Knowing our Source Part 2

I said that in this post I would look at the role of our Father in Ephesians 1. In my experience most people when they pray for wisdom and revelation relate this to Jesus. However, let’s look at the passage and the context. I have added names/titles in brackets to make the passage clearer.

¹⁷  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (the Father), ¹⁸  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His (the Father’s) calling, what are the riches of the glory of His (the Father’s) inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹  and what is the exceeding greatness of His (the Father’s) power toward us who believe, according to the working of His (the Father’s) mighty power ²⁰  which He (the Father) worked in Christ when He (the Father) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead and seated Him (Jesus) at His (the Father’s) right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹  far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Ephesians 1:17-21 (NKJV)

Paul starts by praying that the Father would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation. In context Paul is praying this for the believers in Ephesus. We can apply it to our lives because while it wasn’t written to us, it was written for us. So the first thing we see is that the source of the wisdom and revelation we seek is our Father. Everything here is about what the Father is doing and when we recognize that Paul is praying that we would possess wisdom and revelation about His way we begin to see that He is the source, the strategic planner and the one behind all that happened prior to creation, through creation and on into eternity. Look at the passage below, the context being what Jesus does at His return, His second coming.

²⁴  Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵  For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶  The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷  For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ²⁸  Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (NKJV)

Jesus work of salvation was accomplished in the cross and through His resurrection (²⁵  who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:25 NKJV). His final act in this grand drama of salvation and redemption will be handing everything over to His Father. When we understand that our Father is the source and culmination of everything we can, in agreement with what Jesus spoke, declare – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matt. 6:9-10, Lk. 11:2) and understand the passion of Jesus heart wrapped up in this expression! In doing so we bring delight to our Father’s heart.

⁸  The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. Proverbs 15:8 (NKJV)