Ephesians 1: Recognizing the Promise

 Maturity for the Inheritance in Christ

The first chapter of Ephesians is full of powerful promises for believers’ authority in Christ. Our inheritance depends on understanding the eternal promises we have through revelation.

 I particularly like this passage in verse 18 and 19. “I pray that the eyes of your heart be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

The Mystery

You can almost feel Paul trying to let them in on a great mystery which they don’t fully understand. It’s a wonderful prayer for any believer because it alerts them to an otherworldly understanding of Christ’s victory over death. In Paul’s prayer, there is both acknowledgement of the victory and recognition of our role in the earth. We are victorious with Jesus. If we can get an understanding of the historic significance of Christ’s life, death and resurrection, we’ll begin to walk in the same confidence. It’s the difference between surveying a plot of land and making arrangements once it’s been paid for.

With Christ however, we already have the plot. We can move forward once we recognize that He already paid for it. The only thing to do is begin building on it. The ownership we possess was free to us, but it’s now up to us to maintain it. That requires gaining knowledge of our new territory. Knowledge means learning and learning means growing up. Even that idea of ownership doesn’t carry the same eternal weight of what Paul describes to the Ephesians. This otherworldly understanding is something we can only grasp through revelation. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you’re the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (verse 17).

The Vision

This isn’t a light bulb moment either. It’s a vision of the future that becomes clearer as we walk closer to God. Salvation comes first. We’re able to understand His great love initially, but recognizing our authority and power and dominion takes years. How many times have I read this chapter of Ephesians and thought “Yeah that sounds nice”. But Paul isn’t talking about nice. He practically begs them to understand their authority. A believer who understands authority versus one who doesn’t, is as different as a parent and a toddler. The toddler is still mostly helpless. Their world is small and shallow. They know they’re loved but lack any skill or experience to do for themselves. Their interest doesn’t’ expand beyond their immediate wants. Dependency defines their existence.

The parent knows how to manipulate the world and care for others. Life has taught them a lot about behavior, discipline, authority and power. They’re also wise enough to know when to use their power. Becoming a parent transformed their idea of what and who are important. Selflessness defines their existence. They make plenty of mistakes but recognize their obligation to others.

The Message

The journey from toddler to parent is an effective picture of our walk in Christ. The maturity we grow in demands a greater understanding of our role and inheritance. No one who is still a toddler will ever know what a great inheritance they have. They lack the mental framework for such a big idea. Many believers stall out somewhere in early childhood, unable to grow into the next phase of understanding. If the inheritance feels too much like fiction we don't put in the time to learn.

I can’t help thinking that Paul’s description is for an audience of ‘children’. The picture I have is of kids in a classroom sitting around a circle while a teacher reads to them from a story book. Their imaginations are quite vivid. Their stories contain knights and dragons and lands beyond the sea where no human has set foot. He’s asking them to imagine a place where they already have a title and authority. But it’s not a fictional place. It’s part of their inheritance.

Conclusion

The goal for Christians in every age is to get a vivid picture of their inheritance in Christ. There remains a gigantic gap in knowledge between salvation and effectiveness though. Paul doesn’t spell out the difficulty inherent in a life of service. Later in the letter he calls himself a “Prisoner of Christ Jesus” and points, here and there, to life’s difficulties. But he doesn’t dwell on it. His letter is full of promise and hope and victory because of the amazing contrast between death and life. We don’t focus on trials in this life because we have an example of how to overcome. The promise keeps us going through it all. The apostle Paul wants our focus on the eternal, not the temporary. That’s how you get children to listen. Point to better and show them how Christ did it first.