PT-1 "Understanding the Greatness of God's Power" (Eph. 1:19-20)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/6/2018 9:59 AM

 

My Worship Time                           Focus:  PT-1 “Understanding the Greatness of God’s Power”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Ephesians 1:19-20

 

            Message of the verses:  “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,”

 

            As we look at these verses we will see that this is Paul’s second request, and it is for the Lord to give it to the Ephesian believers, and all who will read this who are believers, understanding of His great power that will bring them to their inheritance in glory. “In verse 19 Paul uses four different Greek synonyms to emphasize the greatness of that power.” (MacArthur)  We will begin to look at these words in this SD.

 

            Paul uses the word (dunamis) for the word translated in our English Bible for the word power, and this is the word that we get dynamite and also dynamo from.  Now the power that Paul is talking about is for believers, only for believers, for those who believe.  This is the only power that believers are offered, or could have, so I guess what we can say is that we do not need to look elsewhere for some kind of power from the Lord, so don’t ask the Lord for more power.  MacArthur adds “The surpassing greatness of God power’ is given to every believer, not just to those who believe and then have a mystical experience, second blessing, or some other supposed additional work of grace.  When we are saved we receive all of God’s grace and all of His power, and that assures us of the realization of our eternal hope.”

 

            Now we want to look at the second Greek word that we get; the word “working” from and that word is “emergeia.”  This word is the energizing force of the Spirit that empowers believers to live their life for the Lord.  Next word that is translated “strength” is “kratos” which may also be translated “dominion” as seen in 1 Timothy 6:16, “who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”  In Hebrews 2:14 it is translated as “power” “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”  The fourth word is “ischus” which is translated as “might.”  This word carries the idea of endowed power or ability.  MacArthur writes “In all those ways the Holy Spirit empowers God’s children.”

 

            We have mentioned that we cannot get more power than what God has given us when He saved us and so it was Paul’s desire in his prayer that first of all that the believers be given a divine awareness of the power they possessed because they are “in Christ.”  Now when we get to chapters 4-6 Paul will admonish the believers to employ that power in faithful living for the Lord, something that I have written about in an earlier SD when I stated that many of Paul’s letters begin with theological items, along with prayer for the believers, and then will end with how to use those theological issues and then asks prayer for him. 

 

            I will close this SD with another quote from MacArthur’s commentary “We need not pray for power to evangelize, to witness the gospel to others.  Believes already have that power.  The gospel itself ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believers’ (Rom. 1:16).  Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul reminded them, ‘Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction’ (1 Thess. 1:5).

“We need not pray for power to endure suffering.  As an introduction to mentioning the many afflictions he had endured for the Lord, Paul commented, ‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves’ (2 Cor. 4:7).”

 

            We will continue to look at things that we do not need to pray for in our next SD.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Prince and a Savior” (Acts 5:31).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said ‘If the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand’?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

12/6/2018 10:37 AM