Friday, July 24, 2015

Walking in Him - By Pastor L. Peterson

 
Ephesians 1:18

It should be the heartfelt desire of all believers to know the will of God. While volumes have been written and spoken on this subject, it seems to me that most have missed telling us that we are God's will. Let's look at Ephesians 1:18.

Eph 1:18 (KJV) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Looking at the word enlightened, we find that this may be fully rendered having had light thrown upon, or having had illuminated to the eyes of your heart. The construction of this is as such that prior to giving to them a spirit of wisdom and revelation, they had their eyes of their hearts enlightened. This can be interpreted to include their initial salvation when the Lord transferred them from darkness to light. Furthermore, it implies that the results continued.

Since the passive voice used indicates that one other than themselves, namely, God the Holy Spirit, had enlightened them. There is no way for those who are in the sphere of darkness to be launched into the sphere of light part from God Himself doing the launching. The eyes of a depraved heart are blind, totally incapable. God the Holy Spirit, according to sovereign election, had and continued to enlighten their hearts. (Eph. 4:18)

Paul says that the object of enlightenment is "that ye may know" better rendered "unto the end that you may know" that you may know three key things? We need to recognize that God's sovereign enlightening, this was not an end in itself, but was unto the end that they might be knowledgeable regarding their spiritual eyes. God will give via the Spirit, minds of wisdom and insight into the Truth for the Church.

The first specific aspect of the Mystery which Paul wants them to know is "what is the hope of his calling," This means the expectation, anticipation and that which is looked forward to. The word "calling" as used here, means a summons, an irresistible invitation, and a non-disobeyable order to come. Now lets put this in an amplified translation, God has given to believers spiritual enlightenment to know the hope, expectation and anticipation that belongs to His sovereign calling, summons and irresistible invitation.

The calling is Gods sovereign purpose of making man alive in Christ and members of His Body, the Church. (Romans 8:30; Phil. 3:14; Phil 1:21)

The second specific aspect which Paul desires them to know is "what is the richness of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." Since the word for "richness" is in the singular, speaking of only one things that belongs to the glory of His inheritance, it should be translated rich, opulent, and profuse the glory is which belongs to God's inheritance. This word defines the quality of the "glory" which in turn, describes God's inheritance.

Now let us look a the statement "his inheritance in the saints." The possessive pronoun "his" clearly indicates that this inheritance belongs to God. It is an inheritance which God has in the sphere of the saints, i.e. the saints themselves are the inheritance. Rich, opulent, and profuse glory surrounds and circumscribes God's inheritance, the saints. Apart from what God has done for us saints, "having blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ...Eph. 1:3 having foreordained us unto a position of sons.. and having made us heirs" with Christ, we would not be a rich and glorious inheritance (vs 3,5,11). Paul wants all the saints to know that God has sovereignly made them a rich-in-glory "inheritance" or possession for Himself. We are God's will. 







How God Saves Men
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4


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