“…and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…” Ephesians 1:19
In one of the clearest, and most compact verses in Scripture on the subject, the Apostle Paul concludes his monumentally important letter to the Ephesians, by speaking of the power of God, and how that power and might is to be appropriated in the life of the believer. First of all, as it was in the day when Joshua, after the death of Moses, was commanded by God to lead the children of Israel into the promised land, to possess it, God addressed the essential issue of power, courage, and strength. Why? It is for the same reason for which Paul addressed the believers in Ephesus who were to believe God for that which was the “…exceeding abundandly above ALL that we ask or think.” (Eph. 3:20) How would this be realized in Ephesus, in the individual believers? Paul adds the simple phrase: “…according to the power that worketh in us.” The same enduement of power that came upon the congregation of believers at Pentecost, is to be believed in, appropriated, and lived by in the time, years, and days afterwards, until this day. The key is two-fold: First, there must be a vision, or perception, of this power which God manifested, when “…He (the Father) raised Him (Christ) from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” (1:20) The appropriation of Christ for all things, and everything in particular, begins with a vision of what God has said, done, and promised, to the believer. An illustration of this was the day when Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire to heaven, with Elisha left standing on the ground. The great condition that Elijah gave to Elisha, in order for him to receive the double portion of the Spirit of Elijah, was that he must see him when he was taken up into heaven. Why was this so? To have the faith to receive the double portion of the Spirit of Elijah, Elisha would need a vision of the power of God, of what He will and can do, for the one who is truly His, and walks with Him. When Elisha saw Elijah in that chariot of fire, pulled by horses of fire, climbing in the air towards heaven, faith was born in his heart to believe God according to the words of Elijah. For this reason, he would take up the mantle of Elijah which had dropped to the ground, the one he had used to strike the waters of Jordan, seeing them part, so that they both passed over. Elisha would then approach the Jordan River, with mantle wrapped up in his hand, strike the waters of the Jordan like Elijah had done, and say: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14) From the vision of seeing Elijah taken to heaven came the faith to believe God for the double portion of the Spirit given to Elijah. The same power was revealed, according to the promise of God through Elijah.
The Apostle Paul, by the Spirit, gave to the Ephesian believers the means to faith, by which they too could appropriate the blessing of God, specifically His power. It was in the form of a prayer, a prayer so that 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, and, what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward.” (1:18,19) This is a prayer for the vision necessary for faith to lay hold of God for His strength and power.
The second prayer in the letter is specifically FOR the power: “…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man…” (3:16) Herein is the key, the vision of Christ as our power, then the specific prayer of faith to receive Him fully.
Dear Father, Give us Thy fulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.