“The exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…”

In Ephesians 1, Paul speaks of his prayer for the saints in Ephesus, asking that they receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ, and that their understanding may be enlightened. He prays that they may grasp the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward believers, according to the working of His mighty power.

Although dead in sin, “…God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:4-6

Sin necessitated death, a debt we owed but could never sufficiently pay. Jesus paid this debt on the cross, and when the power of God raised Him to life, death was defeated. This victory enables us to live and reign with Christ over sin and death. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places, meaning we sit together or take a seat in His company. Notice the progression. We die, are made alive, raised up, and then seated. When we respond to the Gospel call and choose to be baptized into Christ, we are not adding anything to Christ, but simply yet profoundly responding to the faith that we have in His work on the cross, in the grave and the work that He will continue to do as our advocate and eternal high priest. (1st John 2:1-2, Hebrews 7:24-25)

Believers are the recipients of this exceeding great power. (Ephesians 1:19)

This is not merely an acknowledgement, but rather a convicting faith that prompts change. James speaks of the demons who believe and tremble, yet their belief did not result in a saving response. (James 2:19)

John writes of those who believed in Jesus and His mighty works, but for fear of man would not confess Him, John12:42, therefore, their belief did not result in a saving response.

Saving faith must result in a saving response or else it is a dead faith. (James 2:14-26) Faith that responds results in life. We die with Christ, are made alive, raised up, freed from the bondage of sin and seated together with Him in a place of authority, in heavenly places. This authority is spiritual. It is not something we have earned or deserved; it is authority given to us by grace, solely through and because of Christ. The power we experience over sin and death is made possible by Christ’s work on the cross—the same power that raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God.

We are saved by grace in that while we were dead in our sins we could not save ourselves, by ourselves, yet God, provided a Way for us to live. In Christ, GOD made us alive together with Him and raised us up with Him to be in His company. Consider the following scriptures (Romans 6:1-14, Romans 8:12-17, 2nd Timothy 2:1)

Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