Ephesians--Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Him

Ephesians 1:17 & 18 Amplified Bible: “[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know {and} understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),”

Pray to the Father—when the disciples asked the Lord to teach them how to pray, He gave them the Lord’s prayer and He said that you pray in the Father’s name.  It is interesting that it is an acknowledgement of God.  He is the Father of glory…remember, that glory can be translated as character, too.  When we go to the Father, we start at the correct place.  The Father, the creator, the I Am is the place to start in praying.      

Some people have difficulty praying to a father because of the father that they had.  It is really the character of God that makes Him the Father to whom we can pray.  Do not throw God the Father out as a consequence of earthly fathers.  Prayer to the Father also acknowledges our relationship with Him. The Lord called Him Abba Father…daddy.  That is sweet and intimate in the child’s sort of way.  I think of the Father who showed up after the children (Adam and Eve) had been deceived and tricked into disobedience.  “Where are you,” He asked?  A loving Father knows where they are.  It is the two of them that have no idea.  That is what deceit about your relationship with the Father does to us.  

Paul had an experience of the third heaven.  Some say that he saw the Savior in heaven.  Whatever happened, he has an appreciation of the Father person as well as Christ.  Paul is shining so much light on our relationship with God and Christ.  He wants us to know who we are in them.  He wants us to know who they are and how they are.  That really is what he is trying to tell us.  

Be granted a spirit of wisdom and revelation—Why?  That we might have a deep, intimate knowledge of Him.  Why?  It is how we get to know our full potential.  He has given us the fullness of the Godhead.  He has given us the mind a Christ.  Everything we learn about the Godhead, we learn about us.  Does that sound too far out there?  According to Romans 8, it is our creation parameters…we were created to this.  The more we know the beauty of His holiness, the more we understand these mysteries.  This is not shallow.  This is the deep and intimate knowledge of Him.  The “knowing” which implies intimacy.  

Eyes of heart flooded with light—There is a scripture which says that out of the heart flow the issues of life.  Here, Paul is talking about the eyes of the heart that have been flooded with the light about God the Father and His Son.  When we have a heart (love) lens over our eyes, it changes everything.  When we hear wonderful things about God and the Lord, we get happy and peaceful when our lens is love.  

That you can know and understand the hope—I think that this is talking about the hope that comes as a result of knowing that we are loved and cherished by the Father and Son.  It is so much easier to have faith and hope when we actually know…can count on…this love relationship.  If every thing boils down to a matter of legality, I can fear that I have not done all that is possible.  This does not create hope.  Someone once said to me that there are only two basic emotions…fear and love.  Think on those words.  I agree.  Fear is not from the Father and Son.  

His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones)—Paul never misses a chance to tell us that we are set-apart ones.  Has your significance, support, security, and safety been based upon your doing?  That is what this world teaches and models.  The Father’s world tells us a different story.  See the Father going out each day to look down the road in hope and expectation of a returning prodigal who made a wrong choice.  How did the Father treat him?  He waited to put the robe on him and throw a party. 

Ephesians--A Pathway of Loving

Ephesians 1:15-16:  “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;”

I received a box today in the mail that contained the sweetest remembrances of love and thoughtfulness that was full of encouragement to me.  One of the ladies on the list to receive the blog messages blessed my day.   What she did reminds me of our scripture.  Is it not interesting that this act of kindness came when it is time to write this.  It was a visual aid that I could see, touch, and experience!

Faith in the Lord Jesus — she has faith in the Lord Jesus and she was sharing that faith with me.  We are sharing faith with one another.  After I heard of your faith…my blog is full of faith sharing and her notes and emails are full of faith sharing, too.  Paul says that he had heard of the faith of the Ephesians.  Faith in whom?  Faith in the Lord Jesus.  There had to be a lot a faith sharing going on for Paul, in prison, to hear about it.  In a way, we are all in prison and need faith sharing from others.  

Love unto all saints — this faith sharing is because there is love being expressed unto all the saints.  We may look at the scripture and never realize that someone in some type of prison needs our love expressions of faith actively.  I took this act of love in sending me such a sweet gift as a fulfillment of this scripture.  It challenged me to be more active in extending faith and love…as well as the rest of this verse.  

