Monday, March 22, 2010

Open Our Eyes, Lord, Part Two

In Ephesians Chapter One, Paul wanted our eyes to be opened so we can see our hope. But he also wanted our eyes opened so we see …18 “… what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”
Paul wanted us to see the riches bestowed upon us in Christ! Some people may get carried away with the idea that God wants all of us to become wealthy with money in this life, but I think if God had wanted us to be rich He would have seen to it that Christians of all time would have been wealthy. But history reveals that God chooses to call both the rich and the poor, yet he bestows HIS RICHES on them all!

The richness of the glory of God’s inheritance is so much more than money!

Paul began describing the riches of our inheritance in verse seven of Ephesians chapter one.
Eph 1:7 In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Our riches are found in knowing that a King, the God of all Creation, took our punishment in order that we could be forgiven of our sins! That is rich! We were guilty and He was innocent! Peter exclaimed that we were not redeemed with silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We are loved that much by God! How can you put a price on that? Then again--

10 … in the of the fullness of time He will gather together in one all things in Christ,
God’s plan is to gather us together in His love. Our sins forgiven, our wounds healed, and He would draw us all together as His Family in a way that is pure and lovely where we will all be able to walk together in harmony! Being rich is to be cherished by God and by your fellowman!

Lord, open our eyes to your calling, to your riches, and to your power! Paul included one more item which we need to see with spiritual eyes:

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,

There is a power from God that is working in His Church which destroys the power of sin and brings deliverance to the captives! We may see ourselves as being helplessly caught in the situations of life and having no hope of deliverance. That is not true! Through faith in Christ, you and I have “exceeding great power from God to overcome!  Does that mean that we are in charge of the universe? No. God is. But as we follow the dream He has given to us … obey the calling … we can meet the challenges of life with a voice of victory! We have been made rich in the love of God and we can be loving and kind and powerful in prayer!

Paul describes this power as being … Eohesians 1:19 ….. 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.

Talk about power! When Christ was raised from the dead it was an act of creation similar to the one of creating the world! God the Father gave Him the authority to be seated as God in heaven and have authority over everything in the spirit realm and in the realm of the natural! That is the mighty power that is at work in us as we follow the calling which God has given to us!

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