“Growing in Knowing God"
Ephesians 1:15-18
Growing in Faith and Love
Growing in God
Growing in Understanding
When Charles Spurgeon was pastor at New Park Street in London, God used his words to bring about amazing changes in the lives of people. A man who was on his way to get some gin saw the crowd at the church door and pushed his way in to see what was going on. At that moment, Spurgeon turned and faced the man and said that there was a man in the gallery who had a gin bottle in his pocket and had come with no good motive. The startled man listened to the rest of the message and was converted. One evening a prostitute, on her way to Blackfriars Bridge to commit suicide, stopped at the church, hoping to hear some word that would prepare her to meet her maker. Spurgeon was preaching from Luke 7:36-50, the story of the prostitute who wiped Jesus feet with her tears. His text was verse 44; "Seest thou this woman?" As Spurgeon preached, the woman saw herself but also saw the grace of God and trusted Christ. W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, Moody Press, 1984, p. 231.
Let us give God’s word and knowledge so intimately that His merest thought is heard and given to those in need by us…
Growing in Faith and Love
Ephes. 1:15-16 (NIV)
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, [16] I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Something was happening in the Christian family in Ephesus.
People were talking about their “faith” in Jesus Christ and their “love” for all of God’s people.
Paul heard of their “pistis” Gk; which means persuasion, assurance or simply “faith” in the Lord Jesus.
We can see that our heavenly Father desires that we depend on Him in faith, whoever has faith is able to have all that we truly need.
Whoever does not have faith in and of God can and will have nothing.
Where are you standing on this faith issue today?
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12 (NIV)
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Acts 3:16 (NIV)
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. Acts 20:21
Another important aspect of our faith is being faithful in prayer.
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephes. 1:16 (NIV)
Paul says he never stops giving thanks “eucharisteo”, yoo-khar-is-teh’-o, Gk., which means to give thanks to God for His grace.
Paul also remembered the believers in prayer “proseuche”, pros-yoo-khay‘, Gk., which means to pray earnestly for.
As Brother’s and Sister’s let us remember to pray for each other.
Paul knew that the Ephesian Christians needed to grow in their knowledge and relationship with Christ.
If they failed to grow in their knowledge of God they would slip back to their former ways.
Let us remain faithful in fellowship and our desire to grow and to know Christ more.
Will you commit to this today?
Growing in God
Ephes. 1:17-18 (NIV)
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. [18] I pray also that the eyes of your heart may 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,
How well do you know God? Does He want to be known by you?
The primary verb know Him “eido” is used and inferred some 25 times. It seems that God does indeed desire for us to know and grow with him.
Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. [29] But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. John 7:28-29 (KJV)
Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. John 8:55 (KJV)
And again,
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit” (Ephes. 2:19-21).
Therefore, we should desire to “know Him more”.
Is that the desire of your heart today?
Knowing God more allows us to properly stand in this crazy world in which we live.
Knowing God and His word allow us to stand in a world that thinks all religions and deities are “the same”.
Our God says; “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Isaiah 45:23 (KJV)
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Romans 14:11 (KJV)
We need seek God for a spirit that:
reaches out and grasps after wisdom.
hungers and thirsts after wisdom.
and a spirit that continually seeks after Godly wisdom.
“O the depth of the riches both of the widsom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33).
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
God’s wisdom, “sophia” allows us to know:
who God is and how to relate to Him.
the truth and how to use it.
what to do and how to do it.
how to live more fruitful lives—for the glory of God and for the welfare of men.
Are you seeking this wisdom today?
This brings us to the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
Knowledge allows us to know the facts of things.
Wisdom is shown in how we use the facts.
You see, it’s not enough to know the facts about God; a person must know God personally.
know how to experience the facts about God.
must use the facts to develop a personal relationship with God—an intimate growing relationship—that grows deeper and deeper.
Growing in Understanding
Ephes. 1:18 (NIV)
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may 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,
We are called to grow in our understanding of God in our personal relationship with Him.
Like the fact that we can do nothing of eternal consequence apart from Jesus Christ.
Some things we come to understand:
we should be holy and without blame, living before Him forever and ever in love (Ephes. 1:4).
we should experience what it means to be adopted as children of God—forever and ever (Ephes. 1:5-6).
we should experience eternal redemption and forgiveness of sin (Ephes. 1:7).
we should possess the wisdom and understanding of God (Ephes. 1:8).
And we should live in the perfect heaven and earth where there will be no more division but only peace and unity in Christ Jesus (Ephes. 1:9-10).
God calls us to stand before Him in the name and righteousness of Jesus Christ, becoming more like Christ on a daily basis.
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:43).
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).
And again;
“For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil. 3:20-21).
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
Of course to know God requires that we be in a position to understand the things of God.
This requires that we be one with God.
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: [9] That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. [11] As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Romans 10:8-11 (NIV)
What a blessing for all who have asked Jesus into their hearts and lives to be able to Growing in Faith and Love, in God and in Understanding.
It is good that we continue to grow into the great “inheritance” that God places before us.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephes. 3:20).
Let’s remember this as we…”Go ye therefore”
