Ephesians 1:19b, 20: Resurrection Power

Ephesians 1:19b, 20: "These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places ..."

Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers was both precise and powerful. He was very specific in asking on their behalf that God would open the eyes of their hearts and minds. His hope was that they would come to see more fully and more clearly the hope they could count on in Christ. He also asked that they would recognize the vast riches of their new inheritance, and lastly, that they would experience the great power of God granted to those who believe.

At this point every reader would have been so overjoyed at the prospect of the delights and privileges found in Christ that they could scarcely think any more could be added. But amazingly, Paul isn't through!

He now writes that all of these - the hope, rich inheritance, and divine power - are to be compared in scope and grandeur to the mighty work of God in raising Jesus Christ from the dead and restoring Him to His place in heaven. You thing the resurrection was amazing? Guess what: the same power and might and divine work that went into accomplishing this centerpiece of our worldview has gone into creating, extending, and preserving the blessings Paul has just described. He is saying "your hope, your inheritance, and your experience of the power of God are a demonstration of the same strength that raised Christ from the dead!"

As I have been writing these devotionals one thing has happened over and over again. I have been surrounded with amazement. There is no other way to put it. Reading what Paul is declaring, and then realizing that it is true for me has often left me greatly saddened that I haven't appreciated all this to the level I should have. I am so amazed at the expense God has gone to, the depth of love He has shown, and the great generosity He has extended to me. These are epic blessings that Paul lists, and yet too often I forget these treasures are mine, and will be forever.  May the Lord help us all to make these things the place to which we retreat when things in this sad world don't turn out to our benefit. Just know that our Heavenly Father has granted us a rich inheritance, and is working within us through His Spirit to fit us to enjoy it forever. Now that's a hope to cling to.

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:19: Knowing God's Surpassing Power

Ephesians 1:19: "(so that you will know) ... what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."

The Ephesian believers were called of God to live out a redeemed lifestyle in the midst of a pagan city where idolatry and sexual promiscuity were considered cultural values. Now they had been delivered from the realm of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Yet, their everyday lives were still surrounded by the darkness with all of its temptations which were fueled by the force of habit. Against this constant pressure Paul declares his fervency in prayer for them, specifically for three things: First, that they would know the very real hope brought to them by the Indwelling Spirit that could carry them through every circumstance; second, that they would understand the riches of their heavenly inheritance to be eternally greater than anything the world could offer them; and lastly, that they would recognize and experience the dynamic power of God in their struggle to persevere and grow in faith despite the opposition of sin and culture.

The power of God here is certainly the power granted to us via the Indwelling Spirit of God. Paul elsewhere declares that it is this power that enables his ministry. But the real question for us is: "how do we know the power of God? How do we harness it? How do we lose it to work in our lives, and what is the relationship between our working and God's working in and through us?"

Perhaps the best answer to this set of questions is found in Paul's own assessment, given to us in Colossians 1:29: For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Notice that Paul does not consider the power of God to be something that is somehow separate from his own diligent obedience and passionate activity. He labors! He strives! Yet, in all of his running he is ever resting in the fact that only that which is enveloped in the power of God will succeed. It is the power of God that is at work, fulfilling the plan of God through the discipline and persevering labor of those who are passionate about fulfilling the call of God on their lives. Simply put, we will know that the power of God is at work in us when we are laboring, striving to do His will, His way, and always for His glory. 

Lastly, note that the power Paul prays for in Ephesians 1:19 is not available to everyone. It is not indiscriminately granted to all who desire something from God. Rather, it is pointed "toward us who believe." Those who reject the Son of God have no claim on the power of God. This blessing is reserved for the family, for those to whom the Indwelling Spirit has brought new life, and who are now going back into the realm of darkness as agents of rescue.

The Ephesian believers lived in a culture that posed two dangers to them. First, it was tempting. It put beautiful, enjoyable sins right in front of the everyday. Second, it was antagonistic. It hated the fact that, in Christ, believers had a stable foundation and standard by which to judge the culture and find it wanting. Against this set of challenges the Christ-followers would be quite weak if not for the presence of the Spirit of God. Paul's prayer aligns with this as he asks God to enlighten their spiritual eyes so that they can see, understand, appreciate and appropriate the treasures that are theirs; namely, hope, riches, and power.

Our days are not much different from theirs. We live facing the challenges of temptation and opposition everyday, if we're truly denying self, taking up the cross and following Jesus closely. And the very same blessings Paul wanted the Ephesians to know are ours as well. The hope, riches, and power available to us in Christ, through the Spirit, are God's way of facilitating our perseverance through trying times and circumstances. If God is for us, who can prevail against us?

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:18: What the Enlightened Heart Knows: A Rich Inheritance

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, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints ..."

When Paul enters the presence of God in prayer for his Ephesian friends he comes bearing three requests on their behalf. The first one is that they would know the "hope of His calling" in their lives. The second is that their hearts would be enlightened to see the "riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."

Remember that the city of Ephesus was one of the wealthiest cities in the region. Their constant dredging of the harbor meant that they were a bustling commercial center. The greatest tribute to their wealth was the Temple of Diana that towered over the city with its white marble being visible for miles. Consequently, the people of Ephesus maintained a very high standard of living. They were rich, and their wealth allowed them to enjoy many of the world's pleasures.

