Get It?

Ephesians 1:15-23
“Get It?”

Each of my children, except one, has passed through the kindergarten and first grade, and each one learned the complete list of jokes that engage and kindergarten or first grade mind. Why did the chicken cross the road? Why do the birds fly south in the winter? Who is buried in Grant’s tomb? And the punch lines, at which each and every dutiful parent tries very hard to laugh, are inevitably followed up with an excited, bright-eyed question, “Get it?” The chicken crossed the road to get to the other side; get it?! The birds fly south because it’s too far to walk; get it?! Do you get it?! And I’ve got another daughter coming along…. 

There are some things that most people just get. First grade jokes are among them. Why? Because they’re obvious, simple, and true. They just make sense; and that’s the only reason they’re funny. There are other things that are obvious and simple and true, too, but people often don’t get it. Too many cars on an expressway slow the traffic… The logic against abortion… The resources of God… 

Let’s think for a moment about God. If we grant that there is a God in the universe, and most of us do; If we grant that this God spoke the universe into existence, and most of us do; If we grant that God provided a solution for our sin, a solution that involves the death and resurrection of an eternal being, something we also grant; If we grant that, by faith, we can enter into relationship with God as adopted children…; Then why would we ever doubt that the resources we need to live in a way that is pleasing to him, moment by moment, are available to us moment by moment? How could we possibly not get it? 

But often we still don’t. And the same has been true of God’s people throughout the ages. Paul encouraged the Ephesians by reminding them of God’s resources, but then he also sought God to help them remember. Let’s look at two words of affirmation Paul gave to the Ephesians in ch.1:15-23: he affirmed his thankfulness to God for them and he affirmed that he was praying for them with some very specific requests. We’ll spend less time on the first. 

Paul’s Thanksgiving for the Ephesians – 1:15-16

 “For this reason” generally refers all the way to vs.3, but more specifically back to vs.13. The strong shift to “And you” in vs. 13 suggests that this opening in vs. 15 refers back to the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit which they have received, bringing them into relationship with God on equal footing to the believing Jews. Thus, because they now have the Holy Spirit Paul is sure of the origin of the good things he is hearing about them and he is thanking God for that work.

Most of Paul’s letters begin with a thanksgiving passage, but Ephesian didn’t—it began with that long expression of praise for the blessings of God in Christ. Now, though, Paul does turn his attention to thanksgiving for reasons that are all the more clear because of the content of vss.3-14. They had received the Holy Spirit at the moment they believed. And now the ministry of the Spirit within them was being made evident.

They had also been given a wisdom and insight (8) by God’s grace in Christ, enabling the understanding of the mystery of his purpose and power in the gospel. And this is no small matter. So, Paul is not simply thankful to God for them; that was not enough. He needed to pray for them, continuously. And the connotation of the word translated remembering (16) insinuates that he may have been praying for them by name. Thus, this leads to affirmation #2.

Paul’s Intercession for the Ephesians – 1:17-23

First, the title Father of glory seems to have an Hebraic origin. Paul only uses it here, although he speaks often of God’s glory in other places. The title seems to focus on the essential nature of God and the glory that is bound up with his very nature. He is the source of glory; even the giver of glory (Nicoll, 273). Psa.29:3 says, “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders….” And the familiar words of Psa.24: read, “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” So, Paul is praying that this great God will give the Ephesians, first, a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in their knowledge of him. Wisdom, according to Strong, means “a broad and full intelligence, a knowledge of diverse matters.” Revelation means “laying bare” or “making naked.” It is “a disclosure of truth, instruction concerning things before unknown; a manifestation or appearance” perhaps even more of the mystery. Clearly, it’s talking about being completely apparent in the most basic and fundamental of ways—knowing the full scoop; getting it! Nicoll summarized the request well saying, “What Paul prays for on behalf of these Ephesian converts is that God might continue to bestow upon them the gift of His Holy Spirit already imparted to them, and that to the effect both of making them wise to understand the things of His grace and of disclosing to them more of the mysteries of His Kingdom.” This fits well with Paul’s stated purpose for his request—that they may know God better.

