"The Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge"
Ephesians 1:15-18
March 16, 2008
by C.W. Powell
Ephesians 1:15-18-
“15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Eph 1:15-18 av)
-
I. General things about the prayer of Paul for the Ephesians: these were Christians, but they needed their eyes opened.
II. First Specific thing in Paul’s Prayer: Ye might know what is the hope of His calling.
III. Second Specific thing in Paul’s Prayer: Ye might know what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. [There is a third specific thing, but we will wait for that until next week. I will also be making applications as I develop the ideas.]
-
A. He heard of their faith and love. Because you are Christians doesn’t mean that there are not many things that you need to know. I address you as the people of God, and you are—but there are still very many things that need to be said, if you and I are to walk in this world in the fullness of Christ. Faith and love includes everything that is supplied in Christ, but the fact that you have faith and love does not mean that you have everything that is in faith and love. A little baby is born complete and whole, but we still feed and nurture and provide for his growth and maturity, physically and mentally.
B. The wisdom and knowledge of Christ is not of the flesh, the natural thought—it is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the gift of God, and is the beginning of the inheritances: “3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (Joh 17:3-4 av)
C. Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him are spiritual gifts; they are both, from the Spirit, and attributes of the spirit of man, renewed in the image of God: in the mind, in the soul, not physical and material. Immaterial.
D. Eyes of the understanding—we have eyes, but we cannot see, until we are moved by the Holy Spirit.
E. He prays for spiritual things: not for physical health, not for money, not for fame and forture: the true business between God and man is done in the soul: we need the riches of the soul: the spiritual things in heavenly places: the things that come from God alone to supply the souls of men.
F. We must pray for one another in like manner: far more important that you pray for spiritual growth and maturity for one another than that you pray for physical health and prosperity. What does it profit….
-
A. This is not a hope that is derived from the world. As natural men Our hope is in earthly things—hence we have no real hope.
1. “Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web.” (Job 8:14 av)
2. “But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.” (Job 11:20 av)
3. “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps 16:8-11 av)
4. Ps 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
5. Ps 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
6. Ps 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
7. Pr 10:28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
8. Pr 11:7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
9. “For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.” (Isa 38:18 av)
10. “24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” (La 3:24-26 av)
B. The hope of the Christian is eternal life at the resurrection of the dead: If is not in this world:
1. “14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” (Ac 24:14-15 av)
2. Ro 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
3. Ro 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
4. 1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
5. 1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
6. “3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;” (Col 1:3-5 av)
7. Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
8. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. [1Corinthians 15:13-17]
C. This is a purifying hope: because it takes the eyes away from the filthiness of the body, as an instrument of sin, and puts the focus on the resurrection of a new body, free from sin and death:
“1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1Jo 3:1-3 av)
III. The Second Specific Thing in Paul’s Prayer for the saints: Ye might know what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
A. If you hope is dim or misguided, it might very well be that you do not understand the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
1. Just as “His Calling” means “Our calling that we received from Him” so “His inheritance” means “Our inheritances that we receive from Him.” Just as a man might say, “My Father’s inheritance” means, the one I received from my Father. My father received it from his father, but now it is mine. So Christ inherited all things because of his obedience, and now we inherit in Him.
2. The inheritance is in the saints, as is to be found no where else. The spiritual treasures are the possession of the church alone.
3. Beware that you not be like Esau, who sold his birthright for a dish of red stew.
B. What is the inheritance?
1. Redemption through His blood: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Eph 1:7 av)
2. The forbearance and goodness and longsuffering of God: “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Ro 2:4 av)
3. Eternal glory and praise of God forever: “17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint–heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Ro 8:17-19 av)
4. Eternal glory and exaltation with Christ in Heaven: “22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (Joh 17:22-23 av)
5. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Re 3:21 av)
C. This inheritance is incorruptible and will endure forever and ever.
1. “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,” (1Pe 1:4 av)
2. “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Heb 9:15 av)
D. This inheritance is for a holy and sanctified people:
1. “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” (Ac 20:32 av)
2. “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” (Ac 26:18 av)
3. “11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” (2Ti 2:11-12 av)
4. “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Eph 5:5 av)
E. This inheritance is in Christ alone:
1. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Heb 2:9-10 av)
2. “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” (Joh 14:19 av)
3. “6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Ga 4:6-7 av)
May God Bless you.
Amen and Amen.