That we may know
In the Bible, when God speaks of “know”….He is speaking of understanding what He says, and to get it in our experience. To know, we actually have part and lot in the matter.
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”
Now Bible hope is of the Holy Spirit. When you know the hope of your salvation….you know the witness of the Spirit within you. (Romans 8:15-16)
Those commentators which study the make-up of the Bible, say that Ephesians is the book of possessing our possessions. It is as Joshua in the Old Testament…..the people gaining their Promised Land….through God’s workings, through obedience and battle.
Ephesians is like that. It begins with:
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
There is our promised land…..All Spiritual Blessings….laid up for us to use in the heavenlies….in Christ.
He has chosen us, and predestinated us, adopted us, and made us accepted in Himself….
In Him we have redemption, forgiveness of sins, the riches of grace, and His will made known unto us.
We are given the Holy Spirit, and Himself as Head of the church.
All this we have….and should know as our personal experience.
Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
Together, as Christians, we are the people of God….a building of HIs making, and for His glory. (Eph. 2:20-22)
We are in the heavenlies, before the throne….in Christ.
He is working in the world….in us.
(I say in us,….because what is in us, really, comes out. It is shown abroad…especially the love of Christ.)
Ephesians 3:16-19 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by HIs Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”
(A long time ago, when I was younger and more full of myself….I thought I can surely give explanation of these verses….
….and yes, to a (small) degree I could. I knew the love of Christ Jesus to me, both in salvation…and in fellowship.
But I have come to see….the ministry of these verses is in the church. When those that love the Lord,….are gathered together there is a special love filling the place. Not all feel or know it the same….but gathered together we may have a better glimpse of the Oneness and Abiding Presence.
The breadth….as wide as the church on earth itself.
The length….as long as Eternity.
The depth….for it reaches down to the lowest hell to save us….and keeps saving us for Himself.
The height….to Heaven where we will “know” in our fullest form.)
Our ministry is a personal one, to God and others. And our ministry is a corporate one, in our local church….and beyond….for the church: it’s growth and strength.
God loves His people….and gives us the Holy Spirit that we may know our part of the breadth, length, depth, and height of HIs love….by faith.
And we can never know this as we ought, till we begin to lose our love for ourselves.
(No this is not self-condemnation…that is just self-pity on steroids.
But this is truly to lose all that we worldly love, and place ourselves squarely in the flood of God’s love.
God’s love works for our good, not our wants…..His love works for His purpose in our lives, not our plans. God’s love molds…and sometimes that is in the furnace…but His love also shows that He is with us there.)
As we do, we see what it is to become of use to our God in our lives, and in the church….
Ephesians 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”
From the fourth chapter, on…..Paul exhorts about the walk of those that “know”….
We are to walk worthy of our calling…with all lowliness…with longsuffering for others….working to keep the unity of the Spirit….the Oneness we know.
We are not to walk as others do….but since we have learned Christ….we are to “walk in love, as Christ has loved us.”
As we walk with God, we are built up….further learning….further growing up into Christ….
….how infinite the knowledge of Christ is!
And then…..in our possessing our spiritual blessings…..we come to stand…possessing our armor….and holding what Christ has won for us….in our battles.
Ephesians 6:11, 13 “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand agains the wiles of the devil.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Twice we are exhorted to “put on the whole armor of God”. All of it,….for if we use the shield of faith,…..but do not put on the helmet of salvation….we may be wounded in our thought life.
God is interested in us gaining all our possessions…..all He has won for us….all He has set aside in Him.
He want us to “know” Him….and be filled with all the fullness of God.
Will we begin to “know” in understanding and experience all of Him….for us?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 