Ephesians 1:15-23, part 2 - Getting knowledge right

Hi Ladies,

I hope that last week’s focus has made you more mindful of both our great need for and access to Spirit-filled wisdom as we seek to abide in Him. This week, we are just going to look at the big-picture goal of Paul's requests before looking at each one more in depth. 

In the bold section below, Paul prays that this Spirit-filled wisdom would result in knowing three specific things. Read the passage again:

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 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, 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, 

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, 

according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
Eph. 1:15-23

Paul wants the Ephesians - and now us - to know some specific things. But the word for know here is not merely a knowing about. It implies understanding. And as we saw last week, this understanding comes only from having Spirit-opened hearts to see. Paul wants us to really understand and perceive the truth of these things: 

1) the hope to which GOD has called US
2) the riches of the glory of GOD’S glorious inheritance in the SAINTS
3) the immeasurable greatness of GOD’S power toward US who believe

Notice they all begin with God! Remember, our view of God is the most important thing about us, because it affects how we view everything else, especially ourselves. But we must keep these views in the right order. Who we are and what we have are only because of who He is and what He has given us!

- Do you define yourself in light of Christ?

- Do you view your possessions, both material and immaterial, in light of Christ?

If your answer to these questions is yes, praise Him for this gift! And keep praying. If Paul kept praying for it, we should too.

If your honest answer to either of these questions is no, ask the Lord to show you why that might be. Go back to that first part of the prayer… Father, enlighten the eyes of my heart! Enable me by Your Spirit to see things in light of who You are and what You have done for me.

Would you also pray this for one another this week? 

And if you are struggling to see this way, to believe this way, would you reach out to me or another sister in this family? God has gifted us to one another to help us in the journey. Let’s not neglect that gift. ❤️🙏🏼

Anna

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 1

Hi Ladies,

How many of you got red ink in English class due to run-on sentences? If so, you’re not alone. The apostle Paul would have been right with you. 😄 

Did you know that after the brief greeting in Ephesians 1, the rest of the chapter is just two sentences in the original Greek?! Hence the complexity and richness of his long-sentence prayer from vv. 15-23. We’re going to take the next few weeks to meditate on and pray through it. I want you to read the whole prayer below:

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 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, 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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

We’re going to focus on the bold section this week. A few things to note before we get to Paul’s requests for this church body:

1) “For this reason” - when you see a connecting phrase like this (or others like “therefore,” “because,” “in light of,” etc.), ask yourself, What is it there for? Paul has just finished another rich (one-sentence!) expression of all that is ours in Christ (read vv. 3-14 to remind yourself). So, Paul’s prayer for them is motivated by incredible realities that they - and we - are prone to forget.

But notice what word comes next: “…because.” Is “for this reason” pointing backward or forward? Or both? Paul often seems to do both!
Let’s look at the forward reasons he now gives:

2) Paul had ministered in Ephesus for about 3 years, likely beginning about 10 years before writing this letter to them (Acts 19). So, as a faithful planter and pray-er, Paul had worked hard and then entrusted the results to the Lord. But he had recently heard that they were bearing fruit! And that knowledge motivated both this prayer as well as constant, gratitude-filled prayers for them. He highlights two connecting fruits: “faith in the Lord Jesus” and “love toward all the saints.” How do faith and love connect?

Can you picture a vibrant faith without love? Or can you imagine trying to love our brothers and sisters without understanding how or why? Vertical faith and horizontal love are inseparable. Read 1 Jn 3:23 if you’re not sure. And, pray that this would be true of us as well.

Now the main request: “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, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” Notice the triune involvement! This was demonstrated in his last long sentence as well. Paul had a robust understanding of our triune God. Do you? If not, what can you do to move toward that?

Why does he call God “the Father of glory”? I’ll let you determine that on your own. But I’ll give you a hint: “Context is king.” (A phrase I often heard in Bible college!)

