Ephesians # 4 Eph 1-14 thru 1-18a

   All right we’re going to continue on the book of Ephesians. Last week we ended with (Eph 1:13), but I want to go back to that V for a minute.

   I. EPH 1:13-14

         A. In (V 13) when it says, “Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” People usually think of the word “Sealed” in that V to mean “Once saved always saved.”

               1. But it doesn’t really have that exact meaning.

                     a. Now some Bible scholar’s have different opinions concerning this V.

               2. Let me give you the 2 most commonly excepted lines of thought.

                     a. 1st, some say that the best way to translate this V is “Ye were sealed in Him [Christ] with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

                           i. Meaning that because you are in Him you have a guarantee of Salvation.

                           ii. And that is true, as long as we remain in Him we are guaranteed salvation.

                           iii. But there is always the possibility that we will not always walk with Him.

                     b. The 2nd school of thought again has to do with the word “Seal.” When the word “Seal” is found in the Word most commonly it has do with a seal that usually a king would put on an envelop or a document.

                           i. It meant that it belonged to the king, and No one could break that seal without the king’s order.

                           ii. We were sealed with the HS, meaning, We belong to God, we have His mark on us, the mark of the King. And the HS is the evidence of that.

         B. (EPH 1:14) Says, “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

               1. The word “Earnest” means “Downpayment or security” The HS is the “Downpayment” of our inheritance.

                     a. It’s a down payment with a guarantee of more to come.

                           i. It guarantees believers of their “inheritance” to come.

                           ii. You could say this, “The “deposit” of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in believers’ lives with a guarantee of much more to come.”

                     b. It’s also Paul’s way of “Assuring that all of God’s promises belong to the gentiles, we have a full share in all of God’s blessings.”

         C. EPH 1:15-16

               1. Actually Vs 15 through 23 are all 1 sentence, like Vs 3-14 were.

                     a. In the 2 Vs we just read, Paul said something interesting.

                     b. He said, “AFTER he heard of their Faith and Love, he began to give thanks for them and mention them in his prayers.”

                           i. That’s usually when we stop praying for someone, when they’re walking in faith and love.

                           ii. But Paul said that he prayed for them while they were walking in faith and love, and we should do the same thing.

                           iii. Don’t stop praying for someone because they are walking in faith, because that when we’re going to do the most harm to the enemy, and he is going to attack.

               2. EPH 1:17

                     a. This is the beginning of Paul’s prayer.

                     b. The meaning of this prayer is that God wants you full of wisdom and revelation.

                           i. We can ask for Wisdom and Revelation, but we are never told that we can ask the Father for KNOWLEDGE.

                           ii. Many times people think that Wisdom and Knowledge are the same thing, but in the Word of God they are spoken of as very different.

                           iii. (Isaiah 33:6) “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.”

                           iv. (Isaiah 11:2) “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him (Jesus), the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

                           v. Again, Wisdom and Knowledge are found in the Same V.

               3. You can say it this way, “Knowledge is input; Wisdom is output.”

                     a. We take in Knowledge, but we produce Wisdom.

                           i. We take in Knowledge, that’s our part.

                           ii. Once we’ve done that, God will help us produce Wisdom.

                     b. No where in the Bible does it say that we can pray for Knowledge, but the Bible does say that we can pray for Wisdom.

                           i. (James 1:5) Says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

                           ii. Wisdom is based on Knowledge, but so is Revelation.

                     c. (2 Timothy 2:15) “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

                           i. If you study the Word of God, (Receive the Knowledge of God’s Word) you will rightly divide the Word of Truth.

                           ii. In other words, If you study the Word of God, God will give you the Revelation of it.

                           iii. Wisdom and Revelation comes through the knowledge of him (Jesus).

                           iv. The better we get to know Him the more Wisdom and Revelation we’ll get.

   II. Let’s just start V 18 EPH 1:18

         A. When Paul says, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened.”

               1. Most other translations render it to say, “The eyes of your Heart being enlightened.”

                     a. Your heart is your spirit.

               2. In Paul’s prayer here, he’s expounding upon what he just said in (V 17) about revelation in the knowledge of him.

                     a. In other words, Revelation is your Heart being enlightened.

Ephesians #4 Eph 1:14-1:18.docx

WOLCC Thurs. 3/7/96