With Me In The Winepress – Ephesians 1:16-19
Ephesians 1:16-19 (ESV)
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Verses sixteen through nineteen are so connected I believe they need to be viewed together. The Apostle has said God is our guarantee, showing how much He loved us, to give us Himself. He said The Love of God was flowing through them in their faith and love, and because of this he never ceases to pray for them.
The question of what does Paul pray for them about is answered in seventeen through nineteen. He asks for the spirit of wisdom, revelation, and knowledge. The word spirit here is important because it’s not man’s wisdom. The revelation we have didn’t come through our own power, and the knowledge He gives us isn’t through our own ability.
That’s important, not just for humility, but to quote the old song, “the world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.” Paul knew the Church would face bitter oppression, but he also knew the enemy could not take away what has been rooted and grounded in our hearts. While we could be tricked into giving it up if we lose sight of Jesus, no one could ever forcefully separate us from it.
Paul said our hearts had been enlightened, that we may know the hope we’ve been called to, and to understand the riches of His glorious inheritance which we the saints have. That we may know what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according not to our own power, but the working of His great might.
As another old song goes, I want to “dig a little deeper in the storehouse of His love”. It’s not enough to know a little about Jesus when you truly understand even a tenth of what He has done for us. To know him, is to want to know Him more.
What I believe Paul is saying here is that when you know more about Jesus, it will both anchor, empower, and enable you. Anchor you in the time of trouble, empower you in the battle, and enable you to go on to perfection. The entire Bible can be summed up in the pursuit of knowing Who Jesus is.
Learning about Him makes us to want to know more. There is such power even in a beginning knowledge of Jesus. Even when we know even only a small amount about Him, and are actively pursuing Him, we can face any trial because we know Jesus. As we progress in Him, one day we will meet someone who asks us the same question, and we get to tell them Who Jesus is to us!
