2003-01-27
Good Morning Cherished Ones,
In the course of our having to wage spiritual warfare with the forces of evil [EPH 6:12], we do not find ourselves without Help and protection. The capital “H” is no typo; it’s my way of letting God know about the respect and love I have for Him. We’ve been looking at Paul’s important prayer for us in EPH 3: 14-21, and yesterday we examined what Paul wanted us to know. Today, we are going to take a look at what we find in this passage about what God is able to do for us.
I’m led to begin with EPH 3: 14-15, “For this reason [Paul is suffering for our benefit] I fall on my knees before the Father, from Whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name.” This passage goes directly to the hierarchical organization of heaven and earth. We know from the Scriptures that there are ranks of angels and that each angel has a specific duty to carry out. In the same way, our human society also is arranged into families and congregations, etc. God ordained it to this way for a specific and very righteous purpose. He makes it clear in EPH 5: 21-33, God’s will for the family is clearly delineated. 1 COR 12: 12-31 outlines His will for the Body of Christ’s organization. More is said about its organization and God’s expectations for individual and corporate conduct in RO 12: 1-21. Imagine the chaos if such an organization didn’t exist! The comment made in RO 13: 1 helps us to understand that our civil government has God’s hand on it too, “Everyone must obey state authorities, because no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God.” I can’t discuss this without citing DN 4: 17, the key verse for that whole book and a reminder to us that God’s plan for mankind didn’t just begin with the NT. “This is the decision of the alert and watchful angels. So then, let all people everywhere know that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that He can give them to anyone He chooses-even to the least important of men.” From the point of view of Christ’s detractors, He is the least important of men, and yet, He is the One Who will rule over the Eternal Kingdom. Paul was Jewish, and to Jews the selection of a name has great meaning as to either the something about the person’s character or something about that to which God will call him. Think about where the idea for someone’s name originally comes-from God!
Now, let’s look at the second thing God can do for us from EPH 3: 16, “I ask God from the wealth of His glory to give you power through His Spirit to be strong in your inner selves. In RO 7:14-24, Paul speaks of the conflict that goes on between the inner spiritual self and the outer fleshly self. In the beginning of a believer’s faithfulness, he is needing the spiritual “milk” that the author of Hebrew speaks of in HE 5: 12-13. He is young in the faith, and his self is still open to the influence of the devil. As time goes on, this person should mature in the faith. In other words, he should be more open to the influence of the Holy Spirit and less influenced by the evil of the world. His spiritual self, which GA 5: 17-18 reminds us is the opposite to the natural fleshly self, is gaining strength. As we mature in the faith, we begin to see exactly where our real strength comes from; it is clarified that God is the only Source of real strength. We begin to see that He has imparted the same power He used to raise Christ from death to life to use against the adversary. We also gain a seemingly unquenchable thirst for the word of God and the sanctifying grace of its teaching; we want and must have spiritual “meat.” We then begin to understand that our very faith itself is a gift of God’s remarkable grace.
The third thing God can do for us is seen in EPH 3: 19, “Yes, and may you come to know His love-although it can never be fully known-and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.” To me, this has a great deal to do with our ability to empty our spiritual vessels of human agendas and to make God’s agenda our own. To do this requires self-control, self-discipline, humility, and every other gift of the Spirit mentioned in GA 5: 22-23. It means that we take this thirst for God’s word, spend daily time quenching it, have the humility and wisdom to go as Christ did often to the Father in prayer, and to ask Him to fill our emptied vessels with the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit takes leadership in our lives. It is He Who tells us which false argument to destroy, which evil stronghold to attack, which proud obstacle to pull down, and which thought to take captive and make obey Christ [2 COR 10: 4-5]. It is also the Holy Spirit Who leads us to where our help is needed and shows us how to obey Christ’s directive in JN 13: 33-34 about loving others as Christ loves us. It is when we allow the Holy Spirit to bond with our human ones and take over our lives that we become completely filled with the very nature of God. We must think about how that impacts human thought, decision-making, and behavior within our own circumstances.
PRAYER: O Lord, we are so busy concerning ourselves with what we can get in this society that we all too often neglect the realization of what we already have from You. Therefore, we don’t sufficiently appreciate Who You are and what You do for us. EPH 3: 20-21 helps us to put this in more realistic perspective. “To Him Who by means of His power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.” Both IS 55: 8-9 and PS 139: 6 (cited here) express a depth of knowledge and power that is Yours and that is beyond our ability to comprehend. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know!” We bow before You in humility with gratitude that is boundless, for we know that all You are and do for us is wholly righteous and in our best interests. From no human being or angel is such goodness available to us. Therefore, the words of PS 145: 5 arise from us, “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.” We will remember what we were told in DT 32:11, “Like and eagle teaching its young to fly, catching them safely on its spreading wings, the Lord kept Israel from falling.” Because all believers have been “in-grafted” to believing Israel, we can know that You will do the same for us. We stand before You recognizing our utter dependence on You and how spiritually impoverished we are without Your Spirit to dwell within us. We are more than grateful for the truth found in PS 34: 8-9, “See for yourself the way His mercies shower down on all who trust in Him. If you belong to the Lord, have reverence for Him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs.” PS 104: 1-2 are the words of our hearts today, “O Lord my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty. Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment: Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain.” We are Your dedicated friends and servants. We humbly confess our sins and offer You our adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, honor, glory, thanks, and praise forever. In Christ’s holy name, we pray. Amen.
The question might come up at this juncture: What evidence has God given us that His power is greater than that of the adversary to wage spiritual warfare? It is that question to which tomorrow’s message will be dedicated. Each day that I write you these messages, I realize that I can’t take any credit for them. I’m simply unable to do this on my own am reminded of that on that days when I try to begin one without praying first. Yes, I admit to sometimes thinking I can get a leg up on my schedule, and you know, it won’t work! God is showing me that whatever pride is in me comes from Satan, and that He is strong enough to tamp it down and yield it useless. Does He do that in your life too? If He does, it’s a blessing! I’m reminded of mankind’s sinful flesh at war with the Spirit within, and the battle isn’t always comfortable or convenient to say the least. But, Dear Ones, what a blessing that it’s going on! The alternative is a one-way trip to the lake of fire and sulfur, something none of us wants. With all my heart, I believe there will be a day when each one of us will finally be relieved of the need to battle Satan and his followers. That will be the day when the Father will take our hands and say, “This is My son/daughter in whom I’m also well pleased.” We can take comfort, even rejoice in the thought of that wonderful Day, knowing that all our efforts against evil were worth the pain, suffering, and loss we had to endure. Nothing like this would even be possible if it weren’t for our loving Abba Who does so very much for us. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn