What an objective in prayer! He speaks of the 'love of Christ which passeth knowledge,' and of God being 'able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.' God intends that His work be accomplished by His power. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. 79)? The verb belonging to this is kleroo, to draw lots, apportion by lot (only in Eph 1:11-note, Heb 1:4-note). Look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all this land is given to thee! Used from Homer on it meant originally the fragment of stone or piece of wood which was used as a lot. This is what Jesus meant when He said of the people: They seeing see not, and hearing they hear not (Mt 13:13). This is why Paul prayed for the eyes of their hearts to really understand these truths. It is truth too magnificent for words to describe which is why even Gods own revelation requires illumination of His Spirit in order for believers to begin to understand the magnitude of the blessings of salvation that exist for saints. In the Old Testament, thats what Israel was called; she was called The Lords Portion, the Lords inheritance. It is in our personal lives. And he did so with great expectations. 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." It is the reserve of strength. Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. . All rights reserved. (Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith). This is what the Lord says: Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord. Zondervan, Click to read more about your inheritance in Spurgeon's Sermon A Wise Desire, A Day's Journey: 365 Daily Meditations from the Word, Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith, Risen: 50 Reasons Why the Resurrection Changed Everything, Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings, Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. 119:18) or other spiritual realities (2 Kings 6:17). The first dealt with the past, where the hope was produced by the calling of his people to himself. He gives them to us by the handfuls. And not just barely free, either. The heart the seat of the mind and will, and the heart could be taught what the brain could never know (or sadly the converse to know something intellectually but not in one's heart!) (Phillips: Touchstone), Wuest: and what is the superabounding greatness of His inherent power to us who are believing ones as measured by the operative energy of the manifested strength of His might, (Eerdmans Publishing- usedby permission). 2:916). I hold not its silver and gold; In Ephesians 1:3-14 Paul had just summed up what their calling involved. We could never defeat these spiritual foes in our own power, but we can through the Spirits power. So the dynamo of Christian living is within the believer because God is within the believer. Emotions are important, but they must be guided and controlled by an enlightened mind. MacArthur makes an interesting assessment commenting that "One cause of immaturity in the church at Corinth was reliance on feelings above knowledge. 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. Comment: Here they would see and they would know beyond a shadow of a doubt about Jesus' authority. Man can supply the energy, enterprise and enthusiasm for things human.
(seeEphesians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) (Bolding added). he prays that they may come to the full knowledge and possession thereof in Christ. But a day is coming -- oh! Then again, Nick has become his father, killing a man with no consequences, no guilty conscience either. (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary). Ephesians 6:10 says, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. We are mean enough to wish to make all we can of God, and to give Him as little as possible of ourselves. Comment: The firm assurance or hope that believers have in this life is the return of Jesus Christ in glory to take them home into His presence and give them glorified bodies like His. Can you conceive this? (Bible Knowledge Commentary), In another note Hoehner writes that "The word kleronomia occurred in Eph 1:14 and basically means property, possession, or inheritance. The key to overcoming a troubled, perplexed, stressed heart is to focus on the hope of His calling, on whats ahead, on heaven. If we do walk in the Spirit we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. The Greek word translated power is dunamis, from which we get dynamite and dynamo. "Redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins," which comes from God's grace (Ephesians 1:7-note). Since land was divided by lot, probably in the framework of common use of the fields, kleros came to mean a share, land received by lot, plot of land, and finally inheritance. Paul saw fit to teach simple believers, many of whom were slaves, the great doctrines of Romans and Ephesians and his other letters. Exodus 28:1). The Lord, however, says, Not so fast. 8:28)! We have been called, chosen, justified, and glorified for we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and are become his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Scripture speaks of two kinds of callings: the gospel or general call, and the effectual or specific call. They remain in bondage, depressed, and discouraged because they dont see the big picture of eternity. Now back to Paul's prayer, the point is that when the Holy Spirit opens the spiritual eyes of the heart of Paul's readers, they will be able to perceive and to know these great truths intuitively with a positive knowledge beyond a chance of a doubt. When He died, we died. 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. They will give us the hope and eternal perspective that we need to endure trials. 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. Try to grasp the scope of that thought, dearly beloved of God! (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary), Energeia - 7v -Eph. Believe (4100) (pisteuo) refers not just to an intellectual assent to the truths of the gospel but to a saving belief that effects the heart, resulting in a transformed, supernaturally directed conduct based on the truth believed. Notice here-. What (5101) (tis) is singular in contrast to the next clause regarding "riches" which is introduced with "what are" which is plural. Wealthybut miserable! Our faith in Christ did not originate with our feeble will, but with the sovereign, eternal will of God. 15:10-note). Ischus - 10 times in the NT translated: might, 5; power, 1; strength, 4. Working (1753) (energeia from en = in + rgon = work, English = energy) describes effectual working, efficiency or active, effective power. Now, I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness They dont know the reality of heaven. Perhaps he perceived a power shortage in the Ephesians saints! How wonderful to know that each moment of the day God is working within you in such a way. Ephesians 1:18 (NASB) Verse Thoughts All believers have been called by grace, out of darkness into His glorious light. He is powerless to apprehend spiritual things. That we might sense and experience the working of His incomparably great power for us who believe (Ep 1:19a). Plato (Protagoras, 350) draws the distinction thus: I should not have admitted that the able (dunatous) are strong (ischurous), though I have admitted that the strong are able. Job Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural. Part of that prayer is, I pray that . Strengthened with might in the inner man (Eph3:16): with all might (Col. 1:11). Now they needed to understand the hope of that calling so that they would then walk worthy of that calling. Not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1Pe 1:18-19), the Lord's portion has been fully redeemed. As He bought, so let Him possess, everything. 22:5. I have a heritage of joy, It is energetic power, energy put forth or energy put in operation. Joshua But I do more than thank. CSB and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. 2:89), and we live by grace, through faith (1Cor. Therefore, not only do we have an inheritance (Eph 1:14) but He also has an inheritance (Eph 1:18). John Piper - Resurrection Power Now - So my message for believers in Jesus is this: The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and what became of him after his resurrection, shows the greatness of Gods power toward us now in this life. Why is there so little power when God states that He has given us His Divine power? We will enjoy perfect happiness in a perfect environment where nothing will be spoiled by sin. But there are many good reasons to interpret the text this way. Esther 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 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. But then we cant figure out why this stupid product doesnt work right! Why? 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. Warren Wiersbe (Be Rich [Victor Books], pp. 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. SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING: to eidenai (RAN) humas tis estin (PAI) e elpis tes kleseos autou: Romans 5:4-5 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Not a stain on its pure robes; not a freckle on its leaves; not a taint of miasma on its atmosphere.