Cease not to give thanks for you — giving thanks for you means that you know something about the person.  One thing you know is that they are a child of God.  They have real lives and real life struggles the same as you.  Give thanks for you…I’m glad that you are on the planet and taking this Ephesians’ journey with me.  Cease not…be continually aware and in tune to what the Lord would have us see, hear, feel, and do.  We are blessed to have email and texting to help us give thanks.  Cease not means that you are continually aware of other saints.  

Remembering you in prayers — you see, you are not likely to remember someone in prayer unless faith in the Lord causes you to believe that it makes a difference.  The faith of Jesus helps us see others through the eyes of Heaven.  When we have done it for the least of the brethren, we have done it to Christ.  Love towards others helps us remember them in prayer.  Another sweet spiritual sister sent me a prayer blanket covered in prayers.  I know that I’m being prayed for each time I pull that little blanket around my shoulders or over me. I love that little blanket, and I am very thankful for this sweet sister's kindness!  Being thankful for others helps us remember them in prayer.  Often there is not much we can do for someone, but these four principles show us what we can do.  All of this is talking about relationship living with the saints…near, far, and in prison of some sort.  

3 John says that I wish above all things that you be in good health and prosper…even as thy soul prospers.  Most people only quote the first part.  Soul prosperity, if you look at the rest of that scripture, is about relationships in and out of the church.  Do people see Christ in us?   It doesn’t do much good to give away doctrine without love.  I can truly say that I give thanks for each of you and what you have meant and still mean to me.  

Expression of these four principles is active love.  It is the core of soul prosperity.  We hold this prosperity in each other.  For God so loved that He gave…another example of soul prosperity and these four principles. In this giving, it was very now centered  and people centered.  It was His will on earth as it is in Heaven…Thy will not mine be done.

Ephesians--Mission of Grace to Build Oneness

How many times have I read Ephesians through a lens of what I had been taught regarding a man-centered, works orientation.  At some point, I started reading it for what it said…not for what religion has said about it.  It makes a huge difference.  I kept being drawn there.  

As I did some preliminary study on Ephesians, I found the standard outline of what is being said theologically.  What is missing is the awe about who God is, what He has done, and who we are in Christ.  I realize that an outline of any theology is probably not going to have the awe of the message.  

I pretty much grew up with the theology,  It was not until recently that I discovered the awe of the message, and sharing that awe is my purpose in writing these thoughts.  I really doubt that I am the only one that has missed the awe and love all these years.  To be told that Christians should lead holy lives that honor God, and that Paul gives  guidelines for right living, while true, misses the awe and turns the freedom that God is granting His children into a man-centered work.

Ephesus was a prosperous port city in the Roman province of Asia Minor, and enjoyed an international trade, a thriving silversmith guild, and a theater that seated 20,000 people.  Paul was in prison at Rome but was free to preach the gospel.  The traditional view is that Ephesians was written about 61 AD during that imprisonment (Acts 28).  Jesus Christ is central to its themes.  The teaching about Christ and His work expanded as the Jewish church developed into a more Gentile church.   The expansion of the church also brought a developing new culture and Paul refers to the revelation of God as mystery…not previously known.  

Paul’s conversion experience brings a supernatural edge to things.   After his conversion he spent 3 years in Arabia and Damascus, and except for a short visit with Peter and James (brother of Jesus), he spent another fourteen years on his journeys where the people just heard about him working with them instead of against them (see Galatians 1).  I find this very interesting and wonder if his absence is saying traditional religion is done.   He preaches that Christ brings together all things in heaven and on earth.  Given that, he has very little to do with the traditional organization and often speaks against those who are trying to bring in Judaism.  And yet, he speaks of the “body of Christ” having oneness.  

Paul goes from the mystery of God to the practical, down-to-earth relationship issues.  Yet, these are an example of what has gone before.  You have the giving of the ten commandments by God and then the giving of the ceremonial law by Moses.  The first was God on the mountain, and the second was God in real life relationships showing what the ten commandments looked liked lived out.  Then you have this mirrored in the giving of the Beatitudes…the big picture…and the verses that follow in the Sermon on the Mount  show us what these mean.  All three examples show us that the laws are to be lived out but from a standpoint of relationship.  Otherwise, the effort becomes a check list of man-centered works.

