Spiritual Citizenship

[HKHaugan]

Eph.1:15-19a
Spiritual Citizenship

Being a citizen of Heaven demands the kind of insight and behavior that goes far beyond that of any world citizenship. This part of Chapter One is the fulfillment of this new spiritual citizenship. Three things stand out as you read. First, you are not alone. You have the touch of God. Second, you have the Lord Jesus in your heart, and third, you have the Holy Spirit who is sealing the promises of God within you.

Vs.15 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,…”

Let’s just take a second and review the basis for Paul’s reasoning. Vs.3-14 describes how he was led to see our spiritual ‘Declaration of Independence’ from the world and at the same time the provisions of a spiritual ‘Constitution’ which provides an identity for us who travel as citizens of Heaven in this world. We have been blessed with every blessing in the Lord. Our humanity has purpose, meaning and significance. We have been chosen, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, graced and included in the mystery of existence revealed to us, that all things in Heaven and earth are to be brought together under Christ; all sealed in us by the Holy Spirit for eternity.

Further vs.15, “For this reason” summarizes these credentials of our citizenship in Heaven. Faith is our passport and its contents set the pattern for where and how we visit every next moment of our earthly trip. “Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,…” Note the implication of the work of the Cross in Ephesus when he says how he heard of their “faith in the Lord Jesus”---the vertical beam reaching up---and their “love for all the saints”---the horizontal beam reaching out. The Cross is the perfect picture of faith in action, our feet planted on the ground with our eyes on the Lord above and our hands reaching out to those around us. Our presence in this world is in the name of Jesus, a reflection of the work of the Cross and it is “to the praise of His glory.”

Vs.16 So it’s ‘for this reason’ Paul tells the Ephesian believers, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” The feeling you get here is that Paul has been blessed by their faith to the degree that he is overwhelmed in gratitude to the Lord for His work of grace in the hearts of the Ephesian believers. His work in Ephesus was blessed beyond expectation.

Vs.17-19 contains the contents of his prayer. He prays for the Father to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, “so that you may know Him better.” Paul is aware from his own life that no one ever knows Jesus enough. Everyone needs to grow in the Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. Growing in the Spirit is growing in Jesus. It’s the Lord Jesus expanding Himself in us thus we too grow in wisdom and stature with God and man. Paul has experienced intimacy in Jesus and that is what he is praying for the Ephesians.

When Paul mentions their “love for all the saints” that flows from God’s love, Gk. agape, that is quite different from man’s love which is self-centered. God’s love is both inner and outer directed. It is the kind of love that is fulfilled when we realize we are loved and compelled to share it with others so they are filled.
Notice the object of Paul’s prayer. He zeroes in on the heart.

Vs.18 is loaded with a very specific set of requests for the heart’s spiritual growth. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…´ this is an extraordinary phrase. What are those kinds of eyes? Ps.19:8, “The commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eyes.” They are spiritual eyes that in faith can see that “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path (Ps.119:105).” Spiritual eyes, sight, seeing, is discerning where you are through what the Lord is saying so that you see where you need to be and what you need to be doing in response. The Word tells you where you are and then the Holy Spirit takes you where you need to be in order to accomplish His will. You pray, you see, you trust and you act. This gives us a further understanding. There is a spiritual counterpart to our other senses as well. Hearing, smelling, tasting, touch are our spiritual senses as well. Back in vs.13 we were included in Christ when we heard the word of truth. Anyone can hear Scripture but it takes a spiritual ear to hear its meaning. Paul informs the Corinthians about the sense of smell, that they are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (2Cor.2:15). Not only that but Ps.119:103 tells us we can taste the sweetness of the Lord’s words and even the Lord Himself (Ps.34:8). Touch is really close. The Lord told Thomas to touch Him and he would not only see but that touch would bring faith (Lk.24:39). And of course we have already seen that blessings are God’s touches and when we believe Him, trust Him and act in faith we are blessing, touching the Lord’s heart.

Next we will look at the power of God.