Ephesians 1:18: What the Enlightened Heart Knows: Hope

Ephesians 1:18: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling ..."

It is increasingly evident that many Christ-followers have only a beginning level of knowledge about their position in Christ. Perhaps this is because we are by nature prone to be complacent rather that diligent in our pursuit of knowledge. Perhaps it stems from the shallow gospel that is so prevalent today. Perhaps it is a consequence of the growing anti-intellectual bent in our world that promotes experience over knowledge. Whatever the reason, it is not unusual for believers to know only the "first things" about their salvation. They know they are saved, and on their way to heaven. They know they are forgiven, and that it has something to do with Jesus and the cross. They know they are loved and that God is really great. But they also know that this world is filled with tragedy and evil and heartache and pain. They know just enough to feel good when times are good, but not enough to joyfully persevere when they aren't.

It is interesting that the first thing Paul prays for in terms of the enlightened heart's ability to really know and appreciate the blessings of redemption is hope. And it is not just any hope. It is the hope of His calling. It is a hope that is unique. It is a hope that is anchored in the calling of God on our lives. It is a hope that recognizes, glories in, and holds on to, as its foundational security, the result God intends to bring about in us.  Our hope is to be focused on what God has purposed to accomplish through His rescue of our souls.

The whole idea of our "calling" often gets lost or pushed to the margins of our lives today. We may hear some talk about the "call" upon their lives in terms of career or ministry direction. But seldom do we think deeply about the fundamental "call" God has placed on our lives as those in whom He has placed His Spirit. Simply put, He now owns us. He has redeemed us out of slavery, and transferred us into His Kingdom. He has gone even further and adopted us into His family and granted us the eternal inheritance of heaven. And He has done all of this so that His glory might be demonstrated through us as examples of what His power and love can do. God saved us, not so we could feel good, but so that He could look good. And yet - amazingly - when He looks good in us, we will feel the best in Him.

Paul knew the Ephesians were heading for tough times. They were living the redeemed life in the midst of a pagan culture bent on destroying any worldview that challenged the legitimacy of theirs. What would Paul want for them? Would he pray that they would be happy? that they wouldn't feel the pain of persecution or societal rejection? Apparently not. Rather, he prayed that their eyes of their hearts would be opened to see that their only real hope was the guarantee that God was working through everything - even trials and tragedy - to shape and fit them to be instruments of His glory, in this life and the next. That was the "hope" they could have in the surety of God's call on their lives. That even in this life the fact of their positional righteousness in Christ and the guarantee of eternal life could offer them real, substantial security against despair. Despite what might be true in the temporal world, they were safe and secure in the arms of their Almighty Savior Jesus Christ.

Where do you turn for security? When circumstances are overwhelming and your plans fail to materialize, where do you look for hope? History has shown that those who look to wealth or human success or even the blessings of family and relationship will eventually be sorely disappointed. But when the eyes of our hearts are truly open to the magnificence of God's call - His eternal loving grasp! - on our lives, nothing this world can throw against us can rob us of the joy of being part of the redeemed family of God.

Hope this helps,

David