Picking up with verse 18 of Ephesians chapter 1:
Ephesians 1:18a
"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;..."
Now listen that takes time to accomplish. We mean the moment we're saved we don't have a full knowledge or understanding of all these things, but rather it's a growth process of continued enlightenment. In fact that's the whole idea of the early chapters of Romans, and we call those first three chapters which are on sanctification. Our revelation of sanctification, which is an ongoing process. Now you want to remember that at redemption, yes we're sanctified, we're set apart, but in our everyday experience it's a process of being sanctified. The strongman of our soul and spirit needs to be set free from that spiritual force that restrains us. And for this reason it's a continuous growth in our Christian experience, and in our knowledge of the Scriptures or more appropriately Christ. Now that comes with continuous effort on our part but its NOT a physical effort. But like children we want to do it ourselves because we don't know any better until the Holy Spirit has His way. When He does we learn that in our best of efforts we fail to measure up to God's. We have to put something into it is the attitude of many. Now that doesn't add to our redemption, because that's complete. But if we want to really gain the Knowledge and Wisdom of God, now we've got to put some feet to it or so many teach and preach. We've also got to put some time and prayer into the Word of God. Our time is in waiting on God or as said elsewhere sitting under God listening. We have to make room for the Holy Spirit's training, teaching and mentoring us, not as man teaches but as He teaches. Man will fail, fall short in almost every occasion because his mind for the most part has not been renewed to the Will and things of God. Man is more engrossed with the things of this world then with God. Oh he may have degrees conferred on him by who? Man, but they mean absolutely nothing to God. For God knows His own. The worlds theology gets in they way as does the worlds religion they both hinder God because they turn mans best of wishes into nothing short of self-effort which profits us nothing.
Another thing that just thrills us is when we get to talking with people especially those who we've shared some of these things with and they say, that for the first time in their lives they are really studying their Bible. They're beginning to hear God through the ontological essence of Christ within them. Some of these people have been Christians for over 50 years. Well, listen nothing could thrill us more, because this is what we want people to know and then do. You don't go by what we say, but rather get into the Word of God and with an attitude of receptivity in child like trust and then just listen for Him.
And once you understand this graphic difference between Law and Grace, between Peter's preaching and Paul's proclaiming. Then you're able to separate those two, then studying this Book gets so exciting. When you're able to see that, then you'll see how it all fits. There won't be anymore contradiction, there's no more gobbledy gook to it, and we say that reverently. It's not confusing, it's all laid out so perfectly, but we have to learn to discern these things. So that's all part of what Paul is talking about. That is why we're given the Holy Spirit's power and presence for as our initial deposit or down payment for it is His assignment to get us all to this point. To the discerning of the yoke and cup of Christ Jesus, the gate way into His becoming our total salvation through which the world of man has to travel.
Ephesians 1:18
"The eyes of your understanding, being enlightened; (or opened up, these are not our physical eyes but are our spiritual eyes, our soul and spirit) that ye may know (you don't go through this life groping and wondering and hoping, but rather) what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"
Again we dare say if we ask the average believer, "What's in store for you after this life?" They'll reply, "I'm going to go to heaven after I die." Well that's great and that's nice to know, but is that all you can tell me? Well for most of them they will say, "Is there more than that?" Yeah, there's a lot more than that. It's not enough to know that we're going to go to heaven when we die, in the sweet by and by, which will be great, but God wants us to get at least as much as He has revealed of what's out there. We mean, it's not just an empty darkness. God is getting something fantastic ready for us, and there's a lot the Scripture doesn't tell us, but on the other hand He's already revealed some of what's in store for us and the Holy Spirit is chomping at the bit to reveal it to us. But we have to be in a position of receptivity to receive the illumination or enlightenment which only He can impart to us and that first requires our death, and entry into the second blessing. The point of entry into the Life giving power of the promised New Covenant. Oh we're going to have a glorified body, like Christ's glorified, resurrected body. Never again an ache or pain, never again an injury, illness, or disease. In the next life we're going to have power to go from one place to another in that split second of time as He did. We're going to be able to go through walls like He did, in fact it says so in I Corinthians. But while its still called to-day we're to be more informed, more knowledgeable and learned than Israel ever was at His first coming. We're to become totally dependent on the Holy Spirit just as Jesus was. For He and Paul are our examples or patterns.
I Corinthians 2:9
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
Eye has not see nor ear heard. Now what does that tell us? There is nothing in our earthly experiences that can even come close to that which God is preparing and already prepared for us. And again we've had men who just love to fish? And I'm one of them kind of guys, but. They just think that's the epitome of living, and they'll say, "Well what greater thing can there be than fishing?" And to that we say, now look when you get to eternity, we don't know exactly how it's going to be, but God has something in store for us all that will make our fishing experience pale in comparison. And it will be the same way with anything else that we may think is great in this life. Once we get into the realm of glory, what God has prepared for us is going to be so much greater it's beyond human comprehension, and this is what we have to get excited about.
It's hard for us to imagine just how great God Is. We're not just going to die and go to heaven, and what will be will be. No, God wants us to get a glimpse of glory, and a glimpse of what it's going to like to be in His presence forever and ever. You know we never set dates but we do believe that we're getting so close to the time we will find ourselves in heaven with Him. Now coming back to Ephesians chapter 1, and now verse 19 as Paul continues his prayer. Not only does he want us to understand the inheritance that is waiting us, but also that we're to understand. This is where Israel failed for they knew not the day or the time because of idolatry which brought about their hardness of heart and unbelief. They had made their religion and all its temple ceremonies, rites and laws a replacement of God, just as they did after they crossed through the sea, the first time.
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