Day 106: What Are The Key Truths We Need to Know?
3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
We are Father God’s beloved children NOW. He has given us all we need in Christ Jesus for the rest of our journey here on Earth. He has empowered us by the Holy Spirit to be the people He desires for us to be, for His glory and to our soul-satisfaction.
When we walk—live—in the Truth that is founded in the person of Jesus Christ, we display His goodness and beauty to the world that is dying apart from Him. We have been called to be people of truth, people of light. The way we live our day to day lives will be completely transformed when we live in the reality of our new identity that is shaped by all that Father God has given to us in Christ through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
WORDwork:
Ephesians 1:15
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. 1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him, 1:18 –since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened–so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 1:19 and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. 1:20 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…
Why does Paul pray for the Ephesians according to verses 15?
How often does Paul pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ according to verse 16?
What specifically does Paul ask God to do in verse 17?
In verse 18 and 19, what three categories of things does Paul want the Ephesians to know?
In verse 20, how is the power of God mentioned in verse 19 related the power that raised Christ from the dead?
What is the significance of this?
We began Phase 2 by looking at Ephesians 1 and the long list of blessings that have come to us as the Father, Son, Spirit have been working for us, in us, through us. As we have emphasized, our new identity and position before Father God is all shaped by our relationship with Him and what He has done for us and to us. In this final session, we want to focus on the last part of Ephesians chapter 1.
Ceaseless, Thankful Prayer Is Powerful
We have just talked about the power of prayer and part of the full armor of God that we put on. Notice that Paul gives the Ephesians and example of this in the passage above. At the very beginning of the letter he tells the church that he ceaselessly gave thanks for them as he remembered them in his prayers. He gives thanks because he hears about their faith, their trust in the Lord Jesus that had resulted in their love for others. This is cause for thanksgiving. We too should be thankful when we hear of others who are living, walking in the Truth in faith, hope and love. But Paul does not stop there, he tells them other things that he specifically asks for them.
The Spirit Gives Wisdom and Revelation
First of all, after the Ephesians were AWARE of all that had been given to them, Paul asks that they be given a “Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” This is most likely a way of referring to the way the Holy Spirit ministers to our human spirits: He gives us wisdom and revelation. But what does that mean?
All the truths that we have been discussing in this study can only be comprehended fully by those who have the Holy Spirit of God. Consider this:
1 Corinthians 2:12–14
Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. 2:13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 2:14 The “natural person” does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
There is a lot of talk about “spiritual people” these days. Usually, the world refers to spiritual people as those who are “religious” on some live or in touch with “deeper things” (however that is defined). The Scriptures define a “spiritual person” as someone who have the Holy Spirit of the One True God dwelling with him or her; that is what truly makes us Spiritual. The “natural person” in this verse is the man or woman who does not have the Holy Spirit. This person cannot understand or comprehend the things of God because only the Holy Spirit can bring this understanding.
In our next study, Living the Life, we are going to talk more about the Holy Spirit and what He does in us and through us. For now notice that the Holy Spirit teaches us the things that have been freely given to us by God so that we can become “spiritually wise.” This is what Paul prays for the Ephesians. This is what we should pray for our other brothers and sisters in Christ: that we would all receive the wisdom and revelation that the Holy Spirit is giving to us. We are not led by ourselves, we are led by the Spirit who is leading us to a deeper relationship with Christ, wise and mature “in Christ.”
What We Should Continue To Know And Remember?
Since the believers have already had the “eyes of their heart enlightened” by the glory of the Gospel, Paul asks that they would come to know (understand and comprehend) three important “Big Picture” ideas:1) the Hope to which God has called us 2) the Riches of God’s Inheritance in us (the Saints), and 3) His Immeasurable Power toward us who believe, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! We will spend the rest of our time this week dealing with these three big ideas. As we close today, think bout this:
Do you brothers and sisters in Christ that you prayer for—continually giving thanks for them, praying for the Lord to deepen their personal and practical relationship with Him? Do you know of anyone who is praying this way for you?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
