ephesians 1:18 the message

It would seemingly be enough to mention the power of God, who is omnipotent. The inability to see and understand spiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but of the heart. 8:30), And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. That sequence is certain! (Mark 2:10-11+). The same divine power that created, sustains, and controls the universe secures your salvation. And he prays for you to understand the surpassing greatness of that truth. Copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Knowing of Jonahs disobedience beforehand, God had already prepared a great fish to swallow him and spit him out when he was humbled enough to repent (Jonah 1:172:1). They say, I dont bother with theology. His emphasis is on spiritual perception and real Christian character. We need not pray for power to evangelize, to witness the gospel to others. Kratos means strength or might, the power to rule or control or exert dominion (power to rule, supreme authority, sovereignty, the right to govern or rule or determine). I ask - ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, 18 your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, Open the compasses of your faith to measure this measureless abyss; and then marvel at the power which bore your Lord across it, and know that that same power is towards you, if you believe, waiting to do as much for you in your daily experience if you will but let it have its blessed way. Heavenly Father, I pray that my heart would be flooded with the marvellous light of the gospel of grace. He wishes them to have eternal life in Christ [John 20:31] and to know that they have it.". 1:4; 2:37; 3:4, 20; 4:1, 13f, 21ff, 30f; 5:7; 7:7; 8:6f, 22, 24; 10:8, 16f; 11:1, 6f, 10, 15, 17, 19, 25, 34; Hos. 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. ", Ischus - 251 uses in the Septuagint (LXX) - Ge4:12; 31:6; 49:3; Ex.9:16; 15:6, 13; 32:11, 18; Lev. The context for this passage is important. I never heard such a sermon in all my lifeEphesians 1:18. Ephesians 1:18. What a disappointment to someone who helped contribute to that $50 million figure! We are dearer to Him than all the worlds He has ever made; more precious than all His other creation. His faith that God will strengthen me When He is seated at the right hand of God, so are we, in Christ. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Eph 3:16+ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. For example, a young man may begin to have a burden for a particular foreign nation and its people. Thus, it seems that the author is saying, "I know that you are saved, that you have had the blinders of the devil removed; because of this, I can now pray that you will fully understand and see the light of God's glorious revelation." He said that godly people who are engaged in daily struggles with inward corruption realize that it requires nothing less than the surpassing greatness of Gods power to save us. You have the reason why there is so little of vivid, vibrant joy in the things of God. To ask God for more power is an affront to His gracious love which already has provided us everything. 3:24; 4:37; 8:17f; 9:26, 29; 26:8; 32:13; 33:11, 25, 27; Jos. According to Jeremiah 9:2324. 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. When He placed his cross against the wall, and scaled our ramparts, planting on our strongholds the blood-red flag of his omnipotent mercy? Hosea It comes only through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. She contacts a Christian organization that operates orphanages in Europe and learns they have an opening for a worker. 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. The church cannot arise and go out as at other times, and this the Philistines well know." But next to this, the emigrant encloses some small part of his inheritance, placing around it a tentative fence or partition; and here he begins to expend toil and skill. 19:25; 47:6; 63:17; Jer. Start for FREE. Deuteronomy But, Paul adds, the surpassing greatness of His power, and then goes on to say (1:19b-21) that this power is in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Wow! 3:21; Col. 2:12; 2 Thess. It reflected honour upon God and wrought dismay in the hosts of evil. Jonah was called by God but refused to surrender to that call; instead, he ran the other way (Jonah 1:13). All rights reserved. This is the same power God brought about in Christ. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. (SeeThe Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked!). There is no mortgage on his estate; no suits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court (1Co 6:20, Rev 5:9), and the Church is the Lord's freehold for ever. Why? 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. Your prayer will likely be a welcome reminder to others. The orphans are helped, and God is glorified. Why is it important to know what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe? Throughout the Old Testament, the verb know and the noun knowledge refer to intimacy and relationship, not simply a cognitive understanding of the facts. The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked! ", Luke 10:27+ And he answered and said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. In hours of weakness they drew on God's power; in those of suffering, on his patience; in those of misunderstanding and hatred, on his vindication; in those of apparent defeat and despair, on the promises that gleam over the smoke of the battle, as the Cross before the gaze of Constantine; in death itself, on the life and immortality which find their home in the being of Jehovah. Lastly, in the text mark the union of the new life to Jesus. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. On the other hand if I give you a million dollars, I have given to you "according to" or more in proportion to my riches. Call or calling is used with reference to salvation in two senses. The possessive pronoun shows that it is Gods inheritance.Because of His choosing, redeeming, adopting, and sealing us, we are his possession. Too many people are trusting Christ for the power to save their souls and not trusting Him for the power to live day by day. Already we have noted that God made us His heritage that we should be to the praise of His glory (1:11-12). We have been called by grace, to glory. 