Paul developed his teaching about grace expressed in Christ.  Our lives and our vision of the majesty and glory of God would be minimized without Paul’s work in the letter of Ephesians.  Probably, it was meant to go the all those churches in Asia Minor.  Speaking to us on oneness, it seems likely that it was meant for the church as a whole.  People often talk about oneness and mean sameness.  I end this with a quote from one of my favorite writers, A. W. Tozer, 

“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”

― A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Ephesians--Trusting in a Sealed Inheritance

The following two texts are so rich!  His love to us just keeps on shining in the explanation.  We have made it so hard…a matter of difficult theology instead of receiving grace from His hand.  Let us take these texts apart and see what God is doing for us.

Ephesians 1:13 & 14:  “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Trusted:  I don’t know about you, but after I was told that I could not go to heaven because I did not belong to a certain church, my eleven-year old heart had a wall around it.  Trust is  not what I could do.  It took some “hearing the word of truth"…the gospel (good news) of my salvation to find my way back to trust.  It did not happen overnight.  It probably could have if I had more understanding and had realized that there was nothing wrong with me…I was not unaccepted, unwanted, unworthy!  I had not heard the truth from the pulpit.  Does this resonate with any of you?

Truth:  The truth that we need to hear promotes trust.  The good news we want to hear changes us for the better!  By beholding, you become changed.  How was I being changed into the message of the above lie?  I was judgmental, harsh, and unloving.  I was being towards others how I was told that God was to me.  This is really the way mankind treats each other, not how God treats us. There is so much good news that could have made a difference in my life and spiritual maturity.  It is the truth about God (good news) that sets you free. 

Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise:  This is the truth about God’s children.  We have been sealed with the promise…the Holy Spirit.  Our identity as God’s children is part of this truth.  When I think of sealing, I think of old-fashioned wax imprinted seals of yesteryears.  That meant something was really special…often hand delivered.  We are really special to God and we have a seal on us…the Holy Spirit of promise.  If God seals us with His Holy Spirit…what does that say about your identity in Him.

Earnest (down payment) of our inheritance; Until redemption of purchased possession:  What really excites me here is the redemption of purchased possession (us).  Did you ever save stamps?  I’m showing my age, but I loved to save grocery store stamps and “redeem” them for things I thought were valuable.  It shows the heart of God towards us to think of Him “buying” us back with the blood of the Lamb and having the right to redeem us because of the Holy Spirit’s “promise.”   

Unto the praise of His glory (character).  It just keeps getting sweeter!  He does all of this because it is His nature…His character…to do so.  The scripture says that we love Him because He first loved us.  I just never heard the story this way…from the standpoint of love because we were created as children who were deceived and taken captive…not from the sin consciousness that is promoted from the pulpit most of the time.  According to the Bible, we are righteous because He is righteous.  As I said, it just keeps getting sweeter!  Human nature wants to say: I don’t deserve that.  He did not ask us to deserve anything.  He did all of this before we even came along.  All He asks for is our love.  That changes me from the inside out.

Ephesians--What Are You Living For?

Do you ever wonder why we are here?  Do you ever ask what your purpose is?  What is my calling?  Why am I here?  It is man’s way to make plans, write mission statements, set short term and long term goals, and evaluate things and see that you are on track.   I am not against that.  It helps us see the big picture (and the little one) sometimes.    

How exciting to know that we are living according to His purpose! His own will designed how He would get us back.  Never could a man have come up with this plan.  That very thought offers us a great deal of comfort.   

Ephesians 1:11 & 12 (Amplified):   “In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will,

So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!”

Have you ever had trouble putting your confidence in God and Christ?  Many things happen to us on this journey, and we are not given the truth about God.  We are not given the truth about ourselves in God and Christ.  When I was eleven a teacher told me that I could not go to heaven because I did not belong to their church.  Ouch!  Recently, I thought about that incident and felt such compassion for her because she lived her life not knowing a loving God, and she passed that message on to me.  I have spent the rest of my life undoing that spiritual damage.  

Instead of that message would it not have been wonderful to hear the truth that is in Ephesians in today’s scripture.  I think verse 12 is amazing about putting our confidence in Him so we can live for the praise of His glory!  Glory often means “character” in the scripture.  Puts a different spin on things when you define glory that way.  And it helps to understand that it is living out His character that He planned and purposed for us from the foundation of the world.  Are we excited about God and is our confidence in His love and goodness bringing praises to Him?  

