August 12 2025

Tuesday August 12

“That You May Know…”

Ephesians 1:18-20

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Today I want to first thank all of you who responded to pray for the pastors in India and joined our India pastor's prayer team. I trust the Lord will use you in a powerful way through your prayers to make an eternal difference in the lives of many many precious souls in that land of over 1.4 billion people. God bless you as you pray.

We finished the book of Luke several days ago and today we're going to start our study in the book of Ephesians and will be looking at it for the next several months. I love the book of Ephesians. I love it because I believe it gives us the essence of what it really is to live out our Christian faith. The reason many people give for not becoming a Christian is because they meet a so-called Christian who is not living out their Christian faith. I believe that Ephesians is a powerful book that gives us a strong foundation for our Christian walk so that we might truly live a life that pleases God and also will give us the greatest fulfillment as we participate in His body life.

Hosea the prophet proclaims a message to Israel revealing to them what is at the root of their failure to live for Jehovah was their lack of knowledge of God’s truth. Hosea repeats this message several times here in chapters 4 and 6. "Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land. There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land” (4:1). And then in chapter 4:6 he says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I'll also reject you from being priest for me. Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children." In Hosea 6:3, he writes: “Let us know. Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning. He will come to us like rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth”. And finally in Hosea 6:6; “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings”.

Today we are looking at the spiritual reason and the purpose we have for this study of the book of Ephesians. I believe that the Lord has led me to make this our next biblical study. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul said, he is praying several things for them, but especially that “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened." He says, "Here's my prayer. Here's what I’m writing this book about:" First, "That you may know what is the hope of His calling." Secondly, "That you may know what are the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints? And third, "That you may know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power”.

As we look at this book over the next few months, I've outlined the whole book by looking at each chapter to keep our focus and emphasis on Jesus. Jesus is the center. He is what our belief, our Christian life is all about. Matter of fact, a repeated phrase in this book and especially the first couple chapters about our position that we have in Christ. In Christ, in Christ, in Him, in Christ. A major issue for believers today is that we do not know our position in Christ. And the first three chapters have to do with our position in Christ. The last three chapters is how to live out practically what we know about our position in Christ.

My simple outline of the book is: Ephesians 1 is knowing Jesus. Ephesians 2 is living Jesus. Ephesians 3 is loving Jesus. And then the last three chapters, the practical chapters are: Ephesians 4 is talking Jesus. Ephesians 5 is walking Jesus. And then finally, Ephesians 6 is standing with Jesus. We stand in Him and we overcome the wiles of the evil one. Remember we are being destroyed and overcome by the world and the evil one because of our lack of knowledge of God and His Son Jesus Christ

Today, just to get us started, think on these things. Are you being destroyed for lack of knowledge of who you are in Christ? I trust today God will speak to your heart to love Him, to know Him, to live for Him, and to make a difference in this crazy world in which we live for eternity.

God bless!