I used to never write anything down. I could remember dates, appointments, and almost everything people asked me to do. Things have changed dramatically. I now write down everything to remind myself of my commitments and appointments.
In Ephesians 1:15-23 Paul reminds the Ephesian believers of some things that God had given them.
We as believers today have been given these same things.
Ephesians 1:15-16
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere. I have not stop thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly.
Paul says that the Ephesian believers are strong in their faith and strong in their love for God’s people. Paul prays constantly for them.
Paul prays five things for these believers.
Ephesians 1:17a
Asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom.
Paul prays that they will have spiritual wisdom.
There is a difference between spiritual wisdom and earthly wisdom.
According to James 3:15-16 earthly wisdom is characterized by jealousy and selfish ambition. This wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. It leads to disorder and evil of every kind.
Spiritual wisdom, wisdom from above, is characterized by purity, loving peace, gentle humility, mercy, good deeds, not showing favoritism, and sincerity.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about receiving spiritual wisdom from God.
Ephesians 1:17b
And insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
Paul prays for them to have insight to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
God wants us to be laid bare before Him so we can come to really know Jesus, not just about Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being laid bare before God so He can fill us with His Spirit and we can experience the fullness of Jesus.
Ephesians 1:18a
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called.
Paul prays for their hearts to be flooded with light that leads them to have a confident hope.
2 Timothy 1:7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.
When Jesus, the Light of the world, comes into our lives, He floods us with His light and gives us hope by His Spirit which will allow us to live not in fear but in power, love, and self-discipline.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing Jesus as the Light of the world and living in hope.
Ephesians 1:18b
His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.
Paul prays that they will know that they are God’s holy people and His inheritance.
God wants us to know that we are His holy, set apart, people. We are set apart for Him and to do His will.
God also wants us to know we are His inheritance, that we belong to Him. We are His and He is the absolute, sovereign ruler of our lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living as God’s holy people with Jesus as the King of our lives.
Ephesians 1:19-20
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Paul prays that they will experience the incredible power of God.
The power that God wants these Ephesian believers to experience and for us to experience is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and that set Jesus at God’s right hand.
The word translated power is the word that we get dynamite from. It is an explosive that totally changes everything.
It is power that changes us and elevates us.
Ephesians 1:21-22
Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else - not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
We can receive all of the things in verses 17-20 because Jesus is above any:
Ruler (Satan or President)
Authority (Spiritual or Earthly)
Power (Demonic or Government)
Leader (Antichrist or Human)
Jesus is over all things and that benefits the church .
Ephesians 1:23
And the church is His body, it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.
The church is the Body of Christ and because of who Jesus is and what He gives us, we as the church are full and complete, and filled with Him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about;
Receiving all that Jesus wants to give us
Acknowledging Jesus as the Head of the church
Looking to Jesus to fill us and complete us in Him
By and With Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
No comments:
Post a Comment