THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER:
GOD’S POWER IS IN US WHO BELIEVE!

THE​​ SURPASSING​​ GREATNESS

OF HIS POWER:

GOD’S POWER IS IN US WHO BELIEVE!

JAN LILLEBY

 ​​​​ We have learned as Christians that we should always seek to read the Bible, and understanding it by the​​ correct context. Thus we are careful not to just pick out Bible verses, thus exaggerating them.

And still, to my amazement I cannot help experiencing that certain verses or passages simply comes ‘jumping at you’ – embracing me, kissing me, hugging me! And such verses/passages, regardless of context, simply knocks me flat out…as a​​ gorgeous blessing and divine greeting​​ from our Lord, Jesus Christ.

And one of those verses/passages is the one quoted from Ephesians 1:18-23 below. I use NASB translation and the AMP translation, their​​ web versions.

The​​ AMP,

“18​​ And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know​​ and​​ cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),​​ 

19​​ and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable​​ and​​ unlimited​​ and​​ surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength​​ 

20​​ which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly​​ places,​​ 

21​​ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age​​ and​​ world but also in the one to come.​​ 

22​​ And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,​​ 

23​​ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills​​ and​​ completes all things in all [believers].”

The NASB,

“18 ​​ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,​​ 

19 ​​ and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might​​ 

20 ​​ which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,​​ 

21 ​​ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.​​ 

22 ​​ And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,​​ 

23 ​​ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

​​ 

We find Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians​​ describing​​ the glory of God and Christ.

So he wanted his believers to get the full knowledge of the HOPE OF THEIR CALLING. How great that hope (of heaven up above) really is. Using a set of superlatives: ​​ the​​ riches​​ of His glory in us;​​ surpassing greatness​​ of His power toward us who believe; the working of​​ His strength and His might; in the​​ heavenly​​ places; far​​ above all…even in ages to come;​​ Jesus is given as head​​ over all things to the church; …the​​ fullness of Him​​ who fills all in all.

The Word of God, as it was entrusted to Paul for us, tells us we are super-blessed, made together​​ with Christ in His super-strength, - or put in the same​​ words as​​ with​​ Paul:​​ The riches of the glory of His inheritance IN THE SAINTS!

In verse 19 we find out to​​ whom​​ exactly​​ this glorious blessing and riches and power has been given: US WHO BELIEVE.

If you​​ believe​​ on Jesus Christ, then you are saved, and the blessings following with that salvation has been thoroughly described above by our apostle Paul. It is all so glorious that we can hardly comprehend this. It overwhelms us so much, for our brain capacity cannot match up to the greatness of the power of God in Christ. So,​​ we are only asked by the Lord to​​ believe. We are not charged by Him to come up with our knowledge and brain-intelligence or IQ-ratings.

Thus Paul elegantly told​​ us in Eph. 2:8, 9 NASB, how this is formulated,​​ regarding the importance of our faith in Christ,

“8 ​​ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;​​ 

9 ​​ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

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