The graces and comforts of the Spirit are communicated to the soul by the enlightening of the understanding. “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;” “Ephesians 1:18 MH
Ephesians 2:1 teaches “And you hath he quickened, (together)” This means “to re-animate together”. which we have had take place “in our joining” with Christ.” Ephesians 2:5. Then we have an awakening from sleep. “Sunegeirō” is the Greek word here, meaning, “revivify.” This takes place also in our union with Christ. Next we take a seat, also in Christ, in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6.
The words, “in Christ” reveal a “positional ” reality, invisible to the believer without an enlightenment of our understanding. Paul’s Ephesian letter tells of the revelation.
- The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
- He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
- He hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
- He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
- In whom we have redemption through his blood,
- the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Blessed, chosen, predestinated, made accepted, given redemption, given forgiveness –to start. And all of it ts by virtue of our being joined to Him. see Ephesians 5:30, 1 Corinthians 6:17.Romans 6:3-5
“ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. ” Ephesians 1:14
Seals are unbreakable and “earnest” is simply “down-payment.” In His body we are members of Him, see Ephesians 5:30, and given the Holy Spirit in all of His attributes.1 Corinthians 12:12-13
So, in further explanation of our predestination, He has “predestinated us, agreeable to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” and agreeable to the fact that “he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” Peter tells us, we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,”
Lewis Sperry Chafer comments, “As foreknowledge recognizes the certainty of future events, …predestination makes these events sure. Foreordination and predestination are “words, — almost complete synonyms. The two divine activities of foreseeing and foreordaining could not function separately. They do not occur in succession, but are dependent on each other and either one is impossible without the other. “.
As we were elect by the foreknowledge of God, so Christ ” …being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, men have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Paul speaks to the men of Israel in Acts 2:22-23. We see, Christ is foreknown to be slain and delivered to be slain — Inseparable acts. We are baptized (immersed) into Jesus Christ, were immersed into his death. burial also and resurrection also, see Romans 6:4-5. Our position in Christ makes us dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated with Him, yes, in heavenly places.
So we are foreknown and predestinated “in Him.”
Paul prays ” 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 who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, “
Positioned in Christ, joined to Him in vital union, sealed and drinking of the Spirit of God, Paul desires in prayer, for us to know the confident expectation of His drawing, the riches of the weighty inheritance, and power that raises the dead.
In closing, in the regenerate, the inward man needs constant renewing and strengthening by the Spirit of God. Paul prays we would be “strengthened with might,” “impowered with miraculous ability. that “Christ may “house permanently ” in your hearts by faith.
We in Christ, Paul prays for “Christ in us, ” a faith experience. This will stabilize and give us grounding for our walk in love. To possess all the parameters of love, the love that passes knowledge and Be filled with His fullness.
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