Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
Paul prays for things we never heard anyone pray for; maybe we should consider enriching our prayers by imitating his. Remember that he is addressing long time Christians in Ephesians and asks that they “have the eyes of your heart enlightened.” Unquestionably, this is beyond the understanding required for conversion and basic service. This enlightenment will lead them to know three things: “the hope of his calling,” “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” and “the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe.” (Eph 1:18-20).
God promises to use the same power for us that he “wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit in the heavenlies.” After he glorifies Christ to the right hand of God and head of the church, Paul reminds us of our former state, “And you, dead…” (with all the gory details of spiritual deadness) and hopeless, for the dead cannot act. But, God used the power of Christ’s resurrection to give us life and seat us in the heavenlies with him. God creates us from death just as he created Adam from dead dust. We no longer live in the world but, triumphant over it, we live in the heavenlies to accomplish good works.
Paul renews his prayer at the end of his treatise on the church: “I bow my knees to the Father…that he would grant you…that you be strengthened with power…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” And concludes that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us” (Eph 3:14-20).
When we take the Lord’s Supper, we remember the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice. But without the resurrection, that cross is no more significant than the thousands of others erected by Rome. How much power does it take to raise someone from the dead? We have no measure—megatons will not do it. But that power made us who we are, God’s inheritance, his children, his church that displays his wisdom. That power enables us to become new people who can conquer sin and show the love of Christ through his indwelling.
The Lord’s Supper is not some magic power in and of itself, though some seem to treat it so, giving it such devotion in the forlorn hope it will fix all they have made little effort to change. The “communion” has become a solitary, lonely event between each one and God. The communion of the Bible was a joyous sharing in the memorial to the power of the resurrection that made us alive from sin and enables us to “transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds.”
“I can’t.” “I tried.” “I want to change, but….” are all Satan’s deceits to keep us from exercising this power that Paul prayed for God to work in us. Look around when you partake and share with your fellows the hope of being called by God and the surety that by the grace of God you can. Then pray and pray all week, for God can do all things through you by the same power by which he raised Jesus.
Keith Ward
Paul prays for things we never heard anyone pray for; maybe we should consider enriching our prayers by imitating his. Remember that he is addressing long time Christians in Ephesians and asks that they “have the eyes of your heart enlightened.” Unquestionably, this is beyond the understanding required for conversion and basic service. This enlightenment will lead them to know three things: “the hope of his calling,” “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” and “the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe.” (Eph 1:18-20).
God promises to use the same power for us that he “wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit in the heavenlies.” After he glorifies Christ to the right hand of God and head of the church, Paul reminds us of our former state, “And you, dead…” (with all the gory details of spiritual deadness) and hopeless, for the dead cannot act. But, God used the power of Christ’s resurrection to give us life and seat us in the heavenlies with him. God creates us from death just as he created Adam from dead dust. We no longer live in the world but, triumphant over it, we live in the heavenlies to accomplish good works.
Paul renews his prayer at the end of his treatise on the church: “I bow my knees to the Father…that he would grant you…that you be strengthened with power…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” And concludes that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us” (Eph 3:14-20).
When we take the Lord’s Supper, we remember the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice. But without the resurrection, that cross is no more significant than the thousands of others erected by Rome. How much power does it take to raise someone from the dead? We have no measure—megatons will not do it. But that power made us who we are, God’s inheritance, his children, his church that displays his wisdom. That power enables us to become new people who can conquer sin and show the love of Christ through his indwelling.
The Lord’s Supper is not some magic power in and of itself, though some seem to treat it so, giving it such devotion in the forlorn hope it will fix all they have made little effort to change. The “communion” has become a solitary, lonely event between each one and God. The communion of the Bible was a joyous sharing in the memorial to the power of the resurrection that made us alive from sin and enables us to “transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds.”
“I can’t.” “I tried.” “I want to change, but….” are all Satan’s deceits to keep us from exercising this power that Paul prayed for God to work in us. Look around when you partake and share with your fellows the hope of being called by God and the surety that by the grace of God you can. Then pray and pray all week, for God can do all things through you by the same power by which he raised Jesus.
Keith Ward
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