THE BELIEVER'S DUTY OF REALIZING THE GLORY OF THE HEAVENLY CALLING IN CHRIST.
Ephesians 1, 2.
The first of these chapters may be considered under two heads. First, we have the Church presented in fulness of blessing, and conscious of her portion; and also we have the revelation of the power by which God communicates the blessing to the believer, that of the Holy Ghost. In the closing verses we have the prayer of the apostle for the saints at Ephesus, to whom the epistle was addressed. This prayer will be found to be of a different character from that in the third chapter. In the prayer in our first chapter, the apostle is pouring forth his supplication and his desires for their establishment in grace. That in the third chapter is a setting forth of what one already established in the truth would have to learn, and ought to know. In this latter he presents the persons in the Godhead. Not Paul himself had attained to the comprehension of the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ; which he, nevertheless, prays might be the portion of the Ephesian saints.
We find that these Ephesians were made known to the apostle by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and their love to all the saints. "Oh," says Paul, "they are Christ's; that is enough for me;" and accordingly he ceases not to give thanks, and to pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, might give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. He does not pray, you observe, that they might have the spirit of wisdom and revelation, till he knows of their "faith and love."
The first question which each one of us has to do with is forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. The first thing to be settled with every one is his acceptance, and not till then will it be of use to present those points which show the greatness and the glory of the inheritance.
God has revealed to the Church His purpose and counsel touching her future glory, as a means of separating His children more from the world, and to break the power of the flesh. Yet you will find many confining themselves to the first points of knowledge, and very unwilling to listen to any truth not immediately connected with the work of Christ. "It is sufficient," they say; "I have the inheritance; and nothing beyond that, as to any detail, can be material to be enquired into." Now, there is much blessing lost by such a course. God has His reasons for revealing glory to His children. To possess an inheritance is one thing, to know the value of it another. God would have us to know the value of the inheritance He has given us, and to prize it. See how gracious the way He has adopted to heighten our enjoyment of it! His method of surprising us by the discovery to us of the inheritance He has provided for us in His own family! Now what would be the feeling of one of ourselves, who had been brought up in ignorance of his title to some vast possession -- of one who might have been brought up in his father's house as a slave -- what would be his feeling on discovering that he was the son and heir of all? Would not this new-discovered relation to his father engross all his thoughts? And when the father gradually opened his mind to him, and began to associate him with himself in his plans and purposes, should we not expect to witness in the son and heir much interest and ardour, something like eager listening to all his fathers communications? and the father, too, would be seen to take pleasure in feeding the rising hopes and expectations of his son, who had only now been called to share the paternal counsels. Should it be otherwise with the son and heir of the heavenly inheritance? During his minority, that is, before faith comes, he is a servant; but when he is able to cry "Abba, Father," and when, to meet his need, the God of all grace, his Father! is willing to give him the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, etc., shall we not be surprised to find him making light of it? In Luke 24: 45, we have an instance of the communication of power by the Lord to His disciples. Indeed, is it not monstrous to take up the language of many, and to say, "I am satisfied to know my sins are forgiven. I'm safe; all beyond I'll let alone; I don't care for more knowledge than that." What! when God says, I'm your Father! when Christ says, I'm your Saviour! to say, Oh, that's enough for me! I shan't go to hell! that's all that's worth knowing!
The Holy Ghost is the one who communicates the blessing. But how great the difference between the being blessed, and the KNOWING and UNDERSTANDING the DETAILS of the BLESSING. And look at the consequence as to the soul; why, instead of the happy experience of a well-instructed Christian, is not the thought now and then recurring, whether some day or other they may not be cast off? and all through ignorance of the love of God, and of the greater security on which their title rests.
The first part of this chapter presents faith in Jesus, and the unction of the Holy Ghost, by which they got understanding. Secondly, we get the person of Jesus, as that by which we get the victory over the world. Thirdly, the things which have to do with establishing the believer in the love in the Father's heart. "That ye may know what is the hope of HIS calling." The believer's hope is, that when we see Him we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. It is that blessed time that the apostle would have them bringing continually before them. So again in Philippians 3: "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Then will come forth such quickening power from the Lord Jesus Christ, as shall transform us to His image.
The next thought in the apostle's prayer is, that the Ephesians might know what is the congregational glory of the saints, and the riches of the glory of CHRIST'S inheritance therein.
Consider again the great delight Jesus must have in His own perfections, in His reflection of His Father's glory! What a contrast to us who have only to mourn over deficiency. Again, there is Jesus' delight in being the source of the perfections there will be in the Church, so loved by the Father. Consider further the blessedness in seeing the wide-spread glory of Christ in His inheritance in the saints; another and a different one from our own individual realization.
It is important that we should realize our resurrection body. If we don't realize the resurrection body, we don't, get our full power over the world and the flesh. God grant you understanding, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what the coming glory.
It is the display which God has made here that lays responsibility upon us. He calls us to enter into the consideration of these things; what is the case amongst ourselves! If I have communicated my mind to my child, and I see every trifle capable of calling him away from what I have been trying to interest him with, don't I give up the attempt? Just so with God. He does find delight in communicating His plans, and the purposes He has formed about His Son. How exceedingly gracious of our God, to present to us the things that He is careful about for us as our Father! Does it not bring His grace very near and very dear home to our hearts? If He tells me He has made a large provision for my happiness in His Son, and that it is His desire I should be conformed to His Son's likeness, shall I not prize this? Is it not a great grace that He should present this to your own soul? Is not the thought in the heart of the Living God, in reference to each poor believer, That is one I desire to have conformed to my own dear Son, my beloved Son Jesus, in whom is all my delight? And the Spirit of God presses this upon us, knowing our exceeding want of capacity of heart and mind to comprehend and retain a sense of such favours, such promises, such prospects of glory. We live so little in the power of our privilege, and our thoughts are so much taken up with the circumstances around us.
Remember, when God calls us, and invites us to know the hope of His calling, it is a call to us to be ABIDING IN IT.
