Benefits of Christ - Ephesians 1-3

Ephesians 1:15-20 (ESV)

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

Paul is writing to the Christians in the city of Ephesus.   In Acts 19-20 we can read about his first visit there.   He caused a riot.    The people of the city, who made their money worshipping the false goddess Artemis, were fearful that the Gospel would destroy both their living and her reputation.   Never-the-less Paul preached.   The result was this amazing church sprang up in the midst of this evilness and chaos.    Paul is now writing to them to both commend them and encourage them to continue in this walk.  He has just outlined some amazing truth they should hear for their encouragement (vss 3-14).   In the above text we read about his prayer for them.  He prays five things over them (areas we should be praying over our churches today):

1. Verses 15-16.   Paul gives thanks to God for them for their current walk.    Sometimes church leaders want so much to see growth out of the members of the Body they forget to recognize the growth they see.   

2. Verse 17.  Paul asks God to give them an even deeper growth in the Spirit of wisdom and the knowledge of Him.  Paul wants them to know Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, even more and more.  Stagnation is not a virtue of the Christian believer.  Growth is both the requirement and the result of true belief.    

3.  Verse 18a.   Specifically, Paul wants the eyes of their heart enlightened so that they might know the hope of their calling.  We live, like these believers, in desperate times and evil days.   Paul wants them (and us) to be encouraged that there is a hope of Jesus return for our final redemption and glorification.   

4.  Verse 18b.  He also wants them to know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.   He, again, wants to get their minds off where they were and, instead, where they are going.  We have a glorious inheritance waiting for us.  

5.  Verse 19-20.   Lastly he wants them to remember, what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.   Yes, we have great hope for the future but we also have great power to live for today.  

So, he wants to know the hope of their calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power.   God provided all this to us by what he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.   God raising Jesus from the dead did cover our sins. But He did so much more.   We have so much to live out in this life so we no longer have time to be indulged in the things of our past.   Growth in Christ is an imperative but also a rich blessing filled with amazing benefits in Christ.