Post by Shepherd on Feb 7, 2009 10:32:45 GMT -6
EPH-1-X THE GREATNESS OF HIS POWER
EPHESIANS 1:19-23, “AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER. WHICH HE WROUGHT IN CHRIST, WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. FOR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY, AND POWER, AND MIGHT , AND DOMINION, AND EVER NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD, BUT ALSO IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME. AND HATH PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET, AND GAVE HIM TO BE THE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH. WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE FULNESS OF HIM THAT FILLS ALL IN ALL.”
Do you have any idea of the significance of being saved?
Becoming a Christian is a much greater work than is commonly realized. Much of what we learn about becoming a Christian is gained by listening to sermons in church services. Preaching at best is styled to suit the public mind. As a result the public has little knowledge of God. They have limited knowledge of the will or plan of God. Their knowledge of the Scriptures is sketchy. In general the public has no appreciation of heaven or of hell, and they do not know what is meant if anyone talks about the spirit and the flesh. Commonly speaking men in public do not have any expectation of judgment by God. People normally have little feeling of guilt in His presence.
It is almost impossible for a preacher to honestly and adequately present Jesus Christ as the Savior. There will be preachers who, one way or another, will present Him as a great person. They will talk about Him as a good man, a great teacher, although they may not tell what He taught. Others will offer Him as a leader, yet they do not note to see where He leads. Christ Jesus is presented vaguely as someone a person can turn to and get help from.
This situation is tragic but true. Preachers arranged their messages with the idea that what they presented was all their people could take at that time. Yet, if a person had asked them privately, “Isn’t it true, to get a person right with God things will have to be done God’s way?” Most of the preachers would say, “Yes. Well, wouldn’t the Bible tell you what God has in mind?” I’ll warrant you the great majority would say, “Oh, yes, you study the Bible to find out,” ask many preachers frankly, “Do you think there is such a thing as heaven or hell?” “Oh, yes.” They would agree that God is the judge of all the earth. Then one wonders why this is not preached? A person could go to church Sunday after Sunday, and it would be practically impossible for him to find out why Jesus Christ came into the world, or to discover what actually was done when he died for the believer.
So often preaching, teaching, implies that a person should try to be good. He should try to do good. Here we are reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:1-3, “BRETHREN, MY HEART’S DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL IS, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED, FOR I BEAR THEM RECORD THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE. FOR THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GOING ABOUT TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THEMSELVES UNTO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.”
It is true salvation is of God. It is by God, in God, and through God. Salvation is the work of God. A Christian needs to know that and to believe it. For a Christian to be strong in faith, he needs to know the exceeding greatness of the power of God to those who believe.
Paul had prayed for these Christians in Ephesus that they might know. See text.
In the text it contains much truth. It sets out in full description how the Apostle Paul wanted these Christian people to know the “EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE.”
There is a great power of God displayed everywhere.
PS. 19:1..”THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD; AN THE FIRMAMENT SHOW HIS HANDIWORK.
The sun, moon and stars, even the earth itself all indicate the greatness of God’s power, but there is more than that true. God is not only the Creator, God is the Savior. In salvation God does something just as big and just as original and just as demanding of power as in creation. Paul points this out when he writes. ”FOR GOD, WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS, HATH SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.” II COR. 4:6.
That statement “WHO COMMAND THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS “takes the reader back to the Book of Genesis. AND GOD SAID, “THERE BE LIGHT; AND THERE WAS LIGHT. “ GEN. 1:3. Paul said” GOD WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS,” in His creative power” HATH SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST” In His creative, regenerating power. Paul wanted the Christians at Ephesus to understand the power which God manifested in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The raising up of Jesus of Nazareth is what God did. He actually worked in Jesus Christ to make Him the One who would be able to share eternal life. God raised Him from the dead, and Christ will never die again. Those who believe in Him will be with Him forever.
“ AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND.” God raised Him up and set Him at His own right hand. The living Lord Jesus Christ now is interceding on behalf of the Christians. Christians have an intercessor, and Advocate in the presence of God, even Jesus Christ the righteous. “AND HATH PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET–“because God has given all power to the Lord Jesus Christ. Later the Lord could say; “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.” MATT. 28:18. This simply means that all power and authority is given to Jesus Christ to exercise. God has put all things under His feet. He is in control. He is over everything “AND GAVE HIM TO BE THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.”
This is what the Christian needs to know. He needs to know that when he believes in Almighty God, and puts his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will raise him from the dead . The Christian needs to know that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will lead him on into glory. The Christian knowing and believing this will be strengthened to be able to obey, to praise God and to serve Him while here in this world. The believer needs to know the almighty power of God.