Then, second, flowing right out of the first, he prays that the eyes of [their] hearts would be enlightened. The eyes of their heart has a much broader insinuation than if Paul had just used the word mind. Heart is the seat not only of thought but also of moral judgment and feeling. And the eyes are perceiving…. In other words, Paul is requesting that they might be enlightened in every portion of their being regarding the categories that follow. The first category (18) is that they might be so enlightened as to know the hope to which they have been called. This is referring to a relevant hope—living day to day in that confident expectation, that certainty of eternal life to come. We don’t do that very easily. When we talk about all things working together for good, for instance, this is what we’re talking about. It is the certainty that God is accomplishing something even through the difficult experiences of our lives. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Rom.8:18). This is our hope. 

We eagerly await our adoption (23) that vs.5 tells us was part of God’s purpose from before the beginning of time. This is our hope.

This hope has a purifying effect (1Jo.3:3). It is “in this hope we were saved” (Rom.8:24). “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (25). This is what it is like to live in hope—to live day by day in patient expectation of being with Jesus, and believing that every experience he brings across our path as we wait happens precisely according to his good purpose and, indeed, is working for our good. We do this with good experiences, but we find it much more difficult to do it at the hard times. 

Joni Eareckson Tada says that she looks forward to being with Jesus, but that if she were given the opportunity of reversing the injury that landed her in her wheelchair for now the vast majority of her life, she wouldn’t do it—because of what she has learned of the Lord through it. The eyes of Joni’s heart have been enlightened to the hope to which she is called. Knowing God today in ways that will last for eternity is more important to her than ease of life today.

The second category (18) is they may be enlightened to the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. This is the same kind of statement that appeared in vs.11. There the believing Jews, who were the first to hope in Christ, were made his inheritance. And here the believing Gentiles are added in. (By the way, we have an inheritance as well. Several of you asked me about that last week and I’m sorry I wasn’t clearer on that. Vs.5 assumes and inheritance for us, and vs.14 makes it explicit—as do any number of other NT passages. We have an inheritance, but we also are an inheritance (11, 18). But we’re forced to wonder how that is possible. How in the world could we sinners be a glorious inheritance to God the Father?

My friends, the only conceivable answer goes right back to the beginning of the list of blessings. We are a glorious inheritance to the Father because, from before the foundation of the world he has chosen to look at us as holy and blameless in Christ (4), the beloved children that he has selected for adoption (5), clothed in righteousness. Apart from Christ we are nothing but objects of his wrath, we’ll see that in the next chapter. But in Christ we are family, indeed, a glorious inheritance to God. Who needs positive self-image material? Who need pitiful self-help books? The God of the universe has affirmed a level of value within us that is infinitely beyond anything we can find on a bookstore shelf. Wow! How are we supposed to respond to all this?! And more, how should we treat one another in light of knowing that each of us is God’s inheritance?! Good question; but we’re ahead of the story. Those parts don’t come up until ch.4 and following.

The third category (19) is that we might be enlightened to the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us. In describing the power which is given to us as believers Paul erupts again, using a whole collection of different words to get his point across. In the first reference, God’s power (δυνάμεως, inherent power) is referred to as immeasurable. (ὑπερβάλλον, from which we get hyperbole—an almost mythical exaggeration) greatness. It describes the capability of potential. We’ll see this word again in 2:7. Working (ἐνέργειαν) gives power an operational or active involvement idea; it’s not idle—it’s power in motion. This word is used again in 3:7 and 4:16 where power is accomplishing something. And great might translated literally would be “the strength of his might” (NASV); it introduces two new and words and nuances into the meaning. “Great” (κράτους) is power exercised in resistance or control as we do in spiritual conflict: 6:10. “Might” (ἰσχύος) insinuates bodily force or muscular strength and is also used in 6:10. All this power that’s available to us is on par with that which he exerted in raising Christ at the resurrection, and seating him in heaven after the ascension. The wording here in vs.20 recalls Psa.110:1, “The Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Now, far being out of touch with things on earth, he is the sovereign king over all things everywhere. One commentator put it this way: “Jesus has not been removed from earthly influence by ascension, precisely the opposite: he has been moved to the place of ultimate influence over matters on earth. Thus, no other powers or potentates, in the world or in the heavens, whether good or evil, can compare; his authority, as the one at God’s right hand, is over all. The original readers would have seen the point: none of the powers they were prone to fear could compare with Jesus.” As a Christian in the Roman Empire of the first century, that was no small statement! Christ is the authority over all things by God’s set purpose and design. That is what we’re told again and again with various metaphors in vss.21, 22, and 23. 