Against this backdrop we can better understand Paul's prayer. Having come to understand their sin, and the call of God to follow Christ in faith, the Ephesian believers had also recognized that many of the things - the "riches" of this world - they had considered so valuable were now to be left behind. Their sinful sexual practices, their deceitful relationships, and their pagan worship were all now understood to be just so much garbage compared to the value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord (see: Philippians 3:1-10). It was also certainly the case that some who came from wealthy families would have forfeited their inheritance, and standing in the family in leaving behind the pagan lifestyles of the family to follow Jesus.

But Paul insists that an ever greater wealth is now theirs to own. His prayer is that they would be enabled by God to see through the temporal haze and fully appreciate the inheritance that they had in Christ. The One who had called them, and so instilled a living hope in them, had also granted them an inheritance whose glory declared its intrinsic value. Far above anything this world could promise in the way of money, possessions, position, or power, God has guaranteed eternally to those who are in Christ.

And, unlike so many of the Gospel presentations in our day, the benefit of being "in Christ" is not merely a fire insurance policy whereby we escape the horrors of Hell. Paul says this inheritance is now enjoyable "in the saints." The life that we are promised eternally has already begun, and it is a new kind of life, and "eternal" life.  When we speak of "eternal life" we are not merely talking about a life that never ends. We are also talking about a life with a whole new kind of value, purpose, and satisfaction. We are talking about a life that has begun already, and will progressively become more and more aligned with the original purpose of our creation: bringing glory to God! This means that right now - today! - those in Christ are enjoying a progressive sense of improvement away from who sin wants us to be, and toward a fuller demonstration of who we really are as sons and daughters of the Almighty. The truth is that those in whom the Spirit dwells will be becoming more and more godly, more and more satisfied with holiness, more and more passionate about being channels of God's ethic, message, compassion, and grace. And all this is just the beginning of the enjoyments to be found in the riches of the inheritance we have been granted as those called to faith in Christ.

So where are you today? Where is your focus? Are your eyes seeing clearly that what you have in Christ is of far more value than gold and silver? Are you passionate to explore, enjoy, and showcase the transforming power of Christ in your life? Is it real to you, and becoming more and more real every day? That was Paul's prayer for his Ephesian brothers and sisters. May it be ours as well, for ourselves and for the Christ-followers in our own circle.

Hope this helps,

David

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

Ephesians 1:17, 18a: A Prayer for an Enlightened Heart

Ephesians 1:17, 18a: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened."

Here we get to the content of Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers. In essence he is praying that they would come to really know and understand and appreciate all that they now possess in Christ. He has listed the spiritual blessings that are theirs, but now we see that he prays unceasingly that what is real in them may become an experiential reality to them. He prays that their understanding would be deepened more and more to appreciate what God has granted to them in Christ.

If you have small children you know how exciting Christmas morning can be. All of the packages under the tree holding the promise of great joy. I remember when our kids were young and we would try to get each of them one special gift to open on Christmas. But all too often, especially when they were very young, they would open that gift and be much less excited than we hoped. My wife would rush over and start explaining why the child should be whooping and hollering and jumping up and down. After all, we had given them this amazing toy! In essence, we were trying to enlighten the heart and mind of our child to the magnificence of the gift they had been given.

I imagine that is what Paul is doing here in this verse. He recognizes, both from his own experience and that of other Christ-followers, that the grandeur and monumental worth of the treasure we have in Christ is so often overlooked, or minimized due to our shallowness, our lack of spiritual perception.

Let's unpack Paul's prayer in these verses. First, not that his petition is aimed at "God ... the Father of glory."Paul is ever mindful that God alone is glorious. He makes sure that, from the beginning, it is clear that if and when God does answer this prayer in the affirmative, the purpose will be to recognize and magnify the glory of God.

Second, recognize that as believers we still need to have our hearts "enlightened." That is, as justified sinners privileged to be in the family of God, we have only just begun to perceive and understand and appreciate all that God is, and has done for us in Christ. We are just nibbling around the edges of His magnificence, just beginning to feast on His truth, just starting to drink from the fountain of His grace. What is available to us in Christ is so much more than deliverance from the power and penalty of sin, although that is so wonderful. But beyond escape from sin's bondage, Christ offers real life in fellowship with our Maker, endowed once again with the ability to love righteousness, to pursue goodness and greatness as those being restored in the image of God.

It is here that Paul directs his prayer for the Ephesians. He prays that God, the Father of glory would continue to do the work of enlightenment in the hearts of the readers. We will get a fuller explanation of what this entails in the following verses, but for now, let this wash over you. Do you long for a great experience of the truth of your salvation? Do you desire a greater recognition of God's grace in your life, a deeper delight in the blessings He has bestowed on you? Or are you content just to be on the bus to heaven? Like a child that plays with the box instead of the amazing toy, we all are prone to complacency. We are satisfied with pennies while the dollar bills are just around the corner.

Third, see just how Paul prays. He asks that God would "give to (them) a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."  Paul recognizes that spiritual discernment and the maturity that follows is not merely a human accomplishment. While it is ours to pursue righteousness and truth with diligence, we must understand that success is dependent upon God granting us His favor. We run even as we rest in the knowledge that He is doing the work in us, and giving us the will to work harder for His glory. When was the last time you prayed for yourself or for others that God would grant them a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God Himself? How about today?

