Paul’s First Prayer for the Ephesian Saints Part 4
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, 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: 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 fullness of Him that filleth all in all. KJV
Paul in the last study we found him trying to express, explain, and expound to the Ephesian believers the awe inspiring treasure they and we have to draw from and that being the Power of God to us and in us. Now Paul’s prayer concludes with him declaring to the Ephesians and to us that this Power of God effectually working in us is the very same power that was the origin of the Resurrection of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. This is why Paul referred to the Power of God with these words “according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:19), because how mighty with and having such great strength and force behind it was the Resurrection of the dead crucified Body of Jesus Christ. Paul uses the English word “wrought” to describe our Lord Jesus’ Resurrection and this word is translated by the Greek word energeo which is a verb similar in quality and character to energeia and it means to be active, efficient, and effectual in working mightily. Not only did the Power of God raise Christ from death, but it also lifted Him (in His New Eternal Human Body) from earth into the third Heaven where the Throne of God resides. Paul with the words spoken in his prayer in Ephesians 1:19-20 wants to see the Ephesians and our “spiritual understanding” actuated, activated, and awakened to the tremendous power that is ever available for us to draw from to defend ourselves against the enemy and to defeat the enemy and destroy the enemies schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11) to steal our peace and joy in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul reminds them and us of the Everlasting Honor that the Father has given to the Son being made to sit at His Right Hand for Christ obedience as Paul declared in this manner to the Philippian believers, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11). Paul’s prayer is that these Ephesians and we today understand that since we are joined to Christ Jesus our Lord by virtue of our “new birth”, then we must see ourselves seated with Him and like Him “far above” every other created being in God’s Creation. The English phrase “far above” is translated by the Greek word huperano which means over, beyond, above, that is, superior to or more than, greatly higher in rank and place. In other words, Christ Jesus our Lord is Higher in rank and authority and far superior than every created being in all the Universes, therefore, since we are “in Christ”, so are we above “all principality, and power, and might, and dominion” (Ephesians 1:21), “because as He is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). As we submit our wills to the will of God, then we will experience the same exalted state as our Lord Jesus Christ has in “heavenly places” as Paul wrote it in this manner to the Colossian believers, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4).
Paul declares at the end of his prayer that God the Father “hath put all things under His feet” (Ephesians 1:22). The English phrase “hath put” Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word hupotasso meaning to subordinate or to assign or dispose one to a certain position or to make one subject to another. In other words, Jesus Christ is The King and Ruler over every created being in all the created Universes of God (Revelation 19:16) as Matthew Henry said it in this manner, “All creatures whatsoever are in subjection to Him; they must either yield Him sincere obedience or fall under the weight of His scepter, and receive their doom from Him.” Christ is the Head of the Church (His Mystical Body here on the earth) just as our own individual physical heads (containing the brain) are above or on top of or controlling our physical bodies. Christ is the energeo or energeia that makes the true Church function as it aught in accordance to His Word as He declared the personal, intimate, and eternal union the Father, He, and the Spirit would have with each of us individually making all those collectively one “spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5) when He said, “Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? Jesus answered, ‘If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe {and} obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear {and} heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me.’” (John 14:22-24). The words spoken here by our Lord Jesus Christ is surely what Paul had in his mind when he wrote this conclusion to his prayer, “the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:23).
My own Personal Note: Jeremiah 32:27 (AMP): “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?” A mind bathed, saturated, and soaked in the Word of God is the only kind of mind worth having. That type of mind will always produce obedience to the commands and statutes of God. When I engraft these scriptures in my spirit, believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ who cannot lie, I am then armed with mighty weapons to fight the good fight of faith! When the Lord Jesus Christ walked on the water to meet the disciples in the storm-tossed boat, He was demonstrating to them that the storm they were in and troubled by was under His feet. When He spoke to the winds and the waves and said “Peace be still” He demonstrated for them—and for you and me—His sovereign authority and power over the entire universe. If the winds and sea obeyed Him, how much more will the desire for pornography and masturbation obey Him when you and I put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh and say in the name of Jesus: “Mountain of pornography and masturbation be removed and cast away into the sea.” Excerpt from my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs”
“The demonstration of the power of Christianity Paul had found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The power which raised Him from the dead is the working energy of our faith. Let us see what this mysterious power wrought in the Redeemer Himself; and then we will consider how it bears upon us. There are two steps indicated in Christ’s exaltation: He was raised from the death of the cross to new life amongst men; and again from the world of men He was raised to the throne of God in heaven. In the enthronement of Jesus Christ at the Father’s right hand, Ephesians 1:22-23 further distinguish two separate acts: there was conferred on Him a universal Lordship; and He was made specifically Head of the Church, being given to her for her Lord and Life, and He who contains the fullness of the Godhead. Such is the line of thought marked out for us.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary
“Individual men may and do continue to believe in Christ, with no faith in the supernatural, men who are sceptics in regard to His resurrection and miracles. They believe in Himself, they say, not in His legendary wonders; in His character and teaching, in His beneficent influence-in the spiritual Christ, whom no physical marvel can exalt above His intrinsic greatness. And such trust in Him, where it is sincere, He accepts for all that it is worth, from the believer’s heart. But this is not the faith that saved Paul, and built the Church. It is not the faith which will save the world. It is the faith of compromise and transition, the faith of those whose conscience and heart cling to Christ while their reason gives its verdict against Him. Such belief may hold good for the individuals who profess it; but it must die with them. No skill of reasoning or grace of sentiment will for long conceal its inconsistency. The plain blunt sense of mankind will decide again, as it has done already, that Jesus Christ was either a blasphemer, or He was the Son of the Eternal God; either He rose from the dead in very truth, or His religion is a fable. Christianity is not bound up with the infallibility of the Church, whether in Pope or Councils, nor with the inerrancy of the letter of Scripture: it stands or falls with the reality of the facts of the Gospel, with the risen life of Christ and His presence in the Spirit amongst men.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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