Spiritual
Wisdom
William
Wilberforce was an English politician and a key leader in the movement to
abolish slavery. His life changed dramatically when he experienced a conversion
to Christianity at the age of 26. One of his close friends was William Pitt, the youngest Prime Minister and a very
intelligent and capable man. One Sunday, Pitt and Wilberforce went to church
together. That Sunday the pastor preached a powerful sermon on “How to be
filled with the Holy Spirit.” Wilberforce was deeply moved and thought that it
was the best sermon that he had ever heard. So after the service, he eagerly
turned to his friend to talk about it, but Pit spoke first. He said, “Did you
understand what the preacher was talking about? I tried hard to follow, but I
couldn’t make sense of it.” Wilberforce was shocked. That moment, he realized
that only those whose spiritual eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit can truly
grasp spiritual truths.
In today’s passage, Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus, and for us too, that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened so that we can truly know God and experience three spiritual blessings: hope, inheritance, and power.
Hope
First,
Paul prays that God may give us spiritual eyes to see hope – the hope we
have in Christ (v. 18). This isn’t just a wishful hope, but a strong and
confident hope that comes from knowing that the world is the Lord’s and we are
his forever. This undying hope comes from the blessed assurance, “I belong to
Christ.” “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? … I am convinced that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Chris Jesus our Lord” (Rom
8:35, 38-39).
Think about the story of Elisha and his servant in the city of Dothan. One night, they found themselves surrounded by a large enemy army. The servant was terrified and asked, “Alas, master! What shall we do?” He was lost in despair. Elisha was not afraid. He said, “Don’t be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.” Then he prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant's spiritual eyes, and he saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2Kg 6:17).
I remember a story from a pastor friend of mine. After he started a new church in Korea, he became very discouraged because the congregation was so small. People didn’t come to church, and the church didn’t grow. It was so painful for him to watch empty pews every Sunday. But one Sunday morning, as he was praying and worshiping with the few people who were there, God opened his spiritual eyes. Then he saw every pew filled with angels worshiping God alongside them. From that day on, he no longer felt discouraged because he knew God was with him and his church.
Inheritance
Next,
Paul prays that God may open our eyes to see God’s inheritance – the riches
of his glorious inheritance (v. 18). The Bible says that if we are children of
God, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17,
NIV). This means that no matter what we go through in this life, we have a
glorious future waiting for us. Our current struggles can’t compare to the
glory that will be revealed in us.
If we see this life only, God is not fair. But if we see this life from eternity, God is just and righteous. Think about Stephen, the first Christian martyr. As he was being stoned to death, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit opened his eyes to see beyond this world - heaven and the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He saw the riches of God’s glorious inheritance. This vision gave him strength to endure such a painful death with peace and courage.
When we sing hymns at the nursing home, one of the favorites among the residents are “Farther Along.” The second verse goes like this:
When death has come and taken our
loved ones,
It leaves our home so lonely and
drear;
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
Living so wicked year after year.
Farther along we’ll know all about
it,
Farther along we’ll understand why;
Cheer up, don't worry, live in the
sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.
Power
Finally,
Paul prays that God may give us eyes to see power – the immeasurable
greatness of his power for us who believe. Not only does God promise us a future
glory and inheritance on the Last Day, but also he gives us power to live a rich
and satisfying life now. Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, and
have it to the full (John 10:10, NIV).
If we look around our world today, or even just read our local newspapers, we are constantly faced with the same heavy realities – meaninglessness, evil, sickness, and death. The elderly read the obituaries first. Many young people seem to be searching for a sense of purpose, feeling lost. Middle-aged people are busy but bored. We hear rumors of wars. And we feel powerless.
There are two things that humanity just can’t control: evil and death. We are all fallen; we cannot overcome evil. We are all mortal; we cannot avoid death. “Sin problem” and “death problem” we cannot solve. BUT GOD in Christ conquered both – sin and death.[1] By his mighty power, God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand. And here’s the best part: that same divine power – the power that raised Jesus from the dead – is available to every one of us who believes in him. This resurrection power isn’t just for someday in the future; it’s for us today, to live in hope, to overcome, and to live a victorious life. What a gift!
The movie Sight tells the true story of Dr. Ming Wang, a Chinese immigrant who overcame huge challenges to become a world-renowned eye surgeon in the United States. He grew up during China’s Cultural Revolution, facing persecution and poverty, but was able to immigrate to America, where he eventually earned degrees from Harvard and MIT. His groundbreaking work has restored sight to millions of people worldwide. But Dr. Wang struggles with deep guilt and shame from his past. He couldn’t save his girlfriend from a life-threatening situation in China, and he failed to help an Indian girl with her vision. These haunting experiences left him deeply burdened. However, when he visits the Indian girl at a church, God opened his spiritual eyes. There, he realizes that true healing goes beyond physical restoration. God gives him spiritual eyes to see God’s power – the power to overcome guilt and shame, the power to heal and forgive. This revelation gave him new strength and purpose beyond anything the world could offer.
For
the Church
God
wants us to know his hope, inheritance, and power. But these spiritual blessings
are not just for individuals, but for the whole church. Ephesians 1:22-23 says,
“He has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things
for the church, which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in
all.”
This reminds us of Shekinah’s glory in the Old Testament. When the Israelites finished building the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tabernacle because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. The cloud of God was over the tabernacle during the day and the fire was in it at night. God’s presence was full and visible in the tabernacle. This continued throughout all their journey in the wilderness (Ex 40:34-38). Today, God’s presence is with His church. Zechariah prophesied that people from all nations would come, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” In the same way, God’s glory will draw people to Him through the church.
The church is Christ’s body. In the church Christ speaks and acts. By the church Christ fills everything with his presence (cf. Eph 1:23, Message) May God open the eyes of our hearts, so that we may see his hope, inheritance, and power. May Christ fill our church and each of us with his presence, so that people may see his glory and be drawn to him. Amen.
[1]
John Stott, The Message of Ephesians (The Bible Speaks Today Series) (p.
58). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.
Thank you.
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