But what does it mean when Paul says "a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him?" Let's start backwards. Understand from the start that the purpose here is a great knowledge of God. It is not a request for some ecstatic experience or emotional sense of well-being. It is not a request for God to do something for us. It is a request for God to do something for us so that we can have a greater understanding of the truth He has revealed about Himself. Don't miss this. Paul isn't praying that the Ephesians will have some special "spirit" that will elevate them above other believers. He isn't praying that they will gain something not available to all. Rather, he is asking God to broaden their knowledge of God, and deepen their appreciation of His blessings, through the work of the indwelling Spirit. And I believe that wherever this prayer is offered in sincerity, God is pleased to affirm it since it is always His will for His children to grow in the knowledge of the truth.

Wisdom is understood in the Old Testament sense as the skill of righteous living. Paul is praying not only for their increase in knowledge, but also that the knowledge of God will work its way out in righteous living. Revelation is the divine work of making known what cannot be known apart from God. This shows that the knowledge Paul hopes they will gain is not mere factual knowledge, but the whole sense of meaning that God intends us to find in the facts.

All of this comes together in Paul's short prayer, and is summed up in his hope that the
eyes of their hearts will be enlightened. That is, that their dullness of spiritual vision will be removed, and the true light of the knowledge and truth of God will fill their hearts and minds, producing lives that follow Christ with great joy. Now that's a prayer worth repeating!

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:16: Praying Thankfully

Ephesians 1:16: "do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers."

Have you ever considered that praying is one of the most deeply theological things we do? To pray is actually to express the deepest trust in the sovereign God, that He can do the impossible. It is the sincerest form of worship by which we extol His perfect knowledge and all-encompassing providence, asking Him to align our hearts with His actions which are always right and best. Unfortunately, if we fail to recognize prayer as essentially theological, we can easily turn it into a selfish "ask" fest. It becomes the means by which we make our will known in heaven rather than what it is supposed to be: a means whereby God's will is done on earth, through us.

To counter our natural tendency to see prayer as primarily selfish the biblical writers persistently stress the element of thankfulness in their admonitions to pray. Two examples from the writings of Paul demonstrate this. In Philippians 4:6 he writes "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." And again in Colossians 4:2 we read "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." And in the text for today we see that Paul not only exhorts us to be thankful in praying but actually practices what he preaches. In his prayers for the Ephesian believers Paul "does not cease giving thanks" for them.

It is important that we learn the lesson here. Our prayers, no matter our situation, must be seasoned always with thanksgiving in our hearts before God. It is this essential, foundational attitude that represents our mind's recognition that we are privileged to be in the very presence of a holy, omnipotent God. Because Christ has brought us near, we can talk directly to our Maker without fear of being banished or worse. To enter into His presence without an overwhelming sense of gratitude is to admit that we take His glory and grace for granted, and have developed an attitude of entitlement. This must not happen. We must be ever mindful that our God is great, and greatly to be praised, and that the love by which He has drawn us to His heart is also to be a constant source of overflowing thanksgiving.

Next time you engage with God in prayer do so with a sense of sincere thankfulness. Express your heart's appreciation for His person, His power, His provision and protection. And most of all, thank and praise Him for His redemptive love lavished upon you in so many ways. Surround all your petitions with thanksgiving and so enter into His courts with praise. It may just turn prayer into a relationship rather than a shopping trip. God knows all that you need, and all that is best for you. What He really wants is for you to know Him, and come in sincere appreciation for all He has - and will! - do through you for His glory.

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:15,16: Unceasing Thanks for God's People

Ephesians 1:15,16: "For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayer;"

Having now completed his list of the spiritual blessings all those in Christ are privileged to enjoy, Paul now turns to his prayer for the Ephesian believers. Let's take note of the reason behind his prayers for them, the attitude of his prayer, and then finally, the content of his prayer.

Today we look at the reason behind Paul's unceasing thankfulness for these Gentile believers. It is not simply because they have made some profession of faith in Jesus Christ. It is not only because they have formed a congregation and are now a church. It is also not because they have demonstrated some excitement over the message of Jesus that Paul has brought to them. Paul is very clear: he is unceasing in his thankful prayers for them because the reality of the indwelling Spirit is evident in their lives. Notice that Paul makes mention of the love they are demonstrating for all the saints.

First, recognize that love is one of the greatest evidences of new life. And while there are many kinds of love, the love Paul is here describing is a hard love, a "counter-intuitive" love that acts in kindness and acceptance toward those who are not normally appreciated. It is a love that models God's love for us: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God's love looked past our unloveliness in order to manifest His glory in our salvation. In the same way, Christ-followers are to look past the outside appearance, and all other temporal labels and categories in order to see in their fellow believers what God sees! It is clear that the Ephesians were doing just that.


Second, think carefully about the fact that the "saints" here are probably a reference to the Jewish believers. Gentiles and Jews had never felt good about one another. The Jews considered the Gentiles to be only slightly above dogs in the created order. For their part, Gentiles considered the Jews to be arrogant without cause and racially prejudice without reason. Things weren't good between them, and then along comes the message of Christ declaring that "in Christ" all were equally justified and made heirs of eternal life. 


