Ascended With Him

#7 Ephesians 1:18-23 part 2

Ascended With Him

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and HIS INCOMPARABLY GREAT POWER FOR US WHO BELIEVE. THAT POWER IS LIKE THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY STRENGTH, WHICH HE EXERTED IN CHRIST WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD AND SEATED HIM AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1:18-21

There are two principles at work in our lives as a Christians. One is the principle of humility – we are to have the attitude of humility. We are called to put others first, to set aside our own desires and to serve the Lord in whatever He asks of us. Jesus, walking the dusty roads of the Holy Land, is an example of the life of humility and service. He came to serve His Father – to live in absolute dependence upon Him – and to do His will in all things.

The second principle is that we have unlimited power in Christ. This seems to be opposite to the first, but is actually linked to it . Humility is not a human strong suit – in fact pride is the hallmark of human nature. How can we overcome the selfish, independent (of God), rebellious nature that we are born with unless we have a huge, magnificent power to do so? Jesus, living as the humble servant of His Father, overcame the devil’s prideful power and evil schemes; then He was exalted above all “rule and authority, power and dominion.” There is no higher throne. There is no higher power. Now this power is directed toward us – notice, that power is not merely directed toward Christ, but toward US IN CHRIST!

In the later chapters of Ephesians, Paul talks about how to live as children of light. The main, underlying command (which is the basis for our attitudes and actions) is for us to “live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” That is just not possible unless we can access the life of the victorious, glorified Man on the throne!

Does this seem like an contradiction to you – utilizing the potent energy of Christ to live a humble life? It makes perfect sense when you come to grips with the fallen nature of your own humanity. In addition to contending with our own ‘personality’ failures, we are assaulted by unseen enemies and confronted by seeming insurmountable obstacles of daily life in a fallen world. We need a power that defies human weakness and shatters all obstacles. And that’s exactly what we have in our risen, exalted Lord.

Paul’s prays for us to have wisdom and revelation so that we will be enlightened about the “incomparably great power for us who believe” is not a prayer for wisdom to get us through the day, or to make a decision. Paul’s prayer is for us to have a knowledge of the Son of God. We cannot carry out the requirements of Ephesians 4-6 without a deep, abiding knowledge of Him.

The Christian life is a combination of humility and boldness – humility in our relationships with others and boldness in claiming all God has given us in Christ. It is a dependent life – we are dependent upon the Father to make all that is ours in Christ real to us through the Spirit. .

In Ephesians six, Paul exhorts believers to be strong in the power of His (Christ’s) might; he encourages us to stand: take your stand, stand your ground, stand firm. These directives are given at the end of the book of Ephesians – after Paul has assured us of the fullness we have in Christ and all that means for us.

We are to depend upon Christ to give us a spirit of humility and selflessness in relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus, walking on earth in submission to His Father, is our example for living in humility. Paul shows us, by his own example, what it means to live in the power of the resurrected, ascended Christ. He talks about his own personal weakness, yet his letters are filled with strength and confidence in the Lord. Paul understood that, although his body was on earth, in weakness, his spiritual vitality came from heaven.

... the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. Jn 16:15