Conclusion

This concludes Paul’s first prayer for the Ephesians—a prayer for enlightenment as to the limitless resources available to them in Christ; that they would really get it, that they would really understand. This prayer needs to be prayed for us as well; if anything is certain in our lives it is that we do not grasp the power that is available to us in Christ. And even when we try we have a hard time breaking out of the image of power set for us by Superman—power that is somehow related to physical strength. The prayer of Paul, here, though is that we would grasp the meaning of God’s power in our lives—his power to secure our eternal future, our hope; his power to save us from our sins and make us his inheritance; his power live in the blessings he has provided.

Toward that end, let me suggest three lessons. They are obvious and simple, and true, but they need to be repeated often. There will never be a day when we don’t need them: 

There is no way to plumb the depths of Gods resources. The waters of God’s blessing will always be deeper that we can dive.

There is no way to exhaust the supply God’s resources. They are “in Christ,” who is infinitely powerful.

There is no way to outlive the usefulness of God’s resources. They originate in the Father, who is eternal.

Sometimes we honestly don’t know what we have from our heavenly Father. I have friend whose father gave him a Christmas gift of a money clip holding a $20.00 bill and a slip of paper. My friend was happiest about the $20.00 and pleased with the money clip. But he had no real response to the slip of paper; no response, that is, until he realized that it made him an owner of stock in the family business which was valued at $96,000.00! So it is with our heavenly Father. He has given us all the riches of heaven and, somehow, we can still miss it. Paul is praying for the Ephesians that they would not miss it. We should pray it for one another.

Kent Hughes tells a story of a grade school in Itasca, Texas. Just before World War II the school burned down killing 263 children. The whole town was horror stricken! They went without a school during the war but during the economic boom afterward, they rebuilt. Included in the new structure was a state-of-the-art sprinkler system of which the people were very proud. Honor students were selected to host tours of the school and the finest sprinkler system money could buy was given primary attention. Seven years later the growth of Itasca made an addition to the facility a necessity. As they began construction it was discovered that the sprinkler system had never been connected to a water source. 

How in the world could this happen? Can you imagine having a state-of-the-art sprinkler system that is useless in a fire? What an embarrassment. 

The Ephesian believers were somewhat like that. And Paul let them know in the earliest stages of the letter that they needed to hook up to the water supply—the rich supply of God’s blessing to them in Christ. 

But I as an illustration I almost believe it would work better in reverse. Imagine that a school building was erected with a state-of-the-art sprinkler system actually hooked up to a water supply. But the people knew nothing about it.

Sometime after that a fire came and the sprinkler system worked just as it was supposed to saving 263 young lives. The people were shocked. They had always had an unexamined confidence that their children were safe at school; but now in a flash they became aware that the children were far safer than they ever realized. But where had the water come from? Maybe a pipe had burst from heat at just the right moment to douse the fire. Oh well, who really cares? The children are safe, right? Wrong! Although, unfortunately that is the way many Christians respond when they are first doused by God’s sufficient provision and protection. Many never sense the need to learn more about the sprinkler system, to have the eyes of their hearts enlightened to how it really works.

Paul has told the Ephesian believers something about God and his loving, intentional provision for them. But he doesn’t want them to go off and do nothing with it. We must give Him praise. We must learn his ways and how to make better use of His provisions.

Their faith and love may be evident to all, but they leave the resources of heaven unused, perhaps even unexplored. Paul prays that they might understand and experience them in their fullness. May I make a suggestion in closing? Each day this week as you spend some time in the word, write down one resource—one source of strength or provision or enabling—that God has made available to you in Christ. It may be something you need for the day. It may be something discovered and drew upon yesterday. It may be something that could free you from some irrational fear. It may simply be a catalyst to worship, or some aspect of Christ’s character that God has brought to your mind with thanksgiving as a result of worship. But write it down and hold on to it. Accumulate a list. And if we’re talking about all the blessings that exist in the heavenly places, the list may get kind of long. Review the list from time to time when you feel yourself slipping into complacency—into taking your salvation for granted. Let the eyes of your heart be so enlightened, so in-tune with all the blessings that God has given that you will never lack for an answer when you’re tempted to say of life or of circumstances or of God himself, “I just don’t get it.”