Today the divisions in Christianity are many, and the watching world considers this proof that the message we declare doesn't work in our own circles. As Thomas Manton stated so well: Division in the church breeds atheism in the world." Paul looked at the demeanor and actions of the Ephesians believers and saw an unnatural kind of love. It was a love that seemed to swim upstream against the tide of popular culture. It was a love for those in Christ that transcended the racial hatred and bigotry of the age. 


May the Lord be pleased to raise up in His church an overflowing love that pursues the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace!


Hope this helps,


David

Ephesians 1:14: God's Own Possession

Ephesians 1:14: " ... with a view to the redemption of [God’s own] possession, to the praise of His glory."

At some point in our lives I imagine we all have dreamed about finding out that we were the heir to some long lost rich relative's estate. We suddenly were wealthy, with money to burn, only to wake up to reality far too soon. If you're like me, the only inheritance you're going to get is some old furniture and some family keepsakes. But wouldn't it be great if ...

In his preamble to the epistle to the Ephesians -  that is what vs. 1-23 really are - Paul makes a point of saying, in Christ,  the Gentiles have an eternal inheritance among all the saints. And this inheritance is guaranteed by the indwelling Spirit of God.

But what exactly is this inheritance? At this point we have to deconstruct some of the misleading, emotional feelings we have about our salvation. I hope I don't burst your bubble, but turns out the reason God has saved you (if you are a true Christ-follower in whom the Spirit dwells) wasn't for you! God did not save you so you could feel good; He saved you, and me and everyone else who has called upon the Name of the Lord in saving faith, so He could look good! He saved us for Himself! I like to remember the most important facts about my salvation by making use of this little sentence:

"I am saved from the wrath of God, by the grace of God, for the glory of God."

The prepositions make all the difference, and they keep me focused on the real purpose for which Christ died, rose again, and captured my heart through the gospel. He did it all to assemble a people for His own possession who could be the means whereby His glory could resonate throughout all creation.  And once we understand this, we can understand what the "inheritance" is that has been reserved in heaven for us (see: 1 Peter 1:4). 

Too often we think of our "inheritance" as purely personal. "I get forgiveness. I get eternal life. I get blessing." Perhaps this is the natural conclusion that we come to if we make too much out of the common statement that we need to have a "personal" relationship with Christ. The problem is that we've made it completely personal, and in so doing, have corrupted the huge biblical theme that salvation is really about being joined to a community of redeemed folk who together make up the Body of Christ. 

The inheritance Paul talks about in Ephesians 1:14 is called "the redemption of God's own possession." If we took the time we would find that this "possession" is not a person, but a people. Peter says it quite clearly in 1 Peter 2:9, 10:   "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God ..."

Read that description again, and notice that the words are corporate  and not merely individual: "race ... priesthood ... nation ... people for God's own possession ... the people of God."  The privileges of salvation are not merely personal. They are personal, but only because we are part of a redeemed race, a nation, a people that God Himself possesses. 

The great inheritance we have is that, one day, we will be united with all those down through time who have been called into God's family. Our inheritance centers on the fact that we will finally be fully redeemed, a perfected new race of people, living in unobstructed fellowship with Almighty God, enjoying His perfect creation (New Earth), and in all of this, displaying the glorious power of His gracious activity in rescuing us from deserved judgement, through Christ. 

And here' something to think about: the church today is supposed to be a preview of that great fulfillment! We are to be the visible Body of Christ, the touchable, knowable, race of redeemed people that are God's own possession. In fact, we already have part of our inheritance - the downpayment! - in the Spirit who indwells us. Consequently, we should act like it. 

Understand that church isn't a service, it is a people. Attendance isn't for personal benefit first, but actually for the purpose of encouraging and serving others in the Body, and the world, of displaying the greatness of a God who would rescue those deserving judgement and make them His masterpiece. And when that comes first, the personal benefit will not be far behind.

We have our priorities mixed up. We come to church for us when we should come out of gratitude to be with that race of redeemed people God calls His own. We should see the gathered church as a rehearsal for heaven, the foretaste of what it will be like when sin is overcome, and we are together praising Him with one voice. If our inheritance is about our unity, and this brings glory to God, then we had better learn better how to do it, and do it right.

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:13, 14: Sealed with the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:13c, 14a: " ... you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance ..."

I remember when I was a child that my older brother thought it would be cool to start sealing his notes and letters with a wax seal. He went to the hobby shop, bought some sticks of red sealing wax, and a plastic seal with the letter "H" on it. I watched as he enclosed a letter in an envelope and then dripped melted wax over the flap. He carefully pushed the "H" seal down on the wax and held it until the wax cooled. After a few tries he got the hang of it, and it looked really royal, or so he said.

In the ancient world it was the norm for important letters and packages to be sealed with wax, and bear the seal of the sender. This seal protected the message from being opened, warning all but the intended reader . To keep counterfeiters at bay, the seals became more and more elaborate, and those belonging to rulers were especially impressive. A letter sealed with the King's moniker meant that the message it contained was very important. In a way, the authority of the King resided in the seal, and it was a clear warning that no one but the intended reader should dare open the letter.

As you can see, the seal performed two tasks. First, it kept the letter securely closed. It protected what the letter contained from those who had no business reading it. But it also performed a second function: it declared to everyone that the letter belonged to the one represented by the seal. In these two short verses Paul is telling us that the Holy Spirit functions as a seal on the lives of those who follow Christ, and does so in the same two ways.

