God Impresses Us

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Ephesians 1:15-23 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not 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 unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Live Your Faith Out Loud

The world knows what the growing and active Church is doing. In the first part of this letter the Apostle remarks:

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith …

The Apostle said he had heard of the faith of the Church. The Apostle is in prison and unable to get to Ephesus. There are no telephones, telegraphs, nor mail service. And yet from Rome he has heard of the faith of the Church at Ephesus. It is having an impact on the world around it.

When a Church is doing as the Lord wants it to do,
then others will hear of it.

When a Church is doing as the devil wants it to do,
then others will hear of it.

When a Church is doing nothing then no one will hear of it.

Jesus Christ called for His Church to serve Him so as to make a difference in the world. The devil does not care about the obscure Church, and he rejoices in the sinning Church. But the devil is threatened by the active doing Church. Jesus calls us to be active and doing. He said:

Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the housEphesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.e. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The Church which walks in the light of Christ will reflect His light on the community around it. People need to see our good works. They need to see good things done. Just as they saw Jesus, they need to see us in action. When a Church is doing as Christ commands people will see its light, and will talk about it. Paul said “I heard of your faith”. A faith unheard is a faith not lived. Our Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Wars have been fought over salt, even during the American Civil War. The salt mines in the small town of Saltville, Virginia were crucial to the Confederate war effort. In Roman times soldiers were paid with salt. Salt is most noticed when it is absent. It adds flavor to food. It preserves food. The Church is Christ’s salt andEphesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Christ’s light. We shine so others can see Jesus. We change the world around us by being like Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus …

Faith is obedience to God. The Apostle said that “I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus”. The Bible tells us that genuine salvation comes when a person unconditionally surrenders to Jesus. Too many people miss this distinctive of salvation. The Scripture says:

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The Christian is the person who has believed in the name of Jesus. The phrase “in the name” means to accept or surrender to the authority of. In America police used to say:

“Stop IN THE NAME OF the Law”

One of the most horrible teachings that has ever hit the Church of Christ in America is the teaching that – once saved – we as Christians need not obey Christ. The Scripture never divorces salvation by Grace from obedience after Grace. Jesus said:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And asked: Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

The man who served as Billy Graham’s pastor, Don Wilton states:

Ephesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.“The issue of the lordship of Christ is never presented as an optional addendum to believing faith. It is an essential and functional necessity of it. Billy Graham believed in salvation by faith in Christ alone and walked in obedience to the lordship of Christ simply because Christ alone is Lord and King. Mr. Graham’s deep humility before man was the hallmark of his spiritual humility and obedience to God. As a result, he was endowed with an abundance of the grace of God (see James 4:6). … In short, if we believe in Him, then we obey Him. He alone is God.”

Jesus warned us that “without Me you can do NOTHING” (John 15:5). The faith that saves is the faith invested in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church at Ephesus loved Jesus so it served Jesus. It was salt and light – and the world saw it and spoke of it.

Saving Faith Is Proved By Love

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

The Church at Ephesus had a loud faith,
And also had a loud love!

As we have been loved, so we are to love. Jesus tells His Church:

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

The love that Jesus showed to us was sacrificial, a love we never deserved nor earned. As He loved us, we are to love others. Jesus even said that our love should extend to our enemies:

Luke 6:27 … I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Matthew 5:44-45 … I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The reason that the Ephesians were being talked about was that they loved everyone just as Jesus had loved them. This is a radical thing – something little understood in this fallen world. We are to love others whether we are loved back or not. We are to do good to all whether we feel like it or not. Feelings does not come into it. We love as He loved. This, Beloved, is His command. Love cannot be overemphasized in the Christian walk. The Apostle John said:

1 John 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

If you are born again then you have eternal life abiding in you. The Holy Spirit lives inside the Christian. God is love, not hate (1 John 4:8, 16). God is love demonstrating. God is love doing. God shows us love by giving us life. God shows us love by sending His Son to die for us (John 3:16). God shows us love by paying the penalty for our sins. God shows us love by predestinating us to be His own dear children. God shows us love by preparing a place for us in Heaven. God shows us love by forgiving our sins for Christ’s sake.

Love gives.
If Love indwells us,
Then we give.
Period!

Now we come to a difficult part of the letter – it’s difficult because it’s so easy to read. The Apostle has been commending the Church. Everything is positive. Everything is blessed. He has been – through the Spirit – been patting the Church on the back.

