538
THE KING’S BUSINESS
previous verse. Indeed there is but one sentence from verse 15 to the end of the chapter. There are but three sentences in the entire chapter, but what amazing sentences they are ! Paul, here continues to describe what his prayer for them was, viz., that they might have “the eyes-of” their “heart enlightened.” The close and insep arable connection with “the Spirit of wis dom and revelation” being given to them, and ' their having the eyes of their heart enlightened, is brought out by the parti cipial form of the Greek word translated “having .' . . . enlightened.” It is through the Spirit’s operation that “the eyes of our heart” are “enlightened.” “The first effect of the Spirit moving in the new creation, as in the original physical crea tion,” is light (cf. Gen. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4 :6, R. V.). The “heart” in the Bible stands for the whole mental and moral attitude of man—the intellect, affections and will. The heart of man has “eyes” to see spirit ual realities, just as the head has eyes to see physical realities, but the eyes of the heart are blinded through sin (ch. 4:18; cf. Matt. 13:15) and they must be enlightened by God’s Spirit if they are to see spiritual realities, beauties and glories (cf. Ps. 119:18; Acts 26 :18; Eph. 5:14). The result of having their eyes enlightened would be: (I) that they should “know what is the hope of his calling,” i. e., the great and wondrous future prospect- awaiting those whom he had called, and to which he had called them. Only- the man with enlight ened heart eyes could know that. What that hope is, is revealed in such passages as (ch. 3:19-21, R. V.; 4:13; 5:27; Rom. 8:17-23; Phil. 3:20, 21; 1 John 3:2, 3). (2) The second result of having the eyes of their heart enlightened would be that they should know “what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” This does not refer to what we shall inherit, but to what God shall inherit in us. We are His inheritance (see notes on v. 11), and this verse,tells us that when His work upon His inheritance is completed we shall be a glorious inheritance, a richly glorious inheritance. Just ponder that tremendous
phrase, “the riches of the glory of His inheritance” (cf. Phil. 4:19), and then remember that it refers to us, what we are to be. Never forget that we -are to be that inheritance. It will indeed require enlightened heart eyes to take that in and believe it., Thursday, June so. Eph. 1 : 19 , so. The third result of having the eyes of their heart enlightened would be: (3) that they should know “what the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe.” This refers to His power as it shall be exhibited in us who believe, both now and hereafter, but especially to the exhibition of His power in our future resurrection glory. That this is the especial exhibition of His power in mind is evident from what immediately precedes and immediately follows. But the power by which we shall in the future be raised and glorified already worketh in us (cf. ch. 3:20; Rom. 8:11). The working of God’s power in us both now and hereafter, but pre-eminently hereafter, will be “according to that working of the strength of His might which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heav enly places, etc.” What God did in His resurrection and ascension is an illustra tion of the power that God has to put forth in behalf of each believer today, and which He will put forth in all its fulness in each one of us in the resurrection glory. The thought is enough to make one’s head swim. If you ever wish to know what God can do for you and what He is willing to do for you, look at what He did for your Elder Brother in His resurrection and in His exaltation to God’s right hand. Oh, this is amazing ! This verse makes it plain what is meant in this epistle by “heavenly places (or heavenlies) ;” it is that region in which Christ now is. It does not refer merely to ecstatic experiences, as it is so often used in modern religious parlance. The question arises, does Jesus sit locally at the right hand of God? He most assur edly does, according to the teaching of the
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs