Monday, November 19, 2007

Ephesians: All of Grace (1:17)

"...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."

In interceding for the Ephesian believers, Paul prayed for two things: (a) wisdom, and (b) knowledge of God. We could do no better than to pray the same for one another.

Wisdom, true wisdom, is the ability to view life from God's vantage point. This is possible only for the one who has been changed by the Lord Jesus Christ, who has the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16), enabled by the Spirit of God in spiritual discernment. As with every facet of the Christian life, the Bible is the key tool in gaining and maturing in godly wisdom. While reliance only upon observing circumstances can cause one to wonder as to the Lord's perspective, His Word reveals His will in no uncertain terms. The one who lives wisely, lives within the parameters of Scripture.

Closely akin to the prayer for wisdom is Paul's requesting the Lord to grant revelation in knowing Him. Paul clearly understood that, for anyone to know God He must reveal who He is. In this issue of learning the Lord of the universe I'm reminded again of the life principle: If it isn't revelation, it's speculation. God does not want His children to guess who He is. And in the inspiring, protecting, and preserving of His Word He has graciously provided the flawless disclosure of Himself. If we would please Him, then we would increase consistently in our knowledge of Him and our love for Him, by learning Him through His blessed Book.

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