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Peter Wade.
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10. The Wealth Realizedby Ruth Paxson
There is a marvelous interdependence between the two prayers in Ephesians. In Chapter one there is a prayer for revelation: -- "that ye may know"; a petition for spiritual apprehension of the riches of His grace. Now Paul stops again to pray. This prayer is for realization: -- "that ye might be"; a prayer for spiritual appropriation of the riches of His grace.
Let us get this interdependence between the two prayers in our mind's eye. Note the contrasts and the complements.
First Prayer (1:15-23).
Revelation
Enlightenment
Light
Know what you are
Know the power of God
Power working for us
You in Christ
Christ fulness Church
| Second Prayer (3:14-21)
Realization
Enablement
Life
Be what you know
Experience the fulness of God
Power working in us
Christ in you
Church fulness Christ |
Process of Realization
As we know from experience, the realization of Christ's abundant life in us is a process. While we become the potential possessors of the fulness of Christ the moment we are reborn, yet the personal possession of that fulness is a continuous process after the initial appropriation of it by faith. No matter how much of that fulness one has enjoyed to-day, there is more beyond, and every to-morrow should be for us unto still greater fulness.
So in this prayer for realization there is a process. There are a series of petitions; each one is an advance upon the one that precedes, and a preparation for that which follows. As the petitions in the first prayer were introduced by three "whats," so these in the second prayer begin with four "thats."
"That he would grant you to be strengthened."
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."
"That ye may
be able | { to comprehend" --
{ and to know the love of Christ." |
"That ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God."
Possibility of Realization
The possibility of an answer to this prayer seems so remote that there may be hesitancy in voicing the petitions. The scope of the prayer staggers us. We know the wealth which God has purposed and provided for us in Christ, but can it be procured? Let us have our hearts set at rest on that question.
The prayer is buttressed at each end by two reassuring phrases. "They should convince us that the realization of our riches in Christ is based on something very stable and sure; objectively upon "the riches of his glory," and subjectively upon "the power that worketh in us."
3:16. "That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory."
"According to." God is not promising something which He is unable to perform. He estimated His own resources before He promised to bequeath such wealth to His children. God's budget has always been balanced, and there need be no fear of His prodigal program of spending for the salvation and sanctification of believers in His Son. Nothing is unstable in the plan of redemption, for God is not experimenting with men's souls, nor has He left anything to chance. He counted the whole cost of building this wondrous habitation of God long ages before He laid a single living stone upon the foundation, and knew that He was fully able to carry it to completion.
In his book In the Heavenlies, Dr. H. A. Ironside unfolds the deep meaning of the words "according to" in a simple illustration:
"It does not say 'out of' His riches, but 'according to' His riches. Here is a millionaire to whom you go on behalf of some worthy cause. He listens to you and says, 'Well, I think that I will do a little for you,' and he takes out his pocketbook and selects a ten-dollar bill. Perhaps you had hoped to receive a thousand from him. He has given you 'out of' his riches, but not 'according to' his riches. If he gave you a book of signed blank checks all numbered, and said, 'Take this, fill in what you need,' that would be 'according to' his riches."
This is precisely what the King of glory has done for us, as we saw in 1:3. He has given according to the sublime measurement of own immeasurable riches.
"The riches of his glory" -- the wealth of His own glorious perfections. The riches of His grace are provided in Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and exalted. The riches of His glory are in Christ, glorified, regnant [ruling] Lord. All that He is and has is ours. He is our fulness.
Subjectively the realization comes through the in-working of a resident power.
3:20. "According to the power that worketh in us."
Perhaps we are quite convinced by now that through our position in Christ we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Objectively, we apprehend this fact, and doctrinally we believe it. But our great problem is how to live like heirs. We know what we are; our difficulty is to be what we know. How may we subjectively appropriate this wealth, so that experimentally it is manifested in a consistent walk and a conquering warfare?
God assures us that He has made provision for this experimental realization through the in-working of a resident power. It is the power of a Person who is none other than God's own Spirit. All that Christ was and did as the incarnate Son was through the power of the Holy Spirit. He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be to the disciples all that He had been to Him. From the day of Pentecost this same Spirit has been in every member of Christ's Body as a mighty power working to make these riches of glory his personal possession. This we shall see more fully as we now begin our study of the prayer petitions. We feel like saying in the words of Dr. Scroggie, "All that we can hope to do is to mark the order in this tumult of holy words."
Provision for Realization
The trinity of the Godhead work together to make this wealth ours. The riches which the Father provides in the Son are possessed through the Spirit.
3:16. "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."
"To be strengthened with might," or as Way translates, "to be made strong with power." Is there any greater need in the Christian's life than to be made strong and with a power outside of himself? How often he feels that he is going backward rather than forward. He is conscious of weakness, failures, defeats, and backslidings that are well-nigh overpowering. More than once he cries out in anguish of spirit, "Is it worth while to try to keep on? I just have not the strength for this conflict." Nor has he, and God rejoices whenever a child of His comes to the end of himself and acknowledges his own utter impotency, for then God can begin to work. The Pentecost promise was for power. We are to be made strong with power through a Person.
"By His Spirit." The Holy Spirit who worked for us to implant life now works in us to impart power. He lives within us to strengthen and energize with divine might and by a definite and continuous process. The life bestowed by the Spirit through rebirth is to be realized in fulness through renewal.
"In the inner man." Into the most secret springs of our spiritual life this Spirit-strengthening power is infused. God always begins at the innermost part of our being and works outward.
Purpose of Realization
It is threefold: to establish Christ's presence in possession of us; to enhance Christ's preciousness to us through the deepening knowledge of His love for us; and to ensure the plenitude of Christ's life in us.
To Establish Christ's Presence
in Possession of Us
3:17. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."
"That" -- a very definite advance upon the first "that." The Spirit working in power in the inner man discovers and discloses that which hinders Christ's fullest indwelling; demands the emptying of the life of self and the enthronement of Christ as Lord; and establishes Him more effectually in the possession of every part of the Christian's life.
"Christ may dwell." This has no reference to Christ's initial entrance into the Christian's life. He is already there as Saviour. He has crossed the threshold and been given a place in the life. Yet in some lives He seems to be far more like a house-guest than the sole and rightful owner. This does not satisfy Christ's heart, nor fulfil God's purpose. When God exalted His Son to be Head over the Church, He gave Him the right to become the Lord over every Christian. The word "dwell" connotes the fixed, permanent abode of the One who owns; it is illuminated and interpreted by Paul's other word, "To me to live is Christ." This word "dwell" makes the human personality of the Christian the home of Christ into which He may settle down and be absolutely at home, possessing, controlling and using it as He wills. His is to be the presiding Presence, permeating and possessing all.
"In your hearts." In the innermost sanctuary Christ is to be given the place of pre-eminence, enshrined and enthroned as Lord over all.
"By faith." On the Godward side Christ's indwelling is due to the supernatural power of the divine Spirit, while on the manward side it rests upon the willing yielding of the Christian to Christ's possession and upon the appropriation of Christ Himself by faith. Thus the presence of Christ is made a living, luminous reality, and the first purpose in the realization of our wealth is fulfilled.
  
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