For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 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, 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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked 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 authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:15-23
The more that we come to understand what God has done for us, and what He is planning to do, the more we will be filled with awe and admiration for Him. This understanding of God’s blessings leads to a greater faith in Him. Our faith is small and shaken because we do not fully understand what He has done, or what He is doing. We may question His ability, or His goodness as we face trails and loss, yet as we struggle through them and begin to understand God’s plan for the future, which very much includes our being blessed to an incredible degree, as well as the blessings which He has already lavished upon us in Christ, we are drawn into a position of peace, security and trust in God, which then leads to an unshakeable joy and love for Him, which finally erupts in genuine, joyous praise to Him. This is what God seeks to instill in us, this is what He is making us in to.
It is only right and just that God be praised. He is God, who created us. He is God who is perfect. He is God who is just. He is God. And yet the way that He goes about securing and cultivating and orchestrating that praise is the most loving and graceful act that can be conceived. In His wisdom He decided that the most effective heralds of His greatness, would be His enemies whom He forgave, redeemed and won over to Himself with His own power, love and incomparable riches and blessings.
It is for this reason that Paul prays that we might understand that, and it is for that reason that God, in speaking through Paul, puts down in words a taste and a glimpse of His grace, which can only fully be understood by the experience of His love for us, poured out through Christ, and secured by the Holy Spirit.
Part 5 in a series on Ephesians chapter 1.View Series