Palmyra First Assembly
February 3, 2019
Text: Ephesians 1:13-19
Subject: In Him
Title: Christ’s Fullness in the Church
This morning I want to share with you from the Book of Ephesians. It’s probably my favorite book in the bible, and at the same time it may be one of the most challenging to fully understand.
Ephesians can probably be broken into two sections. Chapters 1-3 speak to us about the power and authority we have as believers because we are “In Him”. 17 times in the NIV we see mention of our relationship with Christ by the phrases “in Him, in Christ, with Him, with Christ.” And those are in reference to what is available to us through that relationship. For instance, in chapter 1 and verse 4, he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy… verse 7, in Him we have redemption… verse 13, you were included in Him when you heard the gospel and were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Along with the examples found in Ephesians there are approximately 140 phrases with the same meaning in him, through him, in Christ, in whom… as you read through Paul’s letters it is important for us to see every benefit that is available to us as born-again believers. And as you see those benefits it is good for you to begin to confess them as yours. Our desire should always be to be in agreement with God’s word in every aspect of our Christian walk.
Amen?
17I 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. 18I 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, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
I believe this is God’s word…
I believe it is for me…
I accept it as mine…
I will appropriate it to my life today…
I want to focus on verse 18 and the first part of 19…
18I 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, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
I. The Hope to Which He has called you… Every one of us has a calling. First of all, you are called to be saved. The great hope that we have is that we believe Jesus is coming back for the church at the rapture. It is by grace you have been saved through faith… That is so important for us to get. We must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. Here is where hope and faith are connected. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When we connect both hope and faith in reference to God’s word, and specifically in this case what it means to be “in Him”, that when we hope ore believe for something that the Word says is ours, we must hold on by faith. For some that creates a problem. Does the Lord intend for it to be difficult for us to have the kind of faith we need to receive the things we hope for? No, He doesn’t. But it falls on us to have that kind of faith.
Paul said in 18, I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… What does that mean? What are the eyes of your heart and how, are they enlightened? When the bible talks about the heart it is referring to your spirit man. It is that non-physical part of your being that lies dormant until touched and brought to life by the Holy Spirit at salvation. The word translated “enlightened” refers to revelation that comes from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV) 9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. The Weymuth NT says it like this… 9 But—to use the words of Scripture—we speak of THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN NOR EAR HEARD, and which have never entered the heart of man: ALL THAT GOD HAS IN READINESS FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. 10 For us, however, God has drawn aside the veil through the teaching of the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, including the depths of the divine nature. The hope that He has called us to is the faith that we need to hope for and receive every bible promise that is made on our behalf, but also every condition that needs to be met on our part to live lives that are holy and pleasing to the Lord. Romans 12:1 (NIV2011) 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. One last thing…the word hope in the Greek means expectation. So the hope to which He has called you is the expectation that He will continue to give revelation to you in order that you may know him or experience him the way that He wants for you…
II. The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance… I want you to understand this… So many Christians really miss out on what it means to be “in Christ” they consider adoption into the family for the purpose of attaining heaven as the only reward that we will ever have. But we have to look at the original languages again to get the fullness of what the word is saying here. In the original Greek “riches” is ploutos (plou`-tos) n.
1. wealth (as fullness)
2. (literally) money, possessions
3. (figuratively) abundance, richness
4. (specially) valuable bestowment
Now, if you want, you can simply consider this to be in reference to spiritual enrichment alone. But if we look at what the Lord really wants us to experience, we have to look at it from His perspective. First of all, we have to look at the extreme words being used… riches, glorious inheritance. If this were referring to eternity alone, couldn’t we have that expressed in words like “adequacy” and “future”? Oh, but these words show us the very nature of God. Wealth, money, possessions, abundance, valuable bestowment… Wow! And then the word “glorious”. In the Greek it refers to a visible revelation of God’s nature. The same word in from a Hebrew perspective is doxa and it refers to the splendor of God, or His light. The word literally means “heaviness” but only in a good sense. So, when we are in the presence of His glory it is so heavy that you not only see it, but you feel the weightiness of it. It is the kind of experience that drives you to your knees or on your face because you know that you are in the presence of God. And finally, the word “inheritance”. Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. If we are co-heirs with Christ was benefits does that afford us? Luke 10:19 (NKJV) 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Mark 11:23-24 (NKJV), 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. John 1:12 (NKJV) , 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: When Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians the Roman rule of law said that and adopted child legally had all the same benefits as the natural child. So, we have the same legal right as children of God to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to receive deliverance and power and to speak blessings on others and expect our Father to honor them. Isn’t that “riches”? Isn’t that a glorious inheritance?
III. His Incomparably Great Power for Us Who Believe… The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul is using those extreme words again. Incomparably great power… in the world people everywhere seek power or authority or riches for their own benefit. They want to be someone special. You know, I love the paradoxes that the bible offers us. A paradox is a self-contradictory statement. The bible says that when we are weak then we are strong… when we are humble, we are exalted… when we become servants, we are rulers… and when surrender we are victorious. We are not like the world. We follow the pattern of sound teaching found in scripture. We have the power of God at work in our lives. Who is it for? It is available to every believer, but not everyone will receive it. Only those who believe that they will receive it will experience it. Remember, we have authority over all the power of the enemy? Then why does satan seem to continually have his way in the lives of Christians? It is because we are not being trained in the word to stand against the wiles of the devil… we have the spiritual armor of God to withstand all his tricks and we have the only offensive weapon we need to defeat him… the word of God. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you and it is more powerful than all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
I want to close with this. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Look at the logic that Paul lays out here. If God has placed all things under His (Jesus’) feet and has appointed Him to be head over everything for the church… stop there. It doesn’t say that he is everything in the church, but for the church. So, every benefit that has been given us has already been provided for us… the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
We are the fullness of Christ… Because we are In Him there is nothing that can stop us from being what we are called to be.
It is time to let your hope rise up in faith…
It is time to claim His glorious riches by faith…
It is time to live in His incomparably great power by faith…
Claim every victory.
Receive your healing…
Stand against the enemy in power…
Be His body – His fullness living here on the earth until He comes for us.
