THE POWER AND WORK OF GOD
[p. 250] THE POWER AND WORK OF GOD
There are two thoughts which come out in Ephesians 1 — the calling and the inheritance. These form the great subject of the apostle’s prayer. He prays when he can unfold no more. The apostle could not work in the souls of his hearers; no human power can; every bit of the work is of God. However gifted a servant may be, he can do nothing, it is the Spirit who works in those ministered to. The apostle prayed that they might know what is the hope of God’s calling. I want to speak of the power of God and the work of God. The apostle prayed that we might know His power.
In Genesis 15 the subject of the inheritance is before us, and Abram gets a pledge of it given to him. Abram had no son, but God gives him a pledge of the inheritance, and reveals to him that all comes out of death. All has to come into the place of death, and that is exactly how it comes to pass. Abram’s seed goes into Egypt, figuratively into the place of death. God has come down into death. Ephesians begins there, it goes entirely on the ground of God’s power in resurrection. The same power applies to the Jews in a future day. The dry bones of Ezekiel’s vision shew this power.
The victims in Genesis 15 are cut in two and an avenue made between the pieces. The testimony (the lamp) comes then into the place of death, the pledge of the fulfilment of the promises to Abram. The death of Christ is the pledge of the fulfilment of the promises and purpose of God. It was there God’s love was shewn. It is, as we know, where Christ has been in death, that we know the import of resurrection. God has made known His pleasure in the resurrection of Christ. In principle it is there we learn God’s attitude to man. It proves His power to all mankind, and witnesses and [p. 251] expresses His power.
The parting of the pieces refers to the aspect of the victim. Christ has been in death. He was the victim, and the testimony to God’s way of accomplishing promise and purpose. Everything that is to be set in the heavenly places must come out of death.
In Ephesians 1, Jew and Gentile are seen in death, and God will accomplish all His purposes now that Christ has been there. He now can set forth all His will with regard to us. The expression “in Christ” is used in two ways in this epistle. It expresses God’s purpose in this chapter. Christ in resurrection is the vessel of God’s purpose. “In Christ” is used in the next chapter as to what we are formed in. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works”, etc.; but in the first chapter the purpose of God is defined and set forth — the inheritance is in Him, sealing is in Him, and so on. Christ is both the revelation of God to us, and the expression of His purpose about us. A verse in John’s epistle explains this, “He is the true God” because the revelation of God, “and eternal life” because He is the setting forth of God’s purpose with regard to man. This helps us greatly.
The hope of the calling is heaven; the calling is sonship. God has “chosen us in him ... that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”. It is practical, a divinely formed state to be verified down here, and you have to be formed in it. It is not, as in Romans 8, what you are in the Spirit, but that you must have the nature suited to sonship. We are formed in love as made acquainted with the love of God — “We love him, because he first loved us”. I could not insist too much upon its being real and practical. It is not for earth, it connects us with heavenly places, and heaven is the hope of the saints. Christ said, “I go to prepare a place for you”; if I have a place there, I am not concerned, if I apprehend it, to have a place here. No one gives up a place on earth until they know that. We [p. 252] are on earth, I know, but we cannot have a place here and in heaven too according to the mind of God. We are in a mixed condition here, but a christian is different to what he is as in the flesh. Connected with our calling, there is an entirely different condition.
I now come to the inheritance. There are three things connected with it: (1) the vision of God; (2) what the inheritance is; (3) the Spirit. There is no hint of the calling in the Old Testament, but you find inheritance there. Abraham had a little of this truth revealed to him. Now look at verse 8, God “has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence”. Wisdom is an objective thought. Christ is that, He is spoken of as wisdom in Proverbs. God’s resource is in Christ, He carries out His purposes for man entirely independent of man.
“Wisdom is before him that hath understanding”. (Proverbs 17: 24.) A man divinely taught has fixedness of attention, and mind, and gaze; a poor worldling has his eyes “in the ends of the earth”. I am afraid many christians do not think of Christ’s word to Martha, “one thing is needful”. It is behind providence that God works. In the Psalms we see first the rejection of Christ, then we see Him crowned, and they end with praise. In Psalm 2 it is God’s King in Zion with power over the nations. In Psalm 8 we see the Son of man with all subjugated under Him. Nothing is ever lost for God. Is the throne of David lost or the sword of government? Was Jesus lost for God when He died? Nothing is lost. God will head up all things in Christ. What has been lost in man will be recovered in man, in Christ; it is in that we get the idea of the inheritance. Abraham is the heir of the world. We are children of Abraham through faith in Christ Jesus. God makes known to us the mystery of His will; Abraham got a glimpse of it when God called him to offer up his only son Isaac. This is not the idea of the eternal state, but of the restitution of all things; all lost in man, all [p. 253] redeemed in Christ the Son of man. We do not yet see all things put under Him, but we have the earnest of the inheritance. People often look listless and uninterested when the inheritance is spoken of, but there is only one thing that will keep you from the world, it is the apprehension of God’s wisdom. You have to suffer with Him that you may be glorified together. We see Him crowned with glory and honour, and when all is put under Him, we come into it in connection with Him.
Now in regard to the apostle’s prayer, the state of the saints is the subject of the prayer. You will not get God’s favours if you do not court them. Moses saw a bush burning and not consumed. If he had not turned aside to see that great sight, he would not have got the commission he did. We read in Exodus 3: 4, “And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see”, etc. At another time he was slack about an ordinance of God and He was about to kill him, for man cannot play with God, He is not mocked. If you are not attentive to God’s favours, you do not get them. There is a principle I believe in 2 Timothy 2: 7: “Consider what I say: and the Lord give thee understanding in all things”. If I meditate on the cross I get the knowledge of Him. Our defect is in the knowledge of God. If the death of Christ is not known the importance of the resurrection is not seen. Many so-called christians are sceptical about resurrection; they do not know the death of Christ, and until they have learned it they cannot know resurrection.
I see nothing here but infinite greatness. God in sovereign mercy and love is going to have a people in heaven. Not merely to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt were they redeemed, nor was it for them to wander in the wilderness, but that He might have His pleasure in them in the land. If you know the love of God you will not find heaven strange, though the surroundings of course will be different.
The next thing is the surpassing greatness of His [p. 254] power. God regains everything in Christ. The wealth of His glory is a wonderful word. Man thinks a great deal of a few hundred acres. As I become conscious of my weakness, I think more of His power. In one moment we might all be changed by His surpassing power, and suited to Him. We might be changed while here tonight. As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. We look for the Saviour. God gave an earnest of His power in the resurrection of Christ; the power is toward us, and the only condition is that we believe. It is to put us in the possession and enjoyment of the inheritance. Faith substantiates the hope of the calling, we shall be in the actuality of it when the Lord comes. It is wonderful to be in the consciousness of it down here, and this is what the apostle prays for. May the Lord lead us into these things; it is a great favour. God has revealed Himself in order to gain man’s affection, and Christ has gone down to death in order to get our hearts, and when He has gained them, God will rest in His love.
When something of these things has been learned, then we can go on to the next chapter. Do not let these things be forgotten — the power toward us and the work in us.