Eph
1:18-19 I pray also 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 the saints, and
his incomparably great power for us who believe. NIV
Hope,
riches and power. Sounds like a mini-series, doesn’t it. Well, in a way it is.
The apostle Paul, when he says, “eyes of your heart be enlightened,” simply
means, “I want you to really see and
understand!” What is it that Paul is
deeming so important to understand?
There are
three truths in these two verses, that He wants the Ephesians and us to take
hold of. Understanding and accepting these three realities will bring an
enormous depth to your relationship with Christ.
One: the hope of His calling: The word hope
here is not used the way we usually think of hope but it means to anticipate or
expect. What it really means, is that we await a promise, knowing that it will
come to pass. What is this hope? It is the promise of eternal life with Jesus
(Ro 1:6). It is the knowledge that we have victory over death (1 Co 15:55-56). As
you contemplate that knowledge, it should relieve you from all fear in life.
When you know the end of the story, you need not be afraid of what happens in
the middle of it.
Two: the riches of His inheritance: Six
times in Ephesians Paul will use the term “riches.” What are these riches? Just
as a son or daughter might inherit money or property from a parent, we receive
an inheritance from God (Ro 8:17). In this case however, Paul is saying that we are the inheritance! We are God’s glorious inheritance. Have you ever thought of yourself that
way before? When you can grasp this, it should forever relieve you from
thinking you have no worth. You are so valuable to God, that He calls you a
glorious inheritance. What does it matter what man may think of you, when you
know how God looks at you?
Three: His great power for us: How great is
this power? Look at verses 19-21. “That
power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one
to come.”
His power,
which is available to us so that we may live our lives for His glory, is
greater than any other existing power. It is the ultimate power, beyond any
comparison. Look at the verses again. You must understand that this is the
power He gives to us! I know that many of you might be thinking that you do not
ever see this power working in your lives, so you are not sure this is true.
This is God’s word and God cannot lie. If you are not seeing this power in your
life, you must go to Him and ask Him to show you why.
Let’s be
clear on this. The power is available, but it according to God’s will and
purpose. That is what Jesus meant when he used the term, “in my name.” (Jn
14:13,14, 26, and more) We know that it is God’s will for us to live our lives
in obedience to Him, so when we ask for His power to do that, it will be
granted. It’s possible that the reason we do not see it as often as we should,
is because we do not ask or we ask with wrong motives (Ja 4:2-3). We should
continually be asking the Lord for His power to live the life He has called us
to live, and trust that He will provide that power!
Like Paul,
I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will have the eyes of your
heart enlightened to these truths, that you will receive them with joy, and
that they will transform your lives. I pray that they will help you to walk
closer with our Lord Jesus Christ than ever before!
God bless
you
Coach
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