Our Father
Paul tells us in the first part of Ephesians that all who truly accept God’s invitation have been adopted into His family. But what does this mean, to be part of God’s family?
In Ephesians, Paul prays that the Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ will fill us with a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened so we will know the hope of His calling, and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. There is so much packed into these few words. Paul is praying that our hearts will know and understand Father-God Himself, as well as the Father’s call on our lives. He doesn’t stop there but continues to pray that we understand our rich inheritance and the greatness of the Lord’s power toward us who believe in Him.
If we are going to understand God, we need His help. You can read all the books, or study with elevated degrees, but on your own efforts you will never know Him the way He wants you to. It is not until you enter into that relationship and allow Him, the God and Father of Jesus Christ to open the eyes of your heart, that you will know Him. This is not head knowledge of God, but an experiential knowing deep inside—of walking with Him as a friend. It’s not a euphoric feeling or some ethereal experience but a daily entering into dialogue with Him. There is hope in the true Christian life beyond anything the world offers.
As men (mankind) we have a very difficult time understanding both the greatness of God as well as His humility and gentleness toward us. In the first few chapters of Ephesians, I sense Paul’s fight to put together words that express this relationship with God. We need to be enlightened by God Himself shining in our minds and hearts to understand this wondrous fellowship that He has called us to.
Do we live like we understand the rich inheritance or power He has demonstrated in our lives? Most of us don’t live fully because we don’t believe He would actually do that for us. Yet the Scriptures are full of promises for us who believe in Him. So here is good news. It’s not by our might or strength in believing that these things are fulfilled, but by God who took care of these things Himself, based on His own character. When the Father raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavens, He placed Jesus far above all rule and authority, power and dominion then, now, and in the age to come. And He has placed us there in authority in Him. Jesus is King, to whom every other king will bow.
So why do we still question His love or His power for us? Let’s go back to our relationship with Him. Is it that we know of God but don’t know Him—how to love Him or talk with Him? You may know about Him and even memorized long passages of Scripture, yet He wants more. He wants a full, loving relationship with us and for us to be a functioning part of Christ’s body of believers, His family. How do we do this?
This involves being an active and vital part of the church. We, the church, are the body of Christ. Jesus is the loving, powerful and caring leader, given by the Father as head over all things to the church. We were brought into God’s family, our spiritual debt paid by Jesus, and granted an inheritance with Him. We have so much available to us – so much more than we can even receive in this life that we haven’t earned. When we take time to communicate with God, both talking and listening, we begin to understand like Paul, that we are in for something far greater than our mere words can describe. Ephesians 1:18-23