EPHESIANS 1:19-23, “AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER. WHICH HE WROUGHT IN CHRIST, WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. FOR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY, AND POWER, AND MIGHT , AND DOMINION, AND EVER NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD, BUT ALSO IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME. AND HATH PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET, AND GAVE HIM TO BE THE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH. WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE FULNESS OF HIM THAT FILLS ALL IN ALL.”
Do you have any idea of the significance of being saved?
Becoming a Christian is a much greater work than is commonly realized. Much of what we learn about becoming a Christian is gained by listening to sermons in church services. Preaching at best is styled to suit the public mind. As a result the public has little knowledge of God. They have limited knowledge of the will or plan of God. Their knowledge of the Scriptures is sketchy. In general the public has no appreciation of heaven or of hell, and they do not know what is meant if anyone talks about the spirit and the flesh. Commonly speaking men in public do not have any expectation of judgment by God. People normally have little feeling of guilt in His presence.
It is almost impossible for a preacher to honestly and adequately present Jesus Christ as the Savior. There will be preachers who, one way or another, will present Him as a great person. They will talk about Him as a good man, a great teacher, although they may not tell what He taught. Others will offer Him as a leader, yet they do not note to see where He leads. Christ Jesus is presented vaguely as someone a person can turn to and get help from.
This situation is tragic but true. Preachers arranged their messages with the idea that what they presented was all their people could take at that time. Yet, if a person had asked them privately, “Isn’t it true, to get a person right with God things will have to be done God’s way?” Most of the preachers would say, “Yes. Well, wouldn’t the Bible tell you what God has in mind?” I’ll warrant you the great majority would say, “Oh, yes, you study the Bible to find out,” ask many preachers frankly, “Do you think there is such a thing as heaven or hell?” “Oh, yes.” They would agree that God is the judge of all the earth. Then one wonders why this is not preached? A person could go to church Sunday after Sunday, and it would be practically impossible for him to find out why Jesus Christ came into the world, or to discover what actually was done when he died for the believer.
So often preaching, teaching, implies that a person should try to be good. He should try to do good. Here we are reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:1-3, “BRETHREN, MY HEART’S DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL IS, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED, FOR I BEAR THEM RECORD THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE. FOR THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GOING ABOUT TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THEMSELVES UNTO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.”
It is true salvation is of God. It is by God, in God, and through God. Salvation is the work of God. A Christian needs to know that and to believe it. For a Christian to be strong in faith, he needs to know the exceeding greatness of the power of God to those who believe.
Paul had prayed for these Christians in Ephesus that they might know. See text.
In the text it contains much truth. It sets out in full description how the Apostle Paul wanted these Christian people to know the “EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE.”
There is a great power of God displayed everywhere.
PS. 19:1..”THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD; AN THE FIRMAMENT SHOW HIS HANDIWORK.
The sun, moon and stars, even the earth itself all indicate the greatness of God’s power, but there is more than that true. God is not only the Creator, God is the Savior. In salvation God does something just as big and just as original and just as demanding of power as in creation. Paul points this out when he writes. ”FOR GOD, WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS, HATH SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.” II COR. 4:6.
That statement “WHO COMMAND THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS “takes the reader back to the Book of Genesis. AND GOD SAID, “THERE BE LIGHT; AND THERE WAS LIGHT. “ GEN. 1:3. Paul said” GOD WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS,” in His creative power” HATH SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST” In His creative, regenerating power. Paul wanted the Christians at Ephesus to understand the power which God manifested in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The raising up of Jesus of Nazareth is what God did. He actually worked in Jesus Christ to make Him the One who would be able to share eternal life. God raised Him from the dead, and Christ will never die again. Those who believe in Him will be with Him forever.
“ AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND.” God raised Him up and set Him at His own right hand. The living Lord Jesus Christ now is interceding on behalf of the Christians. Christians have an intercessor, and Advocate in the presence of God, even Jesus Christ the righteous. “AND HATH PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET–“because God has given all power to the Lord Jesus Christ. Later the Lord could say; “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.” MATT. 28:18. This simply means that all power and authority is given to Jesus Christ to exercise. God has put all things under His feet. He is in control. He is over everything “AND GAVE HIM TO BE THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.”
This is what the Christian needs to know. He needs to know that when he believes in Almighty God, and puts his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will raise him from the dead . The Christian needs to know that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will lead him on into glory. The Christian knowing and believing this will be strengthened to be able to obey, to praise God and to serve Him while here in this world. The believer needs to know the almighty power of God.
