Ephesians 1:15-23--Thanksgiving and Prayer

Thanksgiving and Prayer​
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, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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Let's start with "for this reason" and remember what "reason" Paul is talking about here.  It's a connector that will make up look back to the previous idea.  Remember this was all an entire letter with no chapter or verse divisions...those came MUCH later in the Bible (after the printing press) to help people read the Bible for themselves and to help them memorize blocks of Scripture or study reasonably-sized pieces like we are doing in these blogs, but the chapter and verse divisions are not "inspired."

The "reason" Paul is referring to is the message of yesterday's blog--we have received EVERY spiritual blessing through Christ Jesus and have been predestined before the beginning of time. to be adopted as sons and receive the inheritance of the person and finished work of the gospel of Jesus Christ that leads unto eternal life from   Paul says that in light of this, we should be joyful and giving thanks in all circumstances and in all things--yes, even a global pandemic of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.  That's a pretty bold statement, so how can Paul say that?  Paul doesn't really explain it (yet), but instead he just starts to put it into practice and starts giving thanks and praying for the church at Ephesus--which by the way is another one of the great prayers to pray for someone when you don't know how to pray.  At the end of this blog today, I'd like you to pray through this passage (verses 16-23 for someone in particular by name--specifically someone that you have seen come from death to life and darkness to light (someone that has believed and received the gospel unto salvation).

​1) Our praise is unending because the work of God in each of our lives individually and as a Church is unending until the day of Christ's glorious appearing when our joy will be made complete and we will be perfected as we will be like Him when we know Him and see Him face-to-face.

2) The Holy Spirit is within us now giving us godly wisdom and guiding us into all truth and teaching us the Word of God and about the nature and attributes of God (and about the nature and attributes of man...that we are not God) and this is done through the finished work of Christ by the loving gift that comes from the Father.

3) The Spirit removes our spiritual blinders and gives us eyes to see that things of God that were hidden from us before, namely the gospel, that we might have a sure hope (something we know is certain even though we have not obtained it yet) because we know we can trust in the One who made the promise and that "It is finished" already because to God there is no difference between the beginning and the end--He has seen it all.  Those whom He has predestined to receive the riches of His inheritance as saints will definitely persevere until the end for His great Name--the Name that is above every that that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

4) We sing the mighty power of God that works among us and within us.  I love the hymn, "I Sing the Mighty Power of God," but I think it misses the greatest miracle that shows the mighty power of God and that is taking that which was dead and bringing it to life.  Verse 20 continues to tell us exactly what great power we are talking about and it is clear that it is the power of God to accomplish the gospel--the power that raised Jesus (and us) from the dead and seated Him in the heavenly places (again, this too is our inheritance as we will be made like Christ).

5) We have already discussed the praise and thanks that must be given to God for the great work of Christ and the exultation of Christ that will be consummated in the end times when Jesus and His Bride, the Church, are united and two become one and what God has brought together, no man or creature will tear asunder.  So we can also sing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" and "Praise the Name of Jesus" as we reflect on these words.

A couple other passage about this that should lead us to giving thanks.


Romans 8:31-39
English Standard Version

God's Everlasting Love​
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And Colossians 1 which we have studied some of already in our text, but read it alongside Ephesians 1 and Romans 8 and see if Paul isn't reading from the same sheet music in each of these three letters to these churches.  


Finally, Paul says that it please God to give Christ Lordship and supremacy over all things, especially the Church, so that Christ would be above all and in all.    Christ will truly be Lord of all Creation at the end of this age when heaven and earth pass away.  We will be the Body and Bride of Christ and will be in complete and total communion with Him and enjoy His presence forever and ever.