This week's Bible Study - March 23, 2008
Alive with Power
 Background Scripture:
Ephesians 1:18-21; 2:4-9; 3:16-21
Quote of the Week:
“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt”
-- Source Unknown
What do you think of when you think of power? Some definitions include the ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something. Power also implies more than just the ability to do something, but the authority to do it. One of the terms that is thrown around my workplace is RAA - Responsibility, Accountability and Authority. Too often, folks are given the responsibility and accountability, but not the authority. I work with a very sharp group of folks who are assigned to provide direction for a very large program. We often come up with a workable solution, but then find we are unable to make it happen. This is not what power is.
Power can be a good thing or a bad thing. The leader of a country usually wields much power. Sometimes, this can be very helpful to the people in the country, helping them to rise above problems, or in other cases, the leader can bring much damage to a country. True power involves a selfless attitude, at least to be beneficial. When the power is wrapped around a selfish attitude, others are often hurt.
Paul wrote many books in the New Testament that covered a wide range of topics. He encouraged believers in many ways. He often confronted folks on things that were happening. He offered very practical advice on how to live in a godly manner. He truly was a man intent on sharing the love of Christ and helping others. One of the things that you notice about Paul is that he had very much passion towards those he ministered to. He wanted so much that they would know what God had in store for them.
In this passage, he prays that the eyes of their heart may be enlightened. This implies that there is something that cannot be seen by human eyes - but it is something that is deep within, but can be seen. We often get caught up in the sight seeing world, and only pay attention to those things that we can see with our eyes. Paul tells us that there is much more.
He desires that we know the hope of God's calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. There is hope that can only be found in God. Too often, we are placing hope in what we have, whether it is financial resources, careers, relationships, health or any of a number of other things. Our only real hope is found in God. Isn't it amazing that God never changes? Is there anything else that has not changed - even in your lifetime? There are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Again, nothing else stays the same, but God is the same from the dawn of time until the end of time. There have been believers that have come before us that have come to know of the glory of God in many ways. We have brothers and sisters in Christ (from many backgrounds, languages and cultures) who experience the glory of God today. As believers, we share in the glory.
And, we need to know of the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. We read this, we say this, we know this - but do we really believe it? Where is this power evident? Are we living our lives such that this power is shown? I have to admit that I have failed at times in my life where I made mistakes, largely due to reliance on my own power and not on the power of God. God intends to supply us with the power to do what we need. Do we believe it and are we relying on it?
Paul makes it clear that this is not just his desire, but these things are accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavens. We know the power of God to raise Jesus from the dead. Is there any comparable power today that can do anything of this nature? There are those who have power to destroy people, but who has the power to raise a person from the dead and then elevate them to a high position? Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. There have been some really tough world leaders who seemed to be both out of control and in control of things at the same time. In the world of dictators, they wreaked havoc upon their people, as well as others. But, Jesus is far above any leader - both now and any to come.
Isn't it amazing that there have been leaders that ruled for many years - and nations that seemed to be in control for several generations - yet they are hardly even found in history books today? At the same time, there was one man, Jesus Christ, who only lived for 33 years on this earth - with only 3 years in active ministry. Today, 2000 years later, this man impacts the lives of millions upon millions of believers. Where is the real power?
You may say, okay, you understand what Paul desires you to see. You know and believe that God provides hope, and there is glory in his inheritance in the saints and that he possess true power. However, you may still have some stumbling blocks. While you know what God can do, you know how often you have failed. Failures both before you became a believer and since. While we mentally acknowledge that it is all about God's work for us, we sometimes look at our failures and think that somehow we are not part of this power - and these other benefits.
Paul speaks of the mercy of God, which is shown in the great love with which He loved us. Even while we were dead in our transgressions, he made us alive together with Christ (by the act of grace). God is a holy God that cannot deal with sin. He is perfectly holy and pure. We, as sinners, cannot enter his presence. However, God provided a way for us, even in our sins, to come to know Him. For those of us who have believed him, we are made alive and raised up with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly places. God imparts power to those who are his. This isn't just speaking about that initial acceptance of Jesus Christ, but throughout your life. If we believed that we were in sin before Christ, and then perfect thereafter - why would need Christ at all? It's really not about us.
