In my posted, dated September 14, 2011 titled Ephesians 1: Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom, I outlined a few verses found in the first chapter of The Book of Ephesians. These verses, 16 through 23, written in a letter by the author who is credited by many Bible scholars, but not all, to be the Apostle Paul. The letter was written to a specific group of Christians with whom Paul wanted to make a connection. These Christians are thought to have been converts living in the city of Ephesus, and this letter records Paul's statement of thanksgiving and prayer written to them. Paul is telling his readers that he continues to give God thanks for them, and he further continues to make two requests in their behalf.
First request: God will You give theses people the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? Now the reason Paul asked God to do this is because Paul knew they would need to have God's Spirit to know Him better. The same is true for the beliver today. We like the newly converted in Ephesus, need to continually know God better. We need that Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and once received the love of God will become more and more effective in our lives. We will be better able to fulfill the Great Commission given to us by our Lord. This can only happen after we have received the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Second request: God will you enlighten the eyes of these people's heart? Paul knew, from his own experience, God's enlightenment was for them to receive His knowledge of hope. Paul also new that only through enlightenment from God would they ever be able to receive the riches of His glorious inheritance, which belongs to all saints. In other words the inheritance is already provided, and Paul wanted to make sure they understood they could receive it and how they could receive it. It is the same for us today, we need to come to a complete understanding that this same enlightenment from God is just as important for us to receive as it was for the earlier church. Without this God given enlightenment there is no knowledge of hope. Without hope there can be no faith. Without faith salvation will fall away.
Paul continues to explain, when the eyes of our heart are enlightened, we can receive much more than just the knowledge of hope. We can also have the true riches found in God's glorious inheritance which He has made available for His children. He wants us to have this inheritance so much that He allowed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so we too can become His child. We become a child of God by repenting of our sins, believing Jesus is the risen Lord, and proclaiming Him Lord of our life. As His child we can then walk in the enlightenment that makes it clear His inheritance belongs to us. No one child deserves any more of His inheritance than another, because the complete inheritance package is made available to every believer who has had the eyes of their heart enlightened by the Father.
Not only is the knowledge of hope and the riches of God's glorious inheritance available through the enlightenment of the eyes of our heart, but Paul goes on to proclaim God's incomparable great power is also made available to the believer. Paul states that this is the same great power God used to raise His Son from the dead. It is the same great power God used to seat His Son at His right hand in the heavenly realms. It is the same great power Christ uses to rule with power and authority. It is the same great power Christ uses over all other powers and dominions. It is the same great power that gives Christ the title that is above any title ever given or ever will be given; a title He not only holds today but a title He will hold throughout all of eternity. Paul makes it very clear God's incomparable great power is exactly the same great power that is available for all believers today.
Yes, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the enlightenment of the eyes of a believer's heart is so extremely important for the development of hope and in turn faith, and for the receiving of the riches of God's glorious inheritance and His incomparable great power. What Paul is saying is wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment lead to hope, faith, riches and power.
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