 Paul paints his own picture of something very important being sealed. That "something" is the Christ-follower. Paul has pictured the believer as possessing every spiritual blessing available from Almighty God. Certainly the question was rising in the minds of the readers: "Can these blessings be forfeited? Can they leak out? Can they be lost? And if these blessings are found 'in Christ' is there a chance that - somehow - we might fall out of Christ? What keeps us 'in Christ' and also keeps the blessings ours?"

Have you ever wondered about these same questions? I'm pretty sure every believer has asked them at some point. And to these unspoken, but important questions Paul answers: "You have been sealed with a most important seal, and this seal represents the eternal power of heaven itself." The blessings that are ours in Christ are being protected by the Holy Spirit.  They will never dissipate nor are we ever in danger of losing them. God the Spirit protects in us what God the Father has lavished upon us in God the Son.

Furthermore, Paul announces that it is the Holy Spirit that keeps us in Christ. We are "sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." This is extremely important. In Philippians 2:12,13 Paul unpacks this idea a bit more. After encouraging the Philippian believers to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" he states in no uncertain terms that "it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." What does this mean? Only that the indwelling Spirit is at work in the Christ-follower to make obedience beautiful to our eyes. He is at work, using the Word, and growing us in spiritual maturity and strong faith. He is the agent of our sanctification, and it is through this progressive, sanctifying work that He "seals" us in Christ. He is the reason the Christ-follower will never sin so much as to forfeit salvation, nor fall away from saving grace. While we often speak of the "perseverance of the Saints" as the doctrine that establishes our eternal security, it is technically more correct to speak of the "perseverance of God the Spirit in His saints" that is the grounds for our eternal assurance.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit also declares to all that we belong to God, and are therefore heirs of eternal glory. In fact, a very good description of a Christ-follower is "one in whom the presence of the Holy Spirit can be readily seen."  This doesn't mean that those who give little or no evidence of the indwelling Spirit are not believers, but it does allow us to say to those whose lives do not display a characteristic righteousness, joy, and perseverance that they had better examine themselves to determine if they are really "in the faith" (see: 2 Corinthians 13:5).

But Paul isn't satisfied merely to use the "seal" to describe the blessings we enjoy from the Holy Spirit. He has an eye to our eternal future, and again he hears his readers perhaps wondering just how they can be sure that the promises of God will be fulfilled. "How can we know that one day we will be with Him, fully re-created, and enabled to live in God's perfect New Creation quite apart from any possibility of sin? How can we know that, at the final judgement, God will keep the promise to declare that we are righteous, that our sentence has already been paid in full, and that we are welcomed for all eternity into the presence and possessions of the family of God?" Paul's answer involves another illustration from the culture of his day.

In many of the transactions of Paul's day the buyer would give an amount to the seller as a demonstration of good faith that the whole sum would be paid as agreed. We know this today as a downpayment, and if you've ever purchased a house, you know it all too well. And we also know that the bigger the downpayment, the greater is the assurance that the total will be paid as promised.

Not only is the Holy Spirit a seal, it turns out He represents a divine downpayment as well. And He is a huge one at that! He is the earnest money of heaven, given to the Christ-follower as a guarantee that one day, the entire inheritance of eternal life will be granted. This is the inheritance promised to everyone in the family of God, and it is guaranteed by the presence of the indwelling Spirit.

In our day God the Spirit often gets overlooked. But in these verses Paul shows just how important He is! In addition to convicting us of our sin, gifting us for service, guiding our hearts into obedience, and a host of other important tasks, God the Spirit is also busy protecting what God has granted us in Christ while at the same time testifying to our own doubts that God will keep His promise.

Why not take some time right now to thank God for the indescribable gift of the Holy Spirit, who is even now securing you in Christ, while guaranteeing your final redemption. Soli deo gloria!


Hope this helps,

David

Near Death Experiences

According to the rather newly formed International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS), there have been over 900 accounts of these events, with 280 of these being reported in the last year. And the number of stories that are finding their way into book form, and for sale in the Christian world is increasing. What concerns me is that so many in the evangelical world are finding stories about these near death experiences to be credible, and even great enhancements to their faith in God. Now you may ask why anything that aids faith could be something I am concerned about, and I'm going to tell you.

First, it concerns me that the only divinely inspired, and reliably true source of information concerning the after life is not enough to bolster our faith and build in us the "blessed hope." Of course I am speaking about the Bible.

If we believe that the Word of God is sufficient for us to live as God asks us to live, and to have a hope that will fuel our perseverance here on earth, then we will find these stories as faith-building only because we don't fully know, understand, and appreciate the biblical material on the subject. And I guess, into this void of our own making, the subjective, experience-driven stories of those we don't know can bring a sense of comfort and increased peace. The only problem here is that our faith is to be grounded in the revealed truth of God, and not in the experiences of those whose accounts can never be fully substantiated.

Second, it concerns me that so many assume these near death stories are real simply because they don't contradict Scripture. But, consider this: If they add things that the Bible does not contain, they are adding to Scripture. For example, in Heaven is for Real we find the assertion that everyone in heaven has wings, that no one is old, that heaven is filled with animals, and a number of other things never mentioned in Scripture. But worst of all, this account speaks of gates of gold and pearls, which the Bible declares are elements of the New Earth, which won't be created until the present one is destroyed. In other words, some of what the little Colton Burpo saw in his 3 minutes in heaven hasn't been created yet.