1 Samuel Sometimes both terms are used interchangeably for nahlh (e.g. Suggestions for Prayer: Pray for greater spiritual enlightenment and a clearer understanding of your security in Christ. Cf. One might think of ischus as God's latent power. His death had our name on it. Septuagint Usage -Grundmann (ischu, Kittel, 3:397, note 3) asserts that ischus is the most common word for power in the LXX. It substitutes for 30 Hebrew expressions in the Septuagint where it regularly translates such terms as kach (strength, power, ability), chayil (capacity, power), and az (strength). Harold Hoehner points out that "The NEB, NASB, and NIV state another request: I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. Ephesians 1:18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, > Ephesians > Chapter 1 > Verse 18 Ephesians 1:18 Context Crossref Comment Greek Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Our Lord gave us an object lesson on this truth when He spoke about faith as a grain of mustard seed. But heaven seems so far away, you say. I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. 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. All rights reserved. She discusses her burden with her pastor and her spiritual mentor. So that Paul portrays the heart as having eyes to see and by seeing to gain knowledge. It will be too depressing, we say to ourselves. Someone has so well said, "God was not satisfied in possessing suns and stars; He wanted sons and saints." Because He wants to hang out on the Columbia River? free! What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? It will encourage you to go on. 6:2; 8:3; 10:7; 17:17; Jdg. Ischus - 10 times in the NT translated: might, 5; power, 1; strength, 4. (seeEphesians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) (Bolding added). It is grace that supplies the wealth, but it is faith that lays hold of the wealth (cp 2Cor 5:7-note). When our hearts are set to obey the Lord, He confirms His call in a variety of ways: godly counsel, natural gifting, fruitful results, Scripture, and a sense of rightness that does not conflict with any of the other confirmations. The eyes of our hearts refers to our total inner person, which includes the intellect, the emotions, and the will. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. They will give us the strength to persevere in godliness. In the New Testament it's a special invitation from God to man to accept the priceless benefits of His salvation. They propagate self-effort and introspective meditation, but spiritual enlightenment doesnt come through such means. The first phrase of verse 18 is literally, the eyes of your heart having been enlightened. I understand it to be explaining in more specific detail Pauls words in verse 17, that God would give us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the true knowledge of Him. To know these spiritual truths, God must open our eyes. How can we begin to fathom a prayer like that? No, because hes after the treasure. God can. 2:4): strength of sin (1 Cor. All rights reserved), If someone sees the best in me, There are seminary professors who can exegete the Greek text here, but these glorious truths do not thrill their hearts. The Council's report, released in September 1991, concludes that subliminal messages simply don't work. Not even Satan has the power to do that. 6:16; Heb. Calling (2821) (klesis) (Click for more in depth discussion of calling; see related word kletos, and discussion of who are "the called") refers to an invitation as to a banquet, a summons to court, and was a call for attention in Greek. This power is only for Christians, for those who believe. Paul Rader, former wrestler and boxer, became one of the most powerful evangelists of the early 20th century. THAT THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED. The fact that God exerted such mighty power to save us implies that His same mighty power will keep us. Daniel Our faith in Christ did not originate with our feeble will, but with the sovereign, eternal will of God. There are too many Christians trying to do the work of God without first being filled with God. I ask - ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, We have an inheritance in him, and he has an inheritance in us. (Eph 4:1+). There is a superabundance of machinery; what is wanting is power. Software Full Name: Adobe Premiere Pro 2023. Says a good divine, "It is one of the greatest glories of the Church of Christ, that our mighty Maker, and our Friend, always chooses our inheritance for us." Proper understanding of spiritual truth is not dependent on having a keen intellect but rather a tender heart! Many of us skim the manual quickly (at best), or never bother to read it at all. Do you think your faith will bring you riches? Freedom, You have given us freedom Sunday I went up to Los Angeles and heard Paul Rader preach. I feel now that I want to serve God, if He can use me, instead of making the goal of my life the making of money. It tells us all we need to know to walk with God and live wisely in light of eternity. 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. Thats amazing. Nehemiah When we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine to feed and nourish others. B. There are a good number of folks who have believed and been saved who's faith hasn't grown. The emphasis is not on that which is little, but rather that which starts out small and grows into something bigger and stronger. God's power is sufficient for our every need. We need to practice the Joshua rule "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you." Ephesians 1works through the various roles of the Trinity in the redemption of man. Kleros may be used in the plural, but kleronomia is never so used. It is a very high honor conferred upon God's servants, that it is said of them, "He shall choose their inheritance." Ephesians 1:18. Dunamis - 119x in 115v - Here are Paul's uses of dunamis in Ephesians Eph 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Haggai It cannot come if, instead of hearing His voice, we are content with only an echo! They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. 