THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW .  .  . 
" . . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places . . . " (Ephesians 1:18-20 NKJV)

     Salvation in Christ is so large, so significant, so abundant, that the eyes of the saved themselves must be opened to its greatness! Even a cursory understanding of God (if there be such a thing) should tell us He is not capable of a small and unchallenging salvation. We are apprized by the Spirit, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). That does not mean these glorious things remain unknown, for "God has revealed them to us through His  Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:10). That revelation, however, is not a mere academic one, where we read of them, and that is all there is to it. The revelation of what God has prepared for those loving Him is contained in Scripture. It is something like the nutmeat that lies beneath a shell, which must be cracked to get the sweetness of the food. After all, the Word of God is the "Seed" of the kingdom (Luke 8:11), which means there is more to it than at first meets the eye. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit it grows and expands within the heart of the redeemed not in quantity, but in its implications.

     The text before us is an example of this very thing. Paul had preached the Gospel to the Ephesians, effectively and thoroughly. They had also received it with joy, embracing it through faith, trusting in Christ and being sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Now Paul prays for them, that the "eyes of their  understanding" (or heart) would be opened to the greatness of what they had heard and believed. Through the Spirit, the Apostle mentions three things to be expanded in their understanding.

     THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING. There is an objective to the heavenly call. That is, we are not only called FROM something: i.e., from or out of sin, guilt, death, and the power of the devil. We are also called TO something. It is here that the Christian community has not done well delineating what God has called us TO. For example, we have been "called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor 1:9).  We have also been called to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance, reserved in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). As much of this salvation as we may obtain, we will never reach the point  in this world where we can say we have it all. We must acknowledge until the day we go to be with the Lord, "Not that  I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Phil 3:12, NKJV). The bulk of our inheritance is ahead of us, who have but tasted of the "firstfruits of the Spirit" in this life (Rom 8:23). Our hearts need to be expanded to see the magnitude of where God is bringing us!  

     THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF GOD'S INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS. Not
only do we have an inheritance, God has one. Salvation is what we receive, we are  what God receives! His inheritance is "in the saints"  and God does not inherit garbage! The Savior, we are told, "gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify FOR HIMSELF a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Tit 2:14). They are, indeed, a "peculiar people" not odd or strange, but peculiarly HIS "His own special people" (1 Pet 2:9, NKJV). There is a richness to His inheritance that the saints need to see. In them will be fulfilled the word of Zephaniah, "The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. HE  WILL TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN YOU, he will quiet you with his love, HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU with singing" (Zeph 3:17, NKJV). The involvement of God with his people only begins in this world. There are glories to come that are worth the forfeiture of every competing influence. Oh, that all believers could experience a fuller measure of understanding on this matter.

     THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US. Here is a power
devoted to the people of God. It is not a power for angels not even the cherubim  and seraphim. This power is committed to the saints, and it is glorious. If one wonders what kind of power it is, the Spirit affirms this very power was "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" (Eph 1:20-21). How much power does it take to bring the Savior back from the  regions of the dead, convey Him through the devil's domain into heaven itself, and seat Him on the Throne of the universe with a name that every created intelligence honors? That is the very power now devoted to the saints! I have noted with sorrow the stunted thinking of many believers myself included concerning this power. Too often, what people ask the Lord to do, needful though it may be, does not take into consideration the greatness of the Divine power consecrated for  them. There are Divine workings that can take place in YOU which are in then same classification as the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! That very same power is "toward them who believe." 

PRAYER POINT: Father, like David, I ask that you will "enlarge my heart," so I can see something of the greatness you have given me in Your Son. In the name of Jesus, I ask for deliverance from minuscule views of salvation, and a heart capable of discerning something of the magnitude of your great salvation.

-- MONDAY: SECRET DISCIPLES SURFACE --