But also consider this: just because my story doesn't contradict Scripture, and just because my main points align with Scripture still doesn't make the essential suppositions of my story true! I could make up a story of how Jesus appeared to me one night, and talked with me for 8 hours. I could declare all that He taught me, and make sure it was aligned in every way with the Bible. It still would not substantiate my assertion that Jesus appeared to me! It pains me greatly that evangelical Christians are so thirsty for an experiential enhancement to their faith that they fail to use their minds. Perhaps we have forgotten how to think given that most of our pulpits are telling stories designed to pull at the heart rather than invigorate the mind. Certainly we are in grave danger of losing the ability to think critically in our churches today.

Third, the reaction by so many Christ-followers to these near death experience books on heaven and the like demonstrates more about us than about the authors or stories of the books themselves. It shows just how inadequately we view and use the Bible. If our faith is bolstered by these experientially driven stories, what does it say about the depth of our spiritual maturity? What does it say about our appreciation for, and understanding of, the Word of God? I liken it to a starving person who comes upon some straw drizzled with whipped cream. He is famished, and devours it, and actually thinks it is good and nutritious. But just steps away is a banquet table filled with the best tasting and most nourishing food. He prefers the straw because it is near him, and more accessible, while the banquet will require him to walk further. The Bible is right here, but to understand it we have to think, and contemplate, and study, and grasp the text in its own time while applying its principles in ours. The Bible takes work, and we too often choose to use other means to satiate our spiritual hunger. We turn down the objective truth of God's Word for experientially crafted junk food.

Fourth, and perhaps most cogently, Christians are not the only ones having these experiences. They are occurring with increasing regularity in all areas. Mormons are writing about going to heaven and seeing Joseph Smith with Jesus; Muslims are writing about the wonders of sitting at Mohammad's feet in the celestial palace; and I could mention others as well, including atheists who are now declaring that their near death experiences have brought to light irrefutable proof that there is no God at all. We even have a book out now about a man who died and spent 23 minutes in hell, and has come back to write about it!

What do we say to all these? Only "ours" are real? On what basis do we deny those that counter our views? My point is simple: Where something is utterly unable to be substantiated beyond rational doubt, it can never become part of our faith's foundation. What all of these stories do is play into the hands of the enemy of faith who would like nothing more that to have us believe what we believe based on some subjective experience. At that point, we're most of the way to a theology that has God made in our image.

Lastly, consider this: If a story is perfectly aligned with Scripture - and by this I mean that it adds nothing and contradicts nothing in the Bible - then we actually don't need it, because we already have all the information it carries in our divinely inspired and preserved Bible. If, on the other hand, it adds to, or contradicts the Bible, then we don't want it. Either way, these stories are simply a waste of time. My advice: Don't waste your time on them!

And here let me put in a plug for John Piper's newest book: Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. In it he shows the problems we encounter when we fail to love God with all our mind! The current descent into a sloppy subjectivism is doing ruinous things to the church, and as well is causing us to shape a Gospel that fits the felt needs around us but doesn't address the greatest need: the corruption of the heart, will and mind through sin! Only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to God's truth, and apparently, God has given us what we need in the Bible.

Thanks for bearing with me!

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:13: Listening and Believing

Ephesians 1:13: "In you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed ..."

As every parent knows, there is a huge difference between hearing and obeying. Have you ever asked your son to do something and heard the response "I know, Dad"? And then, when days go by and the task is still undone, have you ever wondered what he meant by "I know"?  The gap between hearing and doing, between knowing and acting is the gap Paul addresses in this verse. Notice well: the Ephesians Christ-followers first listened and then they also believed. They first took in the message, the story of God's redemptive activity in Christ  for the purpose of forming a people for His own name. Then they believed it! This means that they agreed with the message, and took appropriate action. They exercised true, saving faith. 

To get a better understanding of this process we can look at Paul's fuller explanation of it in Romans 10:13-14: "For 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?"  

Did you notice the progression? We have to move backwards through the verses to see it in the order it actually happens: First we hear, then we believe, and then we call upon the name of the Lord.


John Calvin is very helpful here. He suggests that the first step is to hear.  He even gives us a Latin word for this - noticia. You see how this is almost like "notice" and that's important. The first step in God's drawing of the heart to love Him is that we are made to "notice" the message of the Gospel. Maybe we've heard it a hundred times, but at some point we begin to take notice of it. We hear it and it doesn't bounce off the ear. We take it in. We mull it over, and determine that it is worth contemplating.

The next step is that we come to find some benefit in the message, in the facts about God and Jesus, and the redemptive story of the cross and the empty tomb. We agree with the facts as being true. We believe. Again, Calvin is helpful in defining this step with the Latin word assensus. As you can see, it means we give our mental assent to the facts. We acknowledge their truthfulness, that they align with the facts of history and of our hearts.