Why does God even deal with us in such a merciful manner? He truly desires that all come to know him. It is the power of a life that has been turned over to God and a life that lives exudes the grace that we have in Christ Jesus that speaks to others. It is the grace that God shows his people that shows the world who he is. There may be the most eloquent defense of the gospel, but that alone will not reach many. Some folks live in the middle of a neighborhood that has several churches, but they seldom see the grace of God. God saves us not only to impact our lives, but also to reach others. When others know of our relationship with Christ, but they know nothing of the grace of God, they are very unlikely to come to faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 is one of the more familiar passages in the Bible. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast. Our relationship with God is all about the grace. It is not about the works. To make a track team, you may have to be able to run a mile in a certain time or less. If you can't do it, you're not on the team. It is a result of your abilities and what you can do. To become a believer, it's not about how fast you run, how good you are, how much you learn or anything else. It's totally about the grace. Until we really understand this point, we will know nothing of the power of God. We may have experienced his grace, but have become more focused on works - and fail. Then what? Does God place you on the trash heap then? If that is what you believe, you will never personally know of God's power. Yes, we fall down. But, do we stay down or are we able to get back up again, and still rely on the grace of God?
Paul first prayed that the Ephesians would know about the hope, glory and power of God. He then spoke of the mercy and grace of God, by which we come into relationship with God. But, Paul didn't want any of this to be just things we stored away in our heads, knowing the answers for some sort of Bible trivia. Paul prayed that God would grant believers, according to his ability to do so, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. As our inner man is strengthened through the Spirit, we become less and less tossed about by circumstances. The peace and strength is within - not based upon our social standing, the amount of money in our savings account or our relationships. There is nothing wrong with seeking the best in these areas, but this is not the source of our strength or power.
Paul prayed that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith, and that we would be able to comprehend the fullness of God. We are to be rooted and grounded in love - not only the love of Christ, but a life of love as we deal with others. Again, this may seem like a meek position, but this is needed for us to know the power we have from God. Paul prayed that we would be able to comprehend with all the saints the fullness of God -the breadth and length and height and depth. This implies that we need one another. There are some folks who claim to be believers, but they don't act as if they need other believers in their lives - perhaps they stay away from any church and they don't seek out any Christian friends. Life is much harder on your own. Regardless of your situation, you need to be involved with other believers. Through them, both you and they are strengthened by what God is doing in each of your lives. As we see how God is at work in the life of another, it gives us focus in prayer and strengthens us as we go forward.
Lastly, Paul acknowledges the source of this power. God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. I'm not much of an auto mechanic, but I know the concept of a governor. A governor on an engine will limit how fast the vehicle will go, by putting some limits on the engine. How it works, I'm not entirely sure. However, I know that many of us have 'governors' on what God can do in our lives and around us. Sometimes, it causes us to not even approach God with our needs - God won't do anything about it. What is it that God really wants to do in our lives? Do you think we limit what He is able to do in our lives because we don't think he can do it? Wonder what type of blessings we miss out on? He has given us power - but do we even realize it? We get so used to going on what we can do - are we tapping into the reserve he has given us?
Paul closes by giving glory to God, to whom it is due. This glory should be evident in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.
Closing
My prayer for you and for me is that we will come to know God in a more intimate way, so that we can know that God isn't just trying to change our way of thinking, but our source for living. I pray that we can truly know of the mercy and grace of God, through which we are able to face life anew each day. I pray that we will not limit what God does in our lives, based on what we think we know or what we can see. And, in the end, I pray that God will receive glory through each of us and through Jesus Christ to all generations - including the generation we live in.
Let God provide you with the power you need to live and let others see the grace of Christ as we go about our daily lives.
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