Resurrection Power, Now

"THEREFORE I ALSO, AFTER I HEARD OF YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS AND YOUR LOVE FOR ALL THE SAINTS, 16 DO NOT CEASE TO GIVE THANKS FOR YOU, MAKING MENTION OF YOU IN MY PRAYERS; 17 THAT THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF GLORY, MAY GIVE TO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM, 18 THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; THAT YOU MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, WHAT ARE THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS, 19 AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER 20 WHICH HE WORKED IN CHRIST WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD AND SEATED HIM AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, 21 FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER AND MIGHT AND DOMINION, AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS AGE BUT ALSO IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME. 22 AND HE PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET, AND GAVE HIM TO BE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH, 23 WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE FULLNESS OF HIM WHO FILLS ALL IN ALL.”

Paul is rejoicing at the news he has heard, of the Ephesians’ faith in Jesus and their expressed love for believers in other places.

He goes on to say that he prays frequently for them, and asks that God will give them a spirit of wisdom and a deeper understanding of God.

He prays that the “eyes” of their “understanding be enlightened”. That means he wants God to shed His light on their understanding of spiritual things so that they can enter into a deeper relationship with Him.

And look what he wants them to understand: “What is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His (Christ’s) inheritance in the saints”.

And also, “The exceeding greatness of His power toward believers.”

Now, all of this is pretty self-explanatory; I just wanted to state it clearly; but look at the kind of “power” he’s referring to in verse 19. He goes on in verse 20 to say, “Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.”

What a marvelous request Paul makes for these believers! He wants God to make them aware of the great power of God working in their lives; the same power that raised Christ from the dead.

He wants believers to experience God’s resurrection power! Not after they die, but now! Just think of that. If you’re going to pray for anything at all, wouldn’t this be the best thing you could pray for? “Lord, would you please give me the spiritual wisdom and insight to recognize your resurrection (life-giving) power in my life?”

How could we not live a victorious Christian life, if we fully understood that life-giving power of God that works in us every day, because we have the Spirit of Christ living in us?

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

II Corinthians 4:16-18

"His resurrection has the power of all resurrections contracted in it" - Thomas Goodwin