Unlike the earthly blessings we seem to want so badly, heaven's blessings are forever. Grace changes us. Paul reminds us over and over again that we who believe are in Christ.
Who we are and what we were meant for is not found in striving to become something or someone, it's found in Jesus. Paul lifts our eyes to see heaven's perspective.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
He chose us (vs.4)
He predestined us (vs.5)
He adopted us (vs.5)
He redeemed us (vs.7)
He forgave us (vs.7)
He saved us (vs.13)
He marked us with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (vs.13)
Sometimes I think we walk through life with peripheral vision, focusing on the temporary—what's outside and around us, forgetting that what's within is eternal.
In Ephesians 1:3-14 we saw the salvation plan of God. It was His plan, not ours. We don't earn it or deserve it, it's freely given. Our part is to receive it.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (vs.13b-14 NIV)
I love that as Paul continues his letter, he turns from praise to prayer, asking God that those who are His receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know Him better (vs.15-17). Interesting, was Paul concerned about the waning of faith? We do have a way of making even good things ultimate things instead of making God the ultimate object of our affection. Or could it be that Paul thought we might find it difficult to grasp what we have in Christ? Looking at the list above, how can the God of the Universe extend such blessings to man.
In either case, Paul, knowing that even faith comes from God, prays that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened in order that we may know the hope of His calling (vs.18). God brings salvation to us, and once we receive His gift, He seals it with Himself. So many completely miss this. Even those of us who have given our heart to Him sometimes lack the ability to grasp the depth of His grace, and hold onto hope, especially in a world lost in chaos.
This hope Paul is speaking of is biblical hope; a future expectation of good things as God designed hope to be. If only we realized what God has in store for us, it would reshape how we see everything. The best of what the world has to offer is just a tiny taste of heaven. And the worst, well, the hope of glory will give us the strength and courage to press on. Hope means that joy doesn't depend upon what we have now, but instead on what we're waiting for. It looks forward to our full adoption, and to the redemption awaiting these temporary tents that are prone to decay—more and more every day—in every way.
The next thing Paul prays is that we know the riches of God's glorious inheritance in his holy people (vs.18). Did you catch that? This is not our inheritance, it's God's inheritance. So what is His inheritance? Me—You—all of those who are in Christ Jesus—He calls us His glorious inheritance, a people set apart for Him. Now that's hard to fathom. It's easy for me to see God as my inheritance, but me, His? How is it possible that the God of the Universe calls me, calls you, His inheritance? Yes, He created us, but from the beginning of creation, man continually chooses himself over God. Yet God reaches toward man with an invitation, and upon acceptance, he becomes His treasure, a pearl of great price that God looks forward to receiving. (see Matthew 13:44-46)
The pearl gave nothing to God except the joy of having it. God paid everything for this joy" (Candice Lucey).
Paul continues, praying that we understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. (vs.19-20)
We quickly buzz through these words. We eat them, we love the concept of them, but honestly if we truly understood the glorious resources and power available to us—coupled with His love—He could do in us, and through us, immeasurable things.
“The very same power which raised Christ is waiting to raise the drunkard from his drunkenness, to raise the thief from his dishonesty, to raise the Pharisee from his self-righteousness, to raise the Sadducee from his unbelief.” (Spurgeon) And if I could, I would humbly add to this, "the spectator from his seat."
The message translation speaks the final verses of this chapter so beautifully:
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. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church.
The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.
The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. (vs. 20-23 MSG)
Along with every spiritual blessing, God predestined (marked out a course in advance) for us to receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know Him better. He enlightened our eyes (corrected our vision) so that we may know the hope of His calling, the riches of God's glorious inheritance in His holy people, and the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.
Now join me as we straighten our crowns and check our peripheral vision— because Ephesians 2 tells us that God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Wait—What?!
We'll talk more about that next time as we dig into Chapter 2.
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