"...having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1:18-23
To build sustaining hope and momentum in the life of the believers in Ephesus, Paul celebrates the strong reality of the resurrected and reigning Christ. The power that was evidenced in Christ when he was raised him from the dead and seated at the Father's right hand, is part of the fabric of the life of a believer.
CONSIDERATIONS:
1. The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe: finding our identity in Christ.
“Paul's object was not only to impress the Ephesians with a deep sense of the value of Divine grace, but also to give them exalted views of the glory of Christ's kingdom. That they might not be cast down by a view of their own unworthiness, he exhorts them to consider the power of God (and to understand); as if he had said, that their salvation was no ordinary work, but was an astonishing exhibition of God’s power.” Calvin's Commentaries on Ephesians, pg. 214
The Apostle is not so much praying that the Ephesians may be given power as that they may know the power of God that is already working in them. The object of this prayer is to give assurance and certainty in order that believers may have confidence.
No person can consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with the way he perceives himself. That is why one of Satan’s chief ploys is to accuse, belittle, and depress God’s people with a lack of hope and joy as he confuses our theology regarding the grace of the cross and our standing in Christ.
"And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.'" Revelation 12:10-11
2. His power (energy) is according to the working of his great might.
The apostle is asserting that this eternal might and strength of God's power is exerting itself in us and overcoming all obstacles and resistances.
"The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!' And he said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'” Luke 10:17-20
3. This power is demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
APPLICATIONS:
1. We have authority, power and expectation because of who the exalted Jesus is in us.
2. What resurrection infused power… (see Ephesians 3:20-21) do you want the Lord to accomplish in and through you?
3. God works and his people work, we labor because God gives us the energy as believers.
"...for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." Colossians 1:29
4. In order to taste and experience the goodness of the Lord, we must be diligent in our study of the Bible and in biblical understanding.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." James 1:22-25
"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers." 1 Thessalonians 2:13
5. Pray: May I be thunderstruck TODAY by the tender mercies of Christ (note the hymns by John Newton “Amazing Grace” and “Praise for Redeeming Love”).