What are you living for?  It is really a funny thing…the greatest joy and happiness we can have is to bring praises to His name.  Scripture has told us to seek first the kingdom of God and all the other stuff that we need will be added.  It is such a paradox this way of living.   How God takes our love and faithfulness to Him and turns it into our heart’s desire is another miracle of the redemption, and it was planned from the foundation of the world.  

Ephesians--In the Fullness of Time

Here is  more good news from Ephesians!  We have all the information we need to know and believe that God is for us...His heart is towards you and me and always has been.  "[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth"  (Ephesians 1:10 Ampflified Bible).

Planning and waiting for the maturity of the times…the climax of the ages…to unify all things…in heaven and on the earth.  As above, so below…in Heaven as on the earth.  Do you realize that the maturity of the times involves more than you and me and the now?  

Galatians 4:4-7:  "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

The woman made under the law means that through the deception of Satan, the woman (mankind) became subject to negative consequences  The issue is redemption from those under the law…that we might receive the adoption of sons,,,and be heirs.  Hebrews 10:16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. (17) then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  That is such good news.  Sins and lawless deeds came through the deception;  It is not God's original intent for us.  This is so exciting!  

We are told that out of the heart flow the issue of life (Proverbs 4:23).  God is love and His kingdom is an expression of that love.  The ancient hebrew pictographs help so much when it comes to sorting this business of “law” out.  In the West we see law as something we do.  In the ancient days, law keeping was following the road signs/markers.  There is a big difference…it is the matter of heart that we recognize the markers are left for us by someone who has been there before, loves us, and is showing us the way!  Most people who anguish over who and how they are are really close to understanding that their deserving has not a thing to do with following road markers to a promised land...maybe that land is just the freedom of knowing the truth of this.  Really hearing what the Scriptures say to us instead of what we have been told they mean in light of man's doctrine is amazingly freeing.

That is also a matter of the maturity of time.  The markers were not left overnight although God knows all about the journey.  The Word that we need to know and be in is the Word of God.  Not only are there journey markers there, but the Holy Spirit instructs us over and over again.  God’s plan to unify all things was an amazing from-the-start goal.  The fullness of time and situation is all about God!  He is waiting to see the fruition of what He has given us and done for us…because He is full of love for us.  We can measure everything from love and being adopted. 

 It is so past time that we started believing in everything that God has done for us.  “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" Hebrews 10:22.  In verse 23, we are told that He who has promised is faithful!  Here are some of the journey markers that keep us on the path and help us arrive at His true heart which is ours...the fullness of the Godhead is ours, including the heart (home).  Thank you, Lord.

Ephesians: Paul Keeps Bringing Us Back to God

Ephesians 1:9—“Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan), (of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him.”  The Amplified Bible.  I am using the Amplified Bible because I love seeing what other words are meant or used.    

Paul keeps bringing us back to God!  His secret, plan, purpose…His good pleasure/intention which he had previously purposed and set forth in Him (Messiah). Isn’t it amazing!  From the foundation of the world, His original plan was the Messiah.  How would you like to have such a large plan hanging over your head for all that time?  Once God has planned a specific thing, it is set.  Jeremiah 29:11New International Version (NIV):   For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  It is set.  

Why then, do we have such struggles?  John 10:10: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  We look for it all to be great here, and in a way it is.  We have to learn to live in the “In this world we shall have troubles, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” John 16:33.  

Paul keeps bringing us back to God!  It really takes that because that is the only way we will understand His purpose, will, plan.  We have a way of turning it all about humanity and this world view.  The best view we can have is this one: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…and all the other stuff will be added, Matthew 6:33.

God makes known to us His mysteries.  Remember the story of Abraham?  God said: shall I hide from Abraham that which I am going to do in destroying Sodom and Gomorrah?  Is it not amazing that God wants to communicate His plans to us.  Paul keeps bring us back to God so we will understand.

Here is another point to remember:  Phil. 3:20; I am a citizen of heaven.  We have to know the truth about God before we can understand the truth about us and our identity in God.  Ephesians keeps sharing more and more info about God, His plans, and our place…we are citizens of heaven.  The armor of God that we will get to wear will have much more meaning to us  if we understand what comes before it.  Otherwise, it is something we will think we can use rather than Someone Else’s garments that we can wear.  We have to keep coming back to God.