Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 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.” (Ephesians 1:15-19a)
Paul begins Ephesians with a massive overarching statement that is infinitely deep and wide. He says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:3). Now that we are in Christ, we have received every single spiritual blessing. Take a moment to think. What does the word “every” mean? How vast and wide and deep does that mean all the spiritual blessings we have received are?
Paul explains
further revealing some of these spiritual blessings. Even as he explains, each point he brings up briefly is unfathomably more profound than we can imagine.
God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him. That means God knew us before the creation of the world and His ultimate purpose for us is that we would be holy and blameless. What does that even mean? How could God love us so much?
In love, God predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will. That means it was God’s will from the very beginning that through Christ, we would become His children. What does it even mean to be sons of God? How do we comprehend this?
Paul goes on listing spiritual blessings we have received, and you can read them for yourself in Ephesians 1. Paul is making the point that we have received something far greater than we can imagine. God’s gift of salvation encompasses so much more than what we currently know.
For this reason, Paul prays that the eyes of the believer’s heart would be opened by the Spirit to comprehend what all this means. Only when we can see God’s glory will we be able to treasure Him. Only then will we be transformed. Only then will we glorify Him. Have you seen God’s glory in God’s Word? Do you understand and savour what you have received in union with Christ? We live to grow, to know Him more and more each day, learning to walk with Him as our Lord and Saviour. May Paul’s prayer be our prayer for each other in this RE Generation-Z community.
Lord, once again, we give thanks for the group of believers you have placed in this community. Please give each of us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Open our spiritual eyes that we may behold the hope which You have called us to, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward us who believe. May Your name be glorified. In Jesus’ name, amen.
