July 24, 2011

I first met Angie in around 1975. She was a good friend of my brother and sister. I thought she was cute, but being five years younger, she was way too young for me. While in Cameroon I thought Angie might be someone I could date. So when I came back to the States in 1979 we started dating. I got to know Angie better. Of course, we married in 1982, and I got to know Angie even better. Our friendship began casually. I knew her but didn’t know her at all. As we dated our relationship grew closer. But it wasn’t until we were engaged and married that our relationship became an effective reality. The better I’ve gotten to know Angie, the stronger and deeper our relationship has become.

In Eph.1:3 Paul begins with a wonderful doxology of praise to God. Then in v.15 he prays for the Ephesian believers. Just as v.3-14 are one long sentence, so v.15-23 are one long sentence. Now how do you think Paul would pray for these believers? What is the focus of his prayer? Well his focus has to do with God. Paul is concerned that men and women get to know God. After all, everything begins and ends with God. No matter what else you do in life, you want to be sure that you know God. Looking at this prayer I see that as we get to know God better, the more effective our Christian living becomes.

I. WE LEARN ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S CALL. Eph.1:15-18a

In Mt.9:13 Jesus says, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” One might be tempted to think that God would only be interested in those who have their act together. But no, God calls sinners. In Mt.11:28-30, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The majority of people in this world are burdened. They are without hope. O they fill their lives with many things and many activities, and many relationships, but apart from God there is no lasting hope or meaning to life. Whatever hope or meaning they may have is temporal. God is calling men, women, and children to come to him to find rest. What kind of rest? Rest for their souls; the kind of rest that bring peace and purpose for life.

The final book of the Narnia Tales is called, The Last Battle. Those who have been faithful to Aslan enter into Aslan’s country. As they enter into Aslan’s country they understand that the farther in they go, the more wonderful it is. Those who hear the call of God to surrender to Christ in faith enter into the eternal life of Christ. They begin a new life. The farther in they go, the more wonderful it is. First Peter 2:9 says that we are called out of darkness into God’s wonderful light. First Thessalonians 2:12 refers to God, who calls you into his kingdom. In 1Tim.6:12, Paul tells us to take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. Isn’t this amazing? What god calls sinners to come into his eternal life and Kingdom, just by believing and surrendering one’s life to him?

But there’s more to God’s call upon us. For example, in Rm.1:5 God calls people to the obedience that comes from faith. Those who answer the call of God by turning to Jesus Christ, receive life from God, and this life is best enjoyed as we obey the good commands of God. God calls us to live a noble life of integrity and high character. In fact, according to Rm.8:29, God “predestined [us] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” In other words God’s goal for believers is that we grow to have the character and virtues of his Son, Jesus.

In Rm.1:5, Paul writes that we are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Elsewhere, in 1Cor.1:9 it says that God called us into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ.” The calling of God is not just to live a life of obedience to his commands, it is a life in which we know God personally. We have fellowship, intimacy with him.

Or to look a little farther down the road, in 1Pt.5:10 we read that God called us to his eternal glory. Hebrews 9:15 says, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” In 2Thess.2:14 we are called that we might share in the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In other words, our calling is an eternal calling.

I think you can see that God’s call upon our lives is meant to change the whole focus of living. We don’t live for ourselves. We live for God and his Son, Jesus. Our life is oriented around Jesus because he has given us his new eternal life to live. The longer and better we know God, the more we learn about just how significant the call of God is. Have you answered God’s call?

II. WE APPRECIATE THE RICHES OF GOD’S INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS. Eph.1:18

This business of knowing God better takes place over time. I’ve heard many people lament the fact that it seems to take forever to find a church home. It should not surprise anyone. A church is made up of people. A church is made up of relationships, and relationships take time. One has to allow time to create a history with others. Creating a history with others will involve both positive and negative experiences, because we live in a fallen world. Our instant society doesn’t fit well into spiritual things. Spiritual things take time. Knowing God takes time; time spent with him, in his word and in prayer and in thought; time spent with him in the good and bad, the highs and lows of life.

Now, the better we get to know God, the more we will look forward to being with him in glory, in heaven. And this is what Paul is getting at here. You ask, “Well, what exactly are we talking about? We are talking about something beyond our ability to fully describe. In 1Jn.3:2 we read, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” How wonderful to finally be like Christ.

