Recognizing the Power Within: Paul's Prayer for Believers

The Apostle starts by praying for that in order that they may come to know these three great and all-important things: what is the hope of his calling, to know for certain that I am a child of God, that I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. I must be sure of my hope. [00:02:54]

The Apostle here is not praying that the Ephesians may have more power. That isn't the prayer at all. He is not asking God to give them more power. What he's praying for is that they may come to know the power of God that is already working in them. [00:04:32]

The Apostle prays for is that we may come to know that, that we may understand that, we may be fully aware of it. But we can't leave it at that because the Apostle doesn't leave it at that. In other words, he's not concerned only that we may come to know something about this in general. [00:05:50]

He is anxious that we should know this in our own particular cases and in our experiences here and now. Obviously, he was writing a pastoral letter. He wants to help the people. He wants them to enjoy the Christian life. He wants them to be excellent and fine advertisements of the Christian faith. [00:06:14]

The Apostle is concerned about here is to show that it is the power of God that leads to the whole of the Christian life, not only that great event but even the beginning, the believing, everything in connection with the Christian life, that indeed we are not Christians at all apart from the power of God. [00:08:44]

The Apostle here is really dealing with the Christian life from beginning to end. And what he really says here is this: that we may know the exceeding greatness of his power in us who believe by virtue of his the working of his mighty power. Our very believing is the result of this power of God. [00:17:01]

The Apostle is not talking about the resurrection that is to come. He's talking about a resurrection, the spiritual resurrection that has already taken place. He's talking about us as believers, and we are believers because this power of God has already worked in us in that way. [00:19:00]

Do we realize that our very believing the gospel is by virtue of the power of God that worketh in us? Do we know that? I go on asking my question because there is surely a tendency today to talk in a very superficial manner about believing as if believing were something which is very easy. [00:21:00]

How lightly and glibly we talk about believing in the Lord Jesus Christ or about believing the gospel. It seems today to be the simplest thing in the world to get people to believe and for people to believe. They say yes to it. Believing is something extremely simple. [00:21:36]

There is a great deal of talk about our need of power after we have become Christian, but how rarely does one hear anything at all about the need of power before we become Christian. The impression seems to be that a man believes and decides to believe and that having done that, he needs tremendous power to continue. [00:22:00]

The Apostle clearly here is concerned that we may know the exceeding greatness of this power from the very beginning to the very end of the Christian life. It is all the power of God, even our initial believing. Now then, the question therefore arises whether we all are aware of that. [00:19:29]

If we do know this thing about which the Apostle is praying, well then we shall always give the impression that we are very surprised at the fact that we are Christians at all. It'll come out in our praise, in our thanksgiving. It'll come out in this sense of wonder, love, and praise and astonishment. [00:20:01]