Another question… (If you haven’t already gathered, always be asking questions of the Text!): If we already have the Spirit (v. 13), why pray that God would give us “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him?”
Greek doesn’t capitalize proper nouns like English does, so it’s not always clear which is which. Should it be (the Holy) Spirit or (our) spirit? Respected theologians have differing opinions, but in this case, the meaning doesn’t really change. Yes, at salvation we received as much of God’s Spirit as we get as believers… (pause and ponder that for a minute if you need to, and watch this LAB if you’d like to explore more)…

…but do we have complete wisdom and understanding in our knowledge of God? (The easiest question yet!!) That’s why we’re commanded over and over to get wisdom, to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, to keep saturating our minds with the truth, and to continuously cry with Paul, “that I may know Him!” (Phil. 3:10)

And this is only possible by God’s Spirit enabling our spirit, enlightening the eyes of our hearts, to know Him more fully as He has revealed Himself, and then to live in light of that knowledge. There is a physical seeing and a spiritual; a physical hearing and a spiritual. Sadly, many “see” but do not see, and “hear” but do not hear (Mt. 13:13). Wisdom is being able to apply knowledge to life. And we need supernatural help for both knowing and applying. So we should pray for one another consistently, that God would grant us by His Spirit in us to grow in our understanding of the incredible realities of our God and then to live in light of them…

“So that we may know…” and Paul highlights three things. But that’s for next week!

Thanks for hanging with me. This email offers some study tips in addition to a prayer focus that I pray will be helpful in your pursuit of abiding in Him. ❤️🙏

Anna

A repeated word from a different mouth - James 1:2-4

Hi Ladies,

Have you ever told someone something (maybe a repeated something!), and they just don't seem to get it? Then, one day you hear them say, "So-and-so said this to me, and it really stuck." And you think to yourself, That's exactly what I was trying to tell you!

There is a lot of value in multiple voices speaking similar words of truth and encouragement. And praise the Lord for many like-minded saints who are doing that, both within our church family and beyond! This week, I want to share a "same-but-different" with you on a topic we've talked about a lot over the years. But I hope that hearing it from someone else will maybe help it stick even better. 😊❤️🙏 So, enjoy this devotional on James 1:2-4 from Paul Tautges, a pastor, counselor and gifted writer:

                                  Your Faith Muscle Needs Exercise

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

In Trusting God, Jerry Bridges describes the physical exertion of the Cecropia moth as it exits its cocoon. He then tells the story of a sympathetic viewer who snipped the shell of a cocoon to free a struggling moth. What this person did not understand “was that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon was an essential part of developing the muscle system of the moth’s body and pushing the body fluids out into the wings to expand them. By unwisely seeking to cut short the moth’s struggle, the watcher had actually crippled the moth and doomed its existence.”[1]

Such is the case with the muscle of our faith. If we habitually seek to escape from all painful trials rather than joyfully submitting to them as part of God’s endurance-building program, we may forgo opportunities to have our faith muscles exercised and strengthened.

The Struggle That Strengthens Faith

James 1:2-4 teaches us that knowing the goal of suffering is an important part of being able to “count it all joy” when we encounter “trials of various kinds.” God tests our faith to produce steadfastness, or endurance. The word steadfastness comes from a compound word meaning “to stay under,” “abide,” or “remain.” It is the picture of someone who has been carrying a heavy load for a long time, remaining under its weight instead of seeking to cast it off. Similarly, endurance develops when we remain under a trial while resisting the temptation to run from it. As we stay in our trials, our faith is strengthened. As Kent Hughes says, “The more tests we pass, the tougher we become.”[2]

Staying Under, Not Running Away

God’s good purpose will often be accomplished as we humbly submit to our trials. God may remove the trial when we have learned what it was sent to teach us, or it may be His will for us to remain under it indefinitely.[3] As we mature in Christ, we learn to remain under our trials until God lifts them or accomplishes their character-building purpose.

When suffering comes your way, you have two basic choices: you can choose to persevere under trial and grow in endurance, or you can run from pain and be robbed of growth. One way you gain; the other way you lose. If you decide you have had enough pressure and develop the habit of running from all trials, you will short-circuit the process of your own spiritual maturity.

From Steadfastness to Christlike Maturity

Steadfastness, as virtuous as it is, is not God’s final goal. God does not want you merely to endure but to endure with joy—knowing His goal is to make you “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” God’s goal is to bring you to the finish line, whole and mature.

Spiritual maturity is what God is after in our trials. And if you want to know what spiritual maturity looks like, look at Jesus. You can be joyful in the midst of suffering when you know and embrace God’s good purpose to develop your faith muscles in such a way that you reflect Christ.