And then in the book of Revelation we have descriptions of the new heaven and the new earth. In Rev.21:3-4 we read, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” And while I’m on it, be sure to understand that heaven is very social. We are going to be with the believers from every time and every place. In Heb.12:22-24 we read, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant...”

The best part of our inheritance is just being with Jesus. But my sense is that being with Jesus is not nearly as exciting to us as being in heaven. How can we cultivate our life in Christ? How can we deepen our relationship with God? It’s by getting to know him better. When we read in the New Testament about dying to self and taking up our cross to follow Jesus, it’s not so our life can be miserable. Dying to self is the only way to live more deeply in Christ. Dying to self means saying, “No,” to selfish ambition and pride and, “Yes” to God and his word. Saying, “Yes,” to God is entering into the doorway of getting to know him better.

Do you want to know why it is often the older saints who are so looking forward to being with Jesus? It’s because they realize that they are closer to the day of going home. Their work on earth is drawing to a close. So their thoughts naturally turn to being with Christ. When we are younger we don’t have the sense that life is growing short. But here’s the thing. When we are young we do well to serve the Lord with all our heart. We do well to seek the Lord with all our heart. Those who consistently serve and seek the Lord while they are young will develop a longing to see the Lord and be with him as they grow old.

III. WE EXPERIENCE THE GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER FOR US. Eph.1:19-23

If the focus on knowing the significance of God’s call looks at the time of our salvation through faith in Christ, and if our inheritance looks at our future in glory with Christ, then experiencing the power of God is for the present and future. We live the Christian life by the power of God. We will enter into glory by the power of God.

What is the power of God like? Well Paul describes it for us. We are talking about the kind of power that enabled Jesus to rise from the dead, reversing what we know to be irreversible. Then we see that God seated Jesus at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every title that can ever be given. God put everything under Jesus’ feet. He is the head over everything. What does that include? Everything. In Eph.6:12 it says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Certainly Christ has authority over all of these spiritual forces of evil, (Satan and demons). But Christ has authority over every authority in heaven and earth. Christ has power over the entire universe and all that occurs in it.

It is this power that Paul is praying that we will know by experience. Men and women, the power of God is not found in a magic wand like that which Harry Potter wields. The power of God is not exercised by repeating spells. The power of God is not something I can control for my own selfish benefit. No, the power of God is given to enable believers to live a life that honors God. The power of God is given to enable believers to resist Satan and sin. The power of God is given to enable believers to serve God and accomplish his purposes. In Col.1:28-29 Paul writes, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Now notice that in v.19 this power is for us, believers. But in v.22 we read that Christ was appointed head over everything for the Church. There is a personal and corporate application of the power of God. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Individual believers and the Church are kept by the power of God. And if we suffer for Christ’s sake, Paul writes in 2Tim.1:8, “But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,”

Perhaps you are asking yourself, “Have I ever experienced the power of God?” If you are a believer then I can say, “Yes, you have experienced the power of God.” God has saved you by his power. But I suspect that’s not really the nature of your question. You are wondering if there was ever a time when you knew the power of God was working in you. That’s a different kind of question. Its one thing to take by faith that God’s power is working in you. It’s another thing to actually experience God’s power.

The only way believers can know that they have experienced God’s power is if they rely solely on God in times of need and temptation. If you consistently rely only on yourself and do not turn to God then you are saying that you can handle it. You don’t really need God’s power. Experiencing God’s power does not mean that we must be passive. No we put forth every effort. But it does mean that we are dependent upon him. This can only be learned in the crucible of living life surrendered to God.

Now before I got married I understood something of the nature of marriage. I read books, watched other marriages, heard messages on marriage, talked about marriage, but it was only as I got married and got to know Angie better that I really came to understand the reality of marriage. Christianity is not a concept to explore and embrace. It is not a set of rules for living. It is not an order of rituals for worship. All of these are elements of the Christian faith, but none of these thing are the essence of the Christian faith. Christianity is first and foremost entering into a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ. Christianity is about knowing God. Just as I came to understand marriage by being in a relationship with Angie, so I grow in my understanding and appreciation of being a follower of Christ, by learning to know God better. As we get to know God better, the more effective our Christian living becomes.