2 Corinthians 4:6+ For God, Who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, (Ge 1:2-3-commentary) is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. And so they liken them to fruit and branch and root; but we need simply say that the gathering together of words so nearly co-extensive in their meaning is witness to the effort to condense the infinite within the bounds of human tongue, to speak the unspeakable; and that these reiterated expressions, like the blows of the billows that succeed one another on the beach, are hints of the force of the infinite ocean that lies behind 'According to the working of the strength of the might which He wrought in Christ' - the Resurrection, the Ascension, the session at the right hand of God, the rule over all creatures, and the exaltation above all things on earth or in the heavens - these are the facts which the Apostle brings before us as the pattern-works, the chefs-d'oeuvre of the power that is operating in all Christians. Vine explains that genuine belief is a firm conviction of the truth, a surrender to that truth and a conduct that results from that surrender. There is the danger of stopping at knowing doctrine, rather than allowing the doctrines to give you greater personal knowledge of the God of whom the doctrines speak. It is Christs coming to take His own to be with Himself. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing CompanyVolume 1,Volume 2,Volume 3- usedby permission), William Barclay says that dunamis "is the word from which dynamite comes. All of this is for Gods glory (Ephesians 1:6,12,14). As believers in Jesus Christ, we have resurrection power! Jesus used the word in this sense when He said, Many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. For Further Study: Read 2 Corinthians 1112. After this time, Jesus rose from the dead, the miracle of miracles. (Click to read more about your inheritance in Spurgeon's Sermon A Wise Desire based on Ps 47:4). Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul reminded them, Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction (1 Thess. It will fill you with thanksgiving, joy, and hope. 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. If you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you. Exodus 28:1). This is also apparent when 1Samuel 2:12 says that Elis sons were wicked men who did not know Yahweh. TECHNICAL Note that it is somewhat difficult to give a crisp, succinct definition of eido, so keep that caveat in mind as you read these notes. As He bought, so let Him possess, everything. New Testament scholar F. F. Bruce writes (The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians [Eerdmans], p. 270), That God should set such high value on a community of sinners, rescued from perdition and still bearing too many traces of their former state, might well seem incredible were it not made clear that he sees them in Christ, as from the beginning he chose them in Christ., Why did God do this? 1 Peter 4:11 (note) Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. David wrote, Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. . The shadows of secrecy or reserve on either side will blight a friendship in which all the conditions seem perfectly adjusted. Verse of the Day , Ephesians 1:18 Treasury of Scripture Knowing, God, My Praise (Study In God - All I Need-19). In our struggle with everything that sets itself against the knowledge of God, we have some incredible resources. They are actually conflicts with evil spiritual forces (6:12). The real work of a Church depends upon the power of the Spirit." He will put into thee the grace that thou shalt give back to Him in fruit. We are mean enough to wish to make all we can of God, and to give Him as little as possible of ourselves. Ephesians 1:18-19 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. Malachi No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell nor sinners upon earth, can stay the hand of God's grace when it intends to convert a man. Usually ischus denotes power, might, strength, ability. Ancient understanding is often linked to other kinds of power or authority (e.g., dunamis, exousia; cf. 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. Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Don't you think it's time that the people of God begin to understand and to exercise Kingdom Authority? He reminded us of the motivation behind prayercommunicating with the One who is in control of all things. Are you praying the promises of God for yourself and your family and the body of Christ? When we are faithful to the call to obedience, He can call us to more specific areas (seeLuke 16:10).GotQuestions.org. Knowing with absolute certainty where we are going should give believers the confidence to live as more than conquerors now (Ro 8:37). The answer is yes, yes, yes. I have total trust in You. This seems to be a confirmation, but she continues to ask the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5). 1:18. 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". The key to overcoming a troubled, perplexed, stressed heart is to focus on the hope of His calling, on whats ahead, on heaven. But Ephesians emphasizes God's inheritance in the saints. 1:19; Eph. When we shall see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners of their own free will turning to Christ. Zina21 March 3, 2023, 9:29pm 10. Others see it as referring to the believers inheritance, which Paul calls His inheritance because God is its source. He will bring fruit out of thy rockiest nature, as the Norwegians raise crops on every scrap of soil on their mountain slopes. The heart was the seat of understanding. For example, Jesus said that evil thoughts come out of the heart (Matt. Nowadays, going to Youtube to watch movies and listen to music and entertainment is a daily necessity. Now the eyes of the believers heart must be continually taken up with his Lord in order that his knowledge of spiritual truth might increase. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. NLT (revised)I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called-- his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. All of which is a parable. 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 3:19+and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Its certainly not because of the power of the believer, but the power of God. I askask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of gloryto make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust himendless energy, boundless strength! THOUGHT There will never be a day when God's power is not sufficient to accomplish what God purposes in us and through us to the praise of His glory (what He does in and through us will be seen by others who give Him praise and glory because they realize that it is a supernatural not natural work!)

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