Questions for Reflection

     1. Ask yourself, “Where am I currently tempted to ‘snip the cocoon’ and escape a hard situation instead of asking God to use it to strengthen my faith?”
     2. How have your former trials, in hindsight, grown the muscle of your faith and made you more like Christ?
     3. What would it look like today to remain under your present trial with joy, trusting that God is aiming at making you “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”?

Editor’s Note: This article is a chapter excerpt from Remade: Embracing Your Complete Identity in Christ by Paul Tautges (P&R Publishing, 2023).

[1] Jerry Bridges, Trusting God (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988), 173–74.

[2] R. Kent Hughes, James: Faith That Works (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991), 19.

[3] In the course of applying biblical wisdom, we may discern that God is leading us in another direction. For example, Proverbs 22:3 teaches that “the prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Generally speaking, however, it is healthy for us to avoid falling into escapist patterns.

Source: https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2026/08/12/your-faith-muscle-needs-exercise

Praying Col. 4:12, part 2 - Standing mature and fully assured

Hi Ladies,

Last week, after meditating on Colossians 4:12 and trying to articulate its richness, I realized that there was just too much to fit into one devotional. 🙂 So, we continue this week…

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” 

Last week, we looked at Epaphras’s zealous commitment to prayer. His prayers were not half-hearted prayers, nor were they “in passing” prayers. They were fervent and ongoing. But what were these struggle-infused prayers for? 

“That you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”

Notice his desire that they stand. The original word means “to not hesitate or waver; to stand fast.” Can you picture a soldier armed and ready to fight, with his feet braced firmly on the ground? Whatever Epaphras is praying for, he wants them firmly anchored in it. But what is it?

He first prays that they would stand mature. Some translations say “perfect”; some say “complete.” It’s the Greek word teleios, which we’ve looked at before. It can mean “fully developed” or “brought to completion” or “lacking in nothing.” Here, it seems that Epaphras is echoing Paul’s similar, passionate desire found in chapter 1: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). 

This maturity will not reach absolute completion until our earthly sanctification is over and we stand glorified in the Lord’s presence. But it is something that we are striving by grace to live toward more and more each day that we are given on earth. 

We do not drift into holiness. 

We do not achieve Christlikeness simply because of the number of days or years we have been saved. 

It takes work. Spirit-fueled work. And both Paul and Epaphras understood the essentialness of prayer toward this end. 

How about you? Do you pray for your sisters and brothers in Christ to remain steadfast in their faith, not wavering, but continuing to progress all the way to completion? 

Epaphras adds one more request: that they stand fully assured in all the will of God. “Fully assured” is a beautiful compound word in Greek that here means fully persuaded or convinced. He wanted them to be absolutely sold on something. And that something was the will of God. 

“Oh, the elusive will of God!,” you might think. “I wish I could be absolutely certain of it!” But if Epaphras is praying for this (and not just assurance of some of God’s will, but all), perhaps we have an inaccurate (or lazy) view of God’s will. I know I have struggled with this. I just want God to send the clear lightning bolts and tell me all the right answers to all of life’s decisions! 

But Ladies, God has given us His will, laid out perfectly in the pages of His revelation to us. Beyond the clear “this is the will of God” statements, Peter writes that God has given us everything we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). All the principles we need to be who He wants us to be, and to do what He wants us to do, are found in His Word. 

Yes, this takes work! We must learn them - studying God's Word and sitting under the preaching of His Word. And then we must live out what we know, applying His Word to our lives in daily dependence on the Spirit. But we have it! And Epaphras is continually struggling in prayer that these believers stand confident in it all. 

Did you notice the double emphasis? He’s not only praying that they come to know all of God’s will, but also that they will be convinced that it is best! 

How about you? As you pray for your brothers and sisters, do you pray both for knowledge and for assurance of it? 

We have a wonderful model here to pray for one another this week and beyond. God, would You empower us to stand fast together ‘til the end? And would You grow us not only in our awareness of what You desire of us, but also in our joyful certainty of Your sovereign goodness in it all? 

Let’s be a church family who labors in prayer together for these things, and then lives it out by His amazing grace! 

❤️🙏🏼

Anna