilty conscience either. A day is as a thousand years. But let us not stop here - believers needed resurrection power to be saved the first time (justification) and are in continual need of this same power for "daily salvation" (progressive sanctification, "present tense" salvation) from the world, the flesh and the devil! . Freedom, You have given us freedom The Message (MSG). (Ibid), Life Application Study Bible- The world still marvels at the power of the atom, yet we belong to the God Who created atoms and the entire universe. In other words, Paul had prayed (Eph 1:17) that they might have true spiritual insight into God, and then he included the phrase, having the eyes of your heart enlightened (RSV). Hell help us, all Heaven will break loose." Lehman Strauss - The prayer continues: " The eyes of your understanding being enlightened " (1:18). 5:2; 12:21, 25, 28, 30; 16:27f; 29:11f; 2 Chr. | GotQuestions.org, Is there power in the name of Jesus? Saints (40) (hagios) describes men and women who have been set apart from the world by the sanctifying work of the Spirit for a specific purpose determined by God before the foundation of the world (see notes Ephesians 2:10). It is a powerful work, past, present, and future: Gods power was evident in their conversion, Gods power is evident in their endurance, and Gods power will be evident in their resurrection. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy. you may know . That ye may know.--The knowledge which St. Paul here desires for the Ephesians, in accordance with the whole tone of this Epistle, is a knowledge of heavenly things, only experienced in part upon earth--with an experience, however, sufficient to be an earnest of the hereafter. Energeia isused only of supernatural power in the NT. 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. In 1:18-19, he elaborates on what that means, namely, that God wants us to know three essentials about our salvation that will give us assurance about our high calling as God's people. What he prayed was that they be given a divine awareness (eido = intuitive knowledge) of the power they possessed in Christ! 4:4, 6). Do we not remember that glorious hour when He carried our hearts by storm? And as you pause to ponder, you are in effect beginning to practice the blessed discipline of Biblical Meditation. This is the same power God brought about in Christ. We as His followers, can best imitate our Lord by learning to relinquish self reliance and instead relying on God's power which is manifest and effective through His Spirit in us, as we seek to continually be filled with Him (Eph 5:18+) and to walk by Him (Gal 5:16+). 11:2; John 14:2526; 16:1214). In them we see the possibilities of humanity, the ideal for man which God had when He created and breathed His blessing .upon him. This thought is too great to fully comprehend in this life! Eido was found in the Greek secular writings to describe a theory or hypothesis which had been confirmed. Paul writes to the believers at Rome asking "Or do you not know (eido) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?" Because He wants to hang out on the Columbia River? Some have learnt the happy art of receiving and utilizing every square inch if we may use the expression of that knowledge of God which has been revealed to them. It is but a step from the bosom of the Father to His right hand. 3 John Strength (2904) (kratos) refers to manifested power or power that is put forth in action. See the blood-mark upon all the chosen, invisible to human eye, but known to Christ, for "the Lord knoweth them that are his"; (2Ti 2:19) he forgetteth none of those whom he has redeemed from among men; he counts the sheep for whom he laid down his life (Jn 10:14-15), and remembers well the Church for which he gave himself. The ultimate hope for Christians is to be with their Lord (Rom 5:45; 8:20, 2425; 12:12; 15:13; Gal 5:5; Col 1:5; Titus 1:2) and they eagerly wait for his coming, unlike the heathen who have no hope (Eph 2:12; 1 Thess 4:1318; 5:8; Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:3). 2:89), and we live by grace, through faith (1Cor. We will be perfect in righteousness and in love for God and one another. Listen to his arguments here. F B Meyer writes about THE SAINTS' INHERITANCE IN GOD (Ephesians 1:14, Ephesians 5:5). Saving faith is sufficient for trusting Christ and being saved, but such must grow into Sanctifying faith, Serving faith, Standing faith, and Suffering faith. The other day, when travelling in Scotland, I was introduced to some farmers whose soil was naturally of the poorest description; and yet, in answer to my inquiries, I found that they were able to raise crops of considerable weight and value. And then look at our Lord now at the right hand of the Father on high. 1 Peter 3:9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. - Jn 15:5!) One might think of ischus as God's latent power. He reminded us of the motivation behind prayercommunicating with the One who is in control of all things. Paul explained (Col. 1:29), For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Laboring in His power is the antidote to burnout. 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. And they became thine in fact, when thou wast born at the foot of the cross. 1:18). Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Spiritual Life, Character of God, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Pauls request for them to know God was within proper bounds because their hearts had been enlightened (the Greek perfect tense indicates past action with continuing results), as discussed in verses 314, especially Eph 1:79 (previous note from Hoehner's discussion in Bible Knowledge Commentary) (Ed Note: Hoehner goes into greater detail regarding six ways this passage could be taken in hisEphesians: An Exegetical Commentary), Lehman Strauss-The prayer continues: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened (1:18). (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary). Heart (2588) (kardia) is most often used in the Bible not of the literal organ that circulates blood in our body. In other words Paul is saying God's resurrection power is of such a magnitude and quality that it exceeds all standards of physical magnitude! For example, Jesus said that evil thoughts come out of the heart (Matt. The power of God that was wrought, by God in Christ works in me. Ephesians 1:18-23 The Message 15-19 That's 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 couldn't stop thanking God for youevery time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. | GotQuestions.org, Is there any power in positive thinking? They are also his by conquest. What promises did God make to him (vv. Do you hunger and thirst for God as a deer does for the water brooks? (Eph 1:18ESV) Notice how this rendering places the emphasis on God as the One Who "inherits"! THOUGHT - Is my life a living epistle, a vibrant testimony to God's supernatural power? Nor do we need to pray for power to do Gods will. These include truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. NET since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints. 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. Memorize Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:3 and recite them often as anthems of praise for the Lords abundant grace. The Greek text may be interpreted in either of two ways. A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. Others see it as referring to the believers inheritance, which Paul calls His inheritance because God is its source. They worship a lie (as do all cults who have exchanged the truth of God for the lie of Satan - cf Ro 1:25+). Those for whom Paul is praying were once "spiritually blind" darkened in their understanding, (Eph 4:18) walking around in "spiritual darkness" as he reminded them of later writing that "you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (Eph 5:8-note). ), "What I do you do not realize (eido- know beyond a shadow of a doubt) now, but you shall understand (ginosko- understand by your experience) hereafter. Many Christians have a stick your head in the sand attitude when it comes to grappling with the difficult doctrines of the Bible. Savor each moment. Consequently, they are constantly striving for material things and are continually chasing carnal pursuits. In either case Pauls point is clear: redemption and its accompanying blessings are so profound that we must have supernatural help to understand them. (Ephesians 5:18+) The filling of the Holy Spirit will result in power for service with souls being won to Christ and Christians growing in grace and knowledge. Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17, Psalms 121:3, Philippians 4:19, James 1:17, Ephesians 1:3, Revelation 21:9, Romans 8:21-26, . The Holy Spirit has sealed the believer, providing the necessary down payment to give assurance and security of the eternal destination to the believer (Ephesians 1:1314). There are too many Christians trying to do the work of God without first being filled with God. 3:24; 4:37; 8:17f; 9:26, 29; 26:8; 32:13; 33:11, 25, 27; Jos. 10:16; 51:19; etc.). At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. I have often felt that way myself. This expectation of seeing Jesus, our "Blessed Hope" [see below] and being like Him is entertained equally by both Jewish and Gentile believers. It is a very high honor conferred upon God's servants, that it is said of them, "He shall choose their inheritance." 28:9; 33:12; 78:62, 71; 106:5, 40; Isa. (see note), Christ, "the hope of glory," living in us (Colossians 1:27). So Paul asks God to enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that we will know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. (Ibid). WALK IN THE SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us from the Word, and then gives us the wisdom to understand and apply it. We do not ask for it we were born into its blessed privilege. I knew his hand was bigger than mine." Sunday I went up to Los Angeles and heard Paul Rader preach. So that Paul portrays the heart as having eyes to see and by seeing to gain knowledge. But we must see to it that we keep nothing back. All of which is a parable. In the NT the idea of chance attaching to the lot is eliminated for all believers we inherit all spiritual blessings in Christ. It is possible to excel in mechanics and fail in dynamic. 6:4; Heb. Throughout the Old Testament, the verb know and the noun knowledge refer to intimacy and relationship, not simply a cognitive understanding of the facts. In summary, Paul is praying for one of the things these believers need to fully understand and to deeply realize -- the hope of God's calling. Dunamis is rather ability, faculty: not necessarily manifest, as ischus: power residing in one by nature. In summary, because we are in Christ and He is in us, believers possess resurrection (and ascension) power, and Paul's prayer is for the Spirit to shine the light on this incredible, difficult to comprehend truth that we might know it beyond a "shadow of a doubt" and live in the light of this truth. In Ephesians 1:19 Paul focuses on one key feature of Gods power: His ability to secure the salvation of His people. Such a glorious hope inspires to holy living and to a hatred of all that is of this world. A marvellous lift was there! But, since there are many who dispute it, allow me just to stir up your minds by way of remembrance, by mentioning certain facts which will lead you to see clearly that verily God does choose our lot, and apportion for us our inheritance. (Ephesians 1:18) What an extraordinary combination! Having all our needs met by God (Philippians 4:19) (see note), The "wisdom and knowledge of God" (Romans 11:33) (see note).