SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/6/2018
9:59 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “Understanding
the Greatness of God’s Power”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
1:19-20
Message of the verses: “19 and what is the surpassing greatness
of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with
the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ,
when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places,”
As we look at these verse we will
see that this is Paul’s second request, and it is for the Lord to give the
Ephesian believers, and all who will read this who are believers, understanding
of His great power that will bring them to their inheritance in glory. “In verse
19 Paul uses four different Greek synonyms to emphasize the greatness of that
power.” (MacArthur) We will begin to
look at these words in this SD.
Paul uses the word (dunamis)
for the word translated in our English Bible for the word power, and this is
the word that we get dynamite and also dynamo from. Now the power that Paul is talking about is
for believers, only for believers, for those who believe. This is the only power that believers are offered,
or could have, so I guess what we can say is that we do not need to look elsewhere
for some kind of power from the Lord, so don’t ask the Lord for more
power. MacArthur adds “The surpassing greatness
of God power’ is given to every believer, not just to those who believe and
then have a mystical experience, second blessing, or some other supposed
additional work of grace. When we are
saved we receive all of God’s grace and all of His power, and that assures us
of the realization of our eternal hope.”
Now we want to look at the second
Greek word that we get the word “working” from and that word is “emergeia.” This word is the energizing fore of the
Spirit that empowers believers to live their life for the Lord. Next word that is translated “strength” is “kratos”
which may also be translated “dominion” as see in 1 Timothy 6:16, “who alone possesses immortality and
dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be
honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” In
Hebrews 2:14 it is translated as “power” “Therefore, since the children share
in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through
death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the
devil,” The fourth word is “ischus” which is translated as “might.” This word carries the idea of endowed power
or ability. MacArthur writes “In all
those ways the Holy Spirit empowers God’s children.”
We
have mentioned that we cannot get more power than what God has given us when He
saved us and so it was Paul’s desire in his prayer that first of all that the
believers be given a divine awareness of the power they possessed because they
are “in Christ.” Now when we get to
chapters 4-6 Paul will admonish the believers to employ that power in faithful
living for the Lord, something that I have written about in an earlier SD when
I stated that many of Paul’s letters begin with theological items, along with
prayer for the believers, and then will end with how to use those theological
issues and then asks prayer for him.
I
will close this SD with another quote from MacArthur’s commentary “We need not
pray for power to evangelize, to witness the gospel to others. Believes already have that power. The gospel itself ‘is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believers’ (Rom. 1:16). Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul reminded
them, ‘Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in
the Holy Spirit and with full conviction’ (1 Thess. 1:5).
“We need not pray for power to endure
suffering. As an introduction to
mentioning the many afflictions he had endured for the Lord, Paul commented, ‘But
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the
power may be of God and not from ourselves’ (2 Cor. 4:7).”
We
will continue to look at things that we do not need to pray for in our next SD.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Prince and a Savior” (Acts 5:31).
Today’s Bible question: “Who said ‘If the dew be on the fleece only,
and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save
Israel by mine hand’?”
Answer in our next SD.
12/6/2018 10:37 AM
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