Lesson for February 14, 2021
The Book of Ephesians
Chapter 1:15-19
Verses 15-17
“For this reason, I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
Paul was greatly encouraged by what he had heard with regard to the church at Ephesus. Paul had a wonderful ministry in the city of Ephesus when he returned the second time. So much so that Ephesus became the center of Christianity instead of Antioch. He had the greatest ministry here of his entire life because people came to him daily at the medical school where he taught. People came from all over the country to hear him. There was a lot of spiritual growth in the church at Ephesus and Paul was delighted to hear that they were continuing their spiritual advance.
The faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not a reference to salvation faith but to their consistent study of Bible doctrine regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. They were continuing to learn and apply Bible doctrine, which was an encouragement to Paul. As a result of the doctrine they learned, they were exhibiting personal and impersonal love toward one another, which was a sign of their spiritual growth.
Paul was a prayer warrior. He spent a lot of time in prison and under house arrest and was consistent in praying for believers in the churches he had visited. Prayer is powerful when done properly under the filling of the Holy Spirit. We all need to know how to pray properly in order to receive an answer to our prayers. Notice the order of Paul’s prayer. First, he gave thanks and then he prayed to God the Father for their spiritual needs.
Prayer is for believers only who are in fellowship with God. The prayers of out of fellowship believers go unheard unless it is confessing personal sins. (Psalm 66:18) All prayer is to be directed to the Father, in the name of the Son when filled with the Holy Spirit. Both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are praying and making intercession for us. Therefore, we direct our prayer to God the Father. This is how Jesus taught His disciples to pray. (Matthew 6:9; John 14:13-14; Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:26-27)
In order for a person to address God as father, they must first have a family relationship with Him by placing their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Once this relationship exists, a believer has every right to communicate with his/her Heavenly Father. This, of course, is what God wants us to do. (Galatians 3:26; John 1:12; Hebrews 4:16)
Long prayers are to be done in private. Public prayer should be short and to the point. The Pharisees were fond of lengthy prayers so that men would see and hear them being “holy.” The Bible says that they already had their reward (being seen of men). When we pray, it should be done in private to God. (Matthew 6:5-7)
There is an order for prayer. The first item of our prayer should always be to name or admit our sins, if necessary, using the Rebound Technique. This restores the filling of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with God. The believer can now be heard by God. This should be another encouragement to keep “short accounts” with God (name your sins immediately). (I John 1:9)
Second, we should give thanks for the spiritual and material blessings that God has graciously given to us. We should then pray for others, intercessory prayer. This means we must know the needs of others, which would necessitate an up-to-date prayer list. Prayer for the unbeliever is primarily for their salvation. Since God does not force a person to believe in Christ, our prayer should be they will hear a clear Gospel message. (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28; Ephesians 6:18; James 5:15-16)
Finally, we should pray for our own needs, petition. Remember that there are some things that you don’t have to pray about. For example, we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So, we don’t have to pray, “Fill me with your Holy Spirit,” which would show our lack of knowledge of God’s Word and is an insult to God. If there is not a direct solution to your need in the Scriptures, then take it to God in prayer. (Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 4:16)
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Paul’s pray for these believers was to receive spiritual wisdom and spiritual knowledge. A spirit of wisdom is the application of Bible doctrine and the revelation in the knowledge of Him is spiritual knowledge not merely academic knowledge.
Verses 18-19a
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
The eyes are used in the sense of perception. The eyes of your heart refer to the soul where the compartments of the stream of consciousness reside. It means having doctrine in your frame of reference, in your memory center, in your vocabulary, in your categorical area, in your conscience (norms and standards). The Greek word for enlightened is “photizo,” which means to give light or to shine. Paul was praying that these believers would allow doctrine and wisdom to enlighten their minds. Then he gave them a list of doctrines he was praying that they would learn: 1) hope of His calling 2) the riches of their inheritance and 3) the greatness of His power.
The hope of His calling is a reference to a personal sense of destiny. As believers, we are on this earth for only a short period of time for the purpose of glorifying our Savior and being a witness for the prosecution in the Angelic Conflict. Living your spiritual life in light of eternity means you understand what the hope of His calling means. The Greek word for hope is “elpis,” which means full confidence and anticipation. Part of God is having a personal sense of destiny as a Problem-Solving Device and as a encouragement to live life to its fullest.
The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints is reference to the unlimited resources of God. Upon faith in Christ, we entered into a very unique relationship with God – we became royal family. As Royal Family of God, we were given an inheritance from God because of our union with Jesus Christ. His inheritance implies an everlasting family relationship. This is certainly the case for every Christian. At salvation, every believer becomes a child of God.
As children of God, we become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. This means that we share in Christ’s inheritance. The Bible declares that it has not even entered into the mind of man what God has prepared for him. God wants to share His happiness and He wants to bless us. Grace demands that God does the giving and that we do the receiving. (Galatians 3:26; 4:26; Romans 8:17)
Our family relationship is based on the grace of God. Therefore, our inheritance is also based on God’s grace. As our Father, God desires only the best for His children. It is a divine decree from our Heavenly Father that we have an inheritance, and His decrees must be carried out. (Galatians 4:4-7) Eternal inheritance means exactly that – it lasts for all eternity. Our inheritance begins at salvation but will not be fully realized until we enter eternity. After we are evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ, our inheritance will be given to us to enjoy for all eternity. This knowledge should become part of our personal sense of destiny and the hope (full confidence) of a future filled only with peace and happiness.
What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe is a reference to the omnipotence of God. The Greek word for surpassing is “huperballo,” which means to throw beyond or exceed. The Greek word for greatness is “megethos,” which means magnitude. Together they are used to describe the omnipotence of God in human terms. Greatness is speaking about God’s power and God’s plan. The plan of God depends upon His inherent power and His character. The Greek word for power is “kratos,” which means dominion, controlling or ruling. God’s ruling power in the life of advancing believers is the filling of the Holy Spirit and the Bible doctrine. It is these two power options that are necessary for fulfilling the plan, purpose and will of God. Since the character of God is perfect, God’s plan is perfect!