“So that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power” Eph. 1:18-19.
Our salvation is secured from beginning to end. This was a critical point made to the believers is Ephesus. The author, who could be Paul, expressed a keen desire in the believers knowing this and consequently increasing their confidence in God. In chapter one the author describes the spiritual blessings that Christians have in Jesus. God the Father lavished his grace upon us by choosing us before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless and to be adopted into God’s family; through his death and resurrection Jesus redeemed human beings from a life of bondage and slavery to sin; and the moment we accept Jesus as our Saviour God the Holy Spirit comes into our lives as a guarantee that we will receive everything that God has promised us.
In his prayer (Eph. 1: 15-23) the author asks God to enlighten the eyes of the believers and give them a spirit of wisdom and true knowledge of God enabling them know the hope of his calling, the riches of his inheritance and the surpassing and sustain power of God. Every believer needs to know these essentials of our salvation. Writing to young Timothy Paul says in 2 Tim. 1:9: God “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” When we know that before the foundations of the world was laid God purposed to save humanity and that God’s purpose is certain it will give us assurance and confidence when we struggle with our doubts or failures. Having this knowledge will encourage us to press on; and fill us with thanksgiving, joy, and hope. The hope is the certainty of increasing blessing and joy in Christ, beginning now and lasting throughout all eternity.
Paul speaks of the riches of his glorious inheritance. Inheritance is not just all the blessings with wish which we are blessed but also the fact that Christians who are a community of sinners who have been rescued from destruction by the precious blood of Jesus. We and still bears the mark of the former sinful state, but we belong to God. The song says “I’m not my own, I belong to Jesus”. Paul wants us to know and appreciate the immense value God places on us. Throughout eternity believers will actually share in Christ’s glory because we are co-heirs with Christ. It is not God’s will that any should perish and the power that raised Jesus from the dead will be available to enable every believer to be presented to God. Jude 24-25 says: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Oh! It is wonderful and marvelous.
In the words of Leila Morris (1862-1919)
The Savior has come in His mighty pow’r,
And spoken peace to my soul;
And all of my life from that very hour
I’ve yielded to His control,
I’ve yielded to His control.
Refrain:
Oh, it is wonderful!
It is marvelous and wonderful,
What Jesus has done for this soul of mine!
The half has never been told;
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