And at this point you might think you've reached faith. But the awful truth is that the demons themselves have gotten this far (James 2:19). The demons may be the most learned theologians in the universe. They know for sure the truth about God, about Jesus, and about all that He has done, and promised to do. They believe. It doesn't take any help from God the Spirit to get this far, and that is probably the reason so many say they are believers while having no change in their lives. But, there is one more step. Saving faith includes the action of trust, or calling as we will see. The demons believe, but their belief drives them to hatred and rebellion rather than faith and trust.

To be sure, the word believe is used in many ways in Scripture (check out John 8:30, 31 and compare it to vs. 59. The same group that believed latter took up stones to kill Him.) Only the context can determine if it means saving faith rather than mere mental assent. In Ephesians 1:13 it means both as we can see: they believed, and they also acted on that belief in the way demanded by God, and so entered into salvation and inherited all of God's blessings.

The last step in Paul's process is to call: Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Given that the natural, sin-corrupted heart is both unable and unwilling to obey God (see: 1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 8:7), we understand that this last step is made actual only as the Holy Spirit does the miraculous work of regeneration. The Holy Spirit rides in on the Gospel, opening blind eyes fully to bring about true repentance and saving faith. And this faith is what Paul here describes as the call.

Calvin defined this call as fiducia. When I was in the banking industry we were always talking about having a fiduciary responsibility toward our clients and their money. The word means "trust." They entrusted us with their money and we were responsible to handle it in a way that was trustworthy. In the process of faith, to call is to entrust your soul to God on the basis of His promises in Christ. It is an action of the mind and heart that turns away from other objects of trust to entrust all that we are and will be to God alone, because of Christ. It is to take into account all that we have heard about our sin and the wrath we deserve, the promises and saving activity of God in Christ, and then to believe what we now understand and agree with as true, and finally to call upon the name of the Lord in complete trust that He will keep the promises He has made. He will consider Christ's death for sin as though it were ours, and as well consider Christ's righteousness as though it were ours. And on that basis, He will declare that we are no longer enemies, but friends; no longer criminals, but justified; no longer outcasts, but beloved sons and daughters making up a people for His own possession through whom He intends to declare the light of the Gospel to the nations. On the basis of what we have heard, and believed, we now call upon the Lord, declaring that we are entrusting our lives into His hands.

Paul recognized in the Ephesians believers that this had taken place. Their lives demonstrated it, even though they were not perfectly holy, or at times even close (see: 4:17). Yet, since their position in Christ was grounded on the love of God the Father and the redemptive work of God the Son, they were secure. Their trust in God, while not perfected, was nevertheless real. As a result, Paul could declare that they were heirs of the greatest set of blessings the universe would ever know, and had been granted the indwelling presence of God the Spirit as proof.

My question for you is this: have you called upon the name of the Lord? I expect that you have heard the story, and probably you already believe that it is true. But have you entrusted your life, your well-being both now and for eternity to God on the basis of His promises in Christ? Do you understand those promises? Have you really heard them in truth, analyzed them fully and come to believe them to be absolutely true? Have you truly denied other avenues of trust, to follow Jesus and follow closely? My prayer is that your heart is full of joy and able to answer "yes" today.

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:13: The Message of Truth

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation ..."

As I write this I am on vacation, surrounded by natural beauty and a long list of books I want to read. Two of them intend to answer the question "what is the Gospel?' And I just finished listening to Alistair Begg's sermon of the same title! Seems the whole idea of the Gospel is big right now. But what is startling is the fact that the books and sermons asking the question are doing so because it appears the Christian public at large is in need of the answer.

My personal opinion is that the church has gotten caught up in so many things the last few decades that we've either marginalized the Gospel, or forgotten it all together. In the "marginalized" category would be those well-intentioned folks who view the Gospel as " the minimum amount of truth you have to believe to get into heaven." This has led to things like dehydrating the glorious story of God's redemptive work in Christ down into 4 statements, or 5 questions, or some  concise paragraph that will fit on a 3 X 5 card. And unfortunately in the process, things like sin and God's wrath have largely given way to an undefined statement of God's love, and the benefits of "trying" Jesus. We've reduced Jesus to a personal consultant - a Life Coach - that will help us make better decisions, and thereby helping us enjoy a more prosperous, satisfying life.

Or in some cases, we've left the Gospel out all together. Some believe that giving food to the hungry and clothes to the naked actually fulfills the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Apparently, these folks don't comprehend the difference between common grace, and the saving grace which alone can redeem, forgive, reform, and fit for eternity. Giving to the needy in abundant, sacrificial ways is certainly part of our calling. But Jesus said to go, and preach the Gospel, not only feed and clothe. And Paul reminds us that he wasn't "ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). Food and clothes may satisfy the body, but on the Gospel can satisfy the soul.

The Gospel is essential, and it is essential that we know what it is. If the Gospel is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to bring about saving faith and repentance, then we'd better take care to get it right. In Ephesians 1:13 Paul makes a brief but cogent mention of the Gospel when he refers to it as the "message of truth" and "the gospel of your salvation." The Gospel, through which God grants salvation to undeserving sinners is, first and foremost, a message of truth. It isn't sly. It isn't concocted. It isn't polluted by the cultural needs of the day. It isn't part truth and part wishful thinking. It isn't even truth with chocolate sauce poured over the hard parts. It is a message that is thoroughly, fully, completely, and positively true. And the measure of this truth is the God who has authored it, and the Scriptures in which He has extended it to us. Simply put, the truthfulness of our Gospel with be measured by our faithfulness to the revealed story of God in the Bible.

Paul was very much aware that his primary responsibility in declaring the Gospel was not to the hearer. He didn't change the truth to suit the issues and desires of his audience. Nothing could be further from the truth, even though in our day this happens most of the time. Too often our "gospel" is presented as a remedy to the felt needs of those we encounter. Are you sad? Jesus will make you happy. Are you lonely? Follow Jesus and get the fellowship of the church. Are you poor? sick? or despairing? Try Jesus and see if your life doesn't improve!

In Paul's case, he realized that the message had been given to him by Christ, and he was expected to "herald" that message without compromise, under the watchful eyes of his Master (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Further, as previously mentioned, Paul knew that the Gospel was the power God used to bring about salvation (Romans 1:16). He labored hard not to compromise the message not only because it was God's message, but also because it was the means by which God would reclaim hard, sin soaked hearts, and transform them in vessels of beauty and grace for His glory.

Our world is starved for the truth of God in the Gospel. Sadly, the people entrusted with this message are largely either uninformed, or unprepared to share the story of God in Christ with others in a way that is natural, winsome, and most of all, true. Why else would all these books and sermons be flooding the market? And worse, why else would we see the church becoming less and less holy, and more and more weak? We need the Gospel, not only on our lips, but even more importantly, in our hearts, and on our minds. And not only at the beginning of the life of faith, but every day, as we seek to walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling of Christ on our lives.

Hope this helps,

David

Ephesians 1:13,14: Sealed for His glory

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."

I think it was at the five year mark of married life that my wife and I concluded we would never own a home. We had started a family, and I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, only I was already grown up. Things didn't look great.

Thanks to a friend who only saw the world through the lens of possibility, we managed to scrape enough money together for a down payment on a wonderful little house - all 998 square feet of it! We took our savings, and some dollars from my parents, and put it all down as a pledge that we would pay off the mortgage loan we had took from the bank. On that day I learned about downpayments, and the risk you take if you put money down and then have to back out of the deal. You lose the money you put down. Turns out  the size of the downpayment translates into just how committed you are to keep your promise to pay. We put down all we had, and that meant we would let nothing stand in the way of keeping our promise.

In these verses, Paul declares that the "downpayment" God has pledged as a sign that He will keep His promise to redeem us fully and finally from this sin drenched world is the 3rd Person of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit Himself. Pretty big downpayment! And yet, the biggest shocker in this text is the fact that Paul insists that Gentiles now can possess this downpayment. Let me explain:

As Paul transitions from enumerating the divine blessings God grants in salvation, to the more specific topic of the inclusion of the Gentile believers in those blessings, perhaps the greatest evidence is their possession of the Holy Spirit. The same was true when Peter returned to Jerusalem to explain just why he - a Jew - had gone into the house of a Roman centurion - Cornelius - and not only preached the Gospel, but also witnessed the pouring out of the Spirit on these Gentiles. Standing in front of the Jewish council in Jerusalem Peter described the scene:

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Therefore, if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (Acts 11:15-17).

And while this may not be shocking in our day, it certainly was in Paul's day! This changed the very paradigm the Jews used to explain God, His work in the world, and more to the point, their prized position as nation. If the Gentiles could now possess the Holy Spirit, and be united to Christ, then God was openly fulfilling the promise of Genesis 12:3: "And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." The gracious redemptive activity of God was now extended to all who would believe and follow Christ, regardless of their ethnicity.

And Paul now asserts this privilege with the little words in vs. 13: "In Him YOU ALSO ..." In chapter 2 he will more fully explain the significance of all this, but here let's just take a minute to pause and reflect. The "you also" includes every Christ-follower who lies outside of ethnic Jewry. We can now be numbered among God's chosen people; we are now part of Christ's body, members of a people called to be God's own possession, a chosen race, a holy nation, a royal priesthood unto God (see: 1 Peter 2:9). No longer is it necessary to come to a people (Israel) or a building (The Temple) to enter into relationship with God. No longer are we required to be circumcised, to keep the Sabbath, to adhere to the Mosaic Law, or any other prescriptive act in order to be part of the covenant community. Now, that community - including Jews and non-Jews - is recognized only by their repentance for sin and faith in Jesus Christ.  Now we come to a Person, not a people, for inclusion in the family of God. And the proof is the presence of the indwelling Spirit of God. In chapter 2 Paul will declare that this new covenant community, formed in Christ Jesus alone, is now the "temple" in which God Himself dwells, and from which His glory shines into all the world.

What a great privilege is ours who, though once without God and without hope in this world, are now numbered among those He has chosen to be His own. And the evidence is the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. But just how did this "downpayment" come to be ours?

Notice the progression Paul illustrates in these verses: 1) you listened to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation; 2) having also believed 3) you were sealed in Him 4) with the Holy Spirit of promise 5) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance 6) with a view to God's own possession 7) to the praise of His glory.

Tomorrow's blog will take up these particulars because there is too much here to miss. But for now, glory in the fact of God's mercy. It is wide in that it includes every tribe and tongue and ethnicity under heaven. Yet, it is also narrow in that all must come through Jesus Christ, having heard and believed the message of truth, the gospel of salvation.

Hope this helps,

David