Ephesians 1: 15-18

"Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,  asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." 

Ephesians 1:15-18

In this portion of scripture, Paul is going to pray for the believers in Ephesus. He begins with a statement of thanksgiving. He is encouraged by two things that he has seen demonstrated in them. The first is their strong faith. Faith is having complete confidence or trust in something or someone. To develop a strong faith in God takes time and relationship. It takes walking with Him through the adversities of life and seeing Him come through for you. A faith that is strong will not easily crumble.

The second thing that Paul commended them on was their love for God’s people. The first and second greatest commandments have to do with love. Matthew 22:37-38 says, “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (New Living Translation) The church at Ephesus was loving well. Unfortunately, I think that this is an area where we can often fail…loving others well. I know that this is often an area where I fail. It is easy to love when it’s comfortable and convenient for me. But am I willing to love when it’s not? Am I willing to step out and love when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable? Am I willing to love people who are different from me, or have different beliefs than I do?

Here’s the thing, people who live lives of strong faith, and love others well stand out in stark contrast to those who don’t. People who are willing to risk it all, and look foolish in the world’s eyes for the sake of the gospel, are the ones who will inspire the faith of others. As I’ve considered Paul’s words, one thing that keeps coming to my mind is “iron sharpening iron”. We need each other. We need accountability. And the way that we live our lives, and walk out our faith can strengthen the faith of those around us.

In verses 16 and 17, Paul says, “I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” This gives us an example of how we should be praying for those around us. We should be continually praying that God would give them wisdom so that they can grow in the knowledge of who God is. In Colossians 1:9-10 you see Paul pray a similar prayer for the believers in Colossae. In verse 10 it says that having spiritual wisdom leads to living a life that will honor the Lord and produce every kind of good fruit (Colossians 1:9-10). This is what we want for each other. This is a prayer that God will always answer because it is His will for us. I would encourage you to underline these verses in your Bible, and to use them as a reference when praying for others.

As Paul continues his prayer, he prays that they will understand the confident hope to which God has given those He has called, “his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance”. (Ephesians 1:18, NLT) Yesterday, we looked at the amazing inheritance that we have been given as children of God. Today, we see that we are God’s inheritance. We are his rich and glorious inheritance. God could choose anything He wanted to be His inheritance. In fact, He doesn’t need an inheritance because He doesn’t need anything. Yet, He chose us to be His inheritance. We are that precious to Him. I can’t fully understand this or wrap my mind around it. It is almost too much to consider. But whether I fully understand it or not, it’s true. I’m God’s glorious inheritance. You are God’s glorious inheritance. I pray God will enlighten your heart and my heart to understand this truth. If we could fully grasp this truth, it would change the way we live. If we could understand just how precious we are to God, we would stop trying to fit the standards of this world. We wouldn’t need filters to make us what we wish we could be. We would understand just how valuable we already are. You are known, and you are greatly loved. You are God’s inheritance.

Truth to Remember:

In this world where we can have anything, spiritual wisdom is the only avenue that leads to lasting fruit. We are God’s inheritance. We are chosen and loved to bear His glory to those around us.