Have you ever noticed in every sermon the preacher never says “You did fine this week. Let’s just go home!” There is no sermon like that – ever! Nothing Billy Graham ever preached went that way – and I loved Billy’s preaching. Why? Why are there no sermons that say:

You’ve done fine. Let’s go home. End of sermon!

Because we are all human – we are all imperfect – and we are all to be like Jesus. So we study Jesus. That’s what the Apostle is saying now to Ephesus. Read it with me.

Ephesians 1:16-18 … {I} Cease not 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 unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

I was listening to comedian Mark Lowry the other day (he really makes me laugh) when he said something very profound. He said:

“I look at everything as if it’s a journey. … I want to enjoy the moment. … We’re supposed to be salt and light and live and kick up our heels and enjoy the moment of everyday if we can, and the {days} that are horrible pay attention {to them} because God’s teaching us stuff. This is boot camp. This is where we get to learn to walk by faith.”

That really struck a chord with me. As a retired Airman I went through “boot camp”. Boot camp was where we as airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines, guardsmen were trained. Sadly too many in America today have not enjoyed Boot camp, and so take our liberties and freedoms in America for granted. There are many so called politicians that are advocating socialism and communism who never saw the horrible effects that these pitiful systems bring into life. That’s another message.

This is boot camp for the Christian.
God saved you and left you on this earth to GROW.
Not to mold, to decay, or to become one with darkness.
To GROW.

This is why the Apostle the Apostle PRAYED for this wonderful congregation that God would “give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him“. Everything that happens to the Christian happens on purpose to make us MORE LIKE JESUS. Thomas Constable put it this way:

“Paul wanted his readers to get to know God more intimately as their own personal heavenly Father, to become closer friends with Him.”

The gold standard is to be like Jesus. The gold standard is to be a son of God like Jesus was the Son of God. The gold standard – the target we shoot for – is to be friends with God. Abraham – our forefather in the faith – understood this. The Apostle says:

James 2:21-23 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Abraham had no Bible – but he had God. He trusted God, and did as God told him to do. He even was willing to give up his most prized possession, his only child Isaac, if God so decreed it. This is the faith that God wants us to have. The faith that Abraham exhibited is the faith that Christ exhibited. Doing what God said, when God said it.

Never Stop Growing!

The Apostle prayed that God would open the eyes of the Ephesians – and our eyes – and help us to understand how blessed we truly are. We have a calling – a hope filled calling – and will one day be resurrected and glorified creatures. When we reach Heaven we ourselves will be God’s inheritance – His trophies of Grace. The Christian is not what he was before he was saved. The Christian is a child of God in transition to glory. We are saints of God – set apart for God’s use. We belong to the eternal.

Ephesians 1:19-20 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

The Apostle does not pray that the Ephesians receive something they DO NOT have. He prays that they will understand what they ALREADY have.
To be saved by faith in Christ takes
but a few seconds.
To live as God requires takes a lifetime.

II remember a story I heard about William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate. With the millions he made selling newspapers he invested in real estate and artwork. One day Hearst heard of a valuable piece of art, and decided that he just had to have it. He sent a man out to search for that artwork and purchase it at any cost. After months of research the man came back to Mr Hearst and told him he found the valuable item. It was already in one of Hearst’s vaults, purchased years before and forgotten. William Randolph Hearst was trying to buy something he already owned!

That may sound silly, but the truth is most Christians do not understand the glorious salvation that God the Father has invested in us. Paul wanted the Ephesians – as well as us – to understand what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe. The Christian in America is like a 3 year old playing with a priceless diamond! What has God given us in Christ?

We are forgiven all sins.
We are predestined to be adopted as sons of God.
We are now in the Family of God.
We are born again, new creations.
God considers us His righteous possession.
We no longer belong to satan.
We are each priests before God,
With a moment by moment access to God.
We are promised a Heavenly home,
And are even now under the superior care of God.
Christ is our Partner in life,
And God oversees every work we do.
Our lives shall never end, but God indwells us,
Both now, and forever more!

We are born again creatures – dear believers – who are headed toward eternal life. We are the apex of God’s creation. Adam was the greatest creature God made, placed in dominion over this earth and all that is in it.

We are His Church. Jesus Christ is our Head. And we are headed toward glory. Let us continue to seek to be like Him – not to be saved, but because we are saved. Let us be like the Ephesians were – for the glory of Christ our King!

In His name I pray.

Amen!