READ: Ephesians 1
Verses
chosen for meditation: Ephesians 1:16-20
16 I do not cease to
give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit
of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having
the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to
which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance
in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working
of his great might 20 that he worked in
Christ when he raised him from the dead…
REFLECT
Some of the most hopeful books in the Bible
(Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians), ironically came out during Paul’s house
arrest in Rome, under captivity. There’s a good reason, as for once, Paul
didn’t have to fight fires set by his enemies, escaping pursuers. With the
precious commodity of time, he reflected on the meaning of life, and God’s
overall purpose for this world.
In this letter, he opened with a burst of
thanksgiving for the vitality of the Ephesian church. However, Paul’s not quite
satisfied with just that. In his prayer, he sought to open “the eyes of their
hearts” (v18), for them to know more and understand better the hope they have
in Christ, the “riches of his glorious inheritance”, and the “immeasurable
greatness of his power” (v19).
Paul did not pray that they receive a ‘second
blessing’, but that they appreciate more fully the implications of the
blessings they had already received. His emphasis is in their growth in
knowledge, which is essential for growth in holiness.
Paul wanted the Christians to know they are called
to a new life in which they know love, obey and serve Christ, enjoy fellowship
with Christ and one another, and look beyond their present suffering to the
glory which will one day be revealed. It is to be assured that in this present
fallen world which breeds frustration, they can find peace and strength to go
on, in the hope of a promised, future restored world. That is “the hope to
which God has called them” (v18).
RELATE
Paul showed here the importance of keeping praise
and prayer together. That is something we are trying to do better as a church,
hence we have “Praise and Prayer Night” twice a year. At times, we do little but
pray for new spiritual blessings, apparently unaware that God had already
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Others may
know this truth, but become complacent and appear to have no added desire to
know or experience their Christian blessings more deeply.
What Paul did, and what we could then imitate, is
both to
-
keep praising God, being grateful that in
Christ, all spiritual blessings are ours, and
-
keep praying that we may know the fullness of
what God has given to us.
So, what’s there more to know? Won’t this knowledge
come naturally? Not quite. Above, we spoke of understanding the hope God called
us to (v18). How much of that revelation do we grasp? What about “the
incomparable riches of his inheritance” (v18)? Do we know how incomparable that
is? If we claim we know, why do we still pursue things on earth as if they are
more valuable, and not set our sights on the riches in Christ?
How much also, do we know of the power of God (v19),
which raised Jesus from death (v20), giving him conquest over evil? We are
slave to many weaknesses: fast tongue, bad temper, greed, lust, envy, pride,
etc. These are beyond our power to control, and we need humility to admit that.
But are these weaknesses beyond the power of God? Do we know the power of God, to
an extent that we practically experience and apply the knowledge in our lives,
drawing strength from that power for our self-control?
This understanding of our blessings does not come as
naturally as some may think. In v16, Paul prays for two things: spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. Knowing more of our
blessings then comes in part from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and in
part from using our minds to make sense. We cannot solely pray and wait for the
Spirit’s illumination, and not think. We also cannot just use our minds to
think, but leave little room for the Spirit to teach us.
Paul brings the two together. He teaches that God
has already supplied sufficient historical evidence of his power, especially in
raising and exalting Jesus. Objectively reasoning, we reach a certain point of
faith. Beyond the evidence, God then illumines our minds through the Spirit to
grasp this revelation. Divine enlightenment and human thought must come
together. Our thinking is unproductive without the Spirit of wisdom, yet the
Spirit’s enlightenment is not meant to save us the trouble of using our minds.
It is sometimes assumed that faith and reason are
incompatible, but they are not. Faith does go beyond reason, but rests on it as
well. Faith cannot grow without a firm basis of knowledge. If we believe
without much reasoning, our faith is blind. But knowledge is sterile also, if
it does not lead to faith. Knowledge without faith and love of Christ, does not
produce fruit, and will just puff up (1 Corinthians 8:1-2).
REST
Open
the Eyes of My Heart:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfz5CSBGyqU
Chris Chong
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