Ephesians 1:15-18

1:15

For this reason – Because: We were chosen, adopted, redeemed and sealed with Holy Spirit; because God did this for the praise of His glory, therefore…

ever since – from the moment

I heard about – was told of. These are people Paul had not met, for the most part. That easily extends to us

your faith – seeing the invisible; touching the intangible

in the Lord – not just faith in general, but faith focused on/in the Lord Jesus

and – equally so

your love – actively caring for others

for all the saints – other believers; not just some but all. Here is the multidimensional expression of the Christian life: Vertically in faith in the Lord Jesus and horizontally in active love for all the saints

1:16

I – here he picks up the thought from “for this reason”

have not stopped – continuous; lifting them in specific times of prayer as well as carrying them in his heart throughout the day and other events

giving thanks – expressing gratitude to God for calling these people

for you – thanking God because they responded to His call

remembering you in my prayers – cf. above “have not stopped”

1:17

I keep asking – One thing God has been impressing on me lately involves persistence in prayer. I guess I’ve been somewhat aware of this in the past. But He has been pressing it on me more of late.

that – 2 requests: (1) give the Spirit and (2) enlighten the eyes of your heart

the God – Almighty, Creator

of our - for me, belonging to me, me belonging to Him

Lord Jesus Christ - Boss, Commander, Savior, Anointed One

the glorious Father - Why this multiplicity of terms to describe God? It is not accidental. It is God-breathed after all. For the Ephesians, it might have had the effect of distinguishing between the pantheon of gods being inferior to the Great, Almighty, God of all gods. For me, the repetition reminds me that when I pray, I'm not just talking to myself. I have to get to a place, emotionally and spiritually, from which I clearly call on the Power Greater than myself. Sometimes I am more aware of His presence with me when I pray, more so than at other times. So increasingly, I specifically invite God to make His presence known to me. This is a prayer He seems eager to fulfill.

may give – As I yield, humble myself to Him, He will give Spirit. NIV: He gives the Spirit who is described as possessing wisdom and revelation. NLT: He gives wisdom and revelation that are characterized as being of a spiritual nature.

so that – in order that; this gift is given for a purpose and not just for my enjoyment

you may know him – Purpose of Spirit of wisdom and revelation being given is to enable me to know Him. Without the aid of the Spirit, God would remain a total mystery to me. I can only know God as He, the Spirit, reveals Himself to me

better – I see this as a lifelong endeavor: Continually growing to know Him better. Lord God, never let me be content with the current degree of knowing You. Not just knowing about You, but knowing You relationally.

1:18

also – First request was that the Spirit would help us know Him better. Here is the second request:

eyes of your heart – This has to do with spiritual perception: Looking at life events from God’s perspective, seeing God at work

enlightened – Although I have worked/God has worked on me in this area, I still feel benighted rather than enlightened. It feels a little scary to think what God might reveal if/when I ever let Him enlighten my spiritual eyes

in order that – again there is a purpose for the gift of enlightenment

you may know – I have to assume that this means more than head knowledge; this has to include experiential, relational knowledge and spiritual insight

know – Three things: (1) our hope; (2) His riches/inheritance; (3) His power

hope – hope of eternal reward; hope of usefulness in His kingdom both now and in future; hope of hearing “well done,” hope of justice and shalom in this world

rich inheritance – What does God/Christ inherit in the saints? I think of inheritance as something valuable. But I rarely see value in the motley “saints”, myself included. So this calls for adjusting my perspective to find the wealth and glory in the saints. He has invested us with talents and gifts, which His faithful ones have invested and increased or multiplied. So I/we have a vast wealth of abilities which He can employ to advance His kingdom. This might be one aspect of the “riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”