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In the beginning of the first chapter of the book of Ephesians, Paul set forth the amazing and
unlimited blessings that are the guaranteed inheritance of every child of God. In the remainder of
this most profound chapter, Paul recorded his prayer for the saints at Ephesus and for all
believers throughout the ages. Paul prayed we would fully grasp our privileges as children of
God and live up to our potential in Christ.
Paul opened his prayer with thanksgiving. Every parent appreciates a grateful child! Paul did not
cease to give thanks for all the saints. Seriously? All of them?!?! Some believers are simply
easier to love than others are. Some hold different doctrinal positions on non-essentials of the
faith and are committed to radically defending them, even to the point of divisiveness. Some
have personality traits and temperaments that clash with ours. Some have cultural differences are
at odds with our limited experience. Some are legalistic and attempt to aggressively press their
convictions on us. How could Paul rejoice in all the saints? He recognized them as blood-bought
members of the family of faith. He saw each as a divine work in progress.
We must seek to know Christ – not just for salvation, but for sanctification as well. We must
know WHO WE ARE in Christ (blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, sealed,
saved, sanctified-just to name a few), but we must also know WHO HE IS in us.
Knowing who are in Christ without understanding the role His indwelling Spirit plays to
empower and enable us to live out His life in us, leads to frustration and failure at best and
legalism (obedience to manmade religious rules and rituals in the vain effort of making the outer
behavior comply with religious rules ) at worst (See Col. 2:20-23). In order to understand how to
walk by faith and appropriate our heavenly position in Christ we must have wisdom and divine
revelation. The Word of God instructs us. The Spirit of God enlightens and enables us.
a. the hope of His calling-This calling goes beyond God’s calling of us for salvation. This is the
fulfillment of His divine purpose in our lives. We have become the objects of God’s attention and
affection. He has a plan for us to fulfill.
b. the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints-God considers us to be His
inheritance! What we get in Christ defies description. What He gets in us transcends
comprehension. To our finite minds, God gets a poor bargain (See 2 Cor. 8:9). But evidently, He
recognizes something in us worth saving and using! The only explanation is His great love with
which He loved us (Eph. 2:4).
c. the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe-All the power of the godhead
is directed toward us. By the strength of His might God raised (Christ) from the dead and seated
Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:19-20). The same power that raised Christ
from the dead is in us through the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit.
God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand. The Lord Jesus is enthroned
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named (Eph.
1:21). We, believers in Christ who are saved by His mercy and grace, are raised . . . up with Him
and seated . . . with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6).