Ephesians 1 - Pauls Prayer - Part 7 — Gareth Evans

Hope and the Riches of God’s Inheritance

That's hope. And I pray that this week your hope and my hope will be increased. Paul prays for them that they might hope, may have hope. He says, I pray also that you might know what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

You are the saints, you are his inheritance. What is the riches of his glory among us? That's another word, isn't it, that's strange, not really understood by believers. It's that word glory. What is glory?

Understanding the Glory of God

What does glory mean to you? A shining light. When you say something's glorious, what does it mean? Paul prays that you and I might know the riches of his glory among us. For we are the inheritance among the saints.

I'd like to define glory this way. I believe glory is everything that God is. The prophets of the Old Testament described, tried to describe what they saw when they saw the glory of God. You read Ezekiel, it's a wonderful, wonderful description he gives them.

Ezekiel’s Vision of God’s Indescribable Glory

He tried to describe and the glory of the Lord came into the temple or into the tabernacle. And he says something like this, and I saw and it was like, you read yourself, this is how he's describing it.

It was like a glass sea was there and there was like a throne above the water, above the sea. And there was one sitting upon the throne and he was like, oh, it is beyond describing. And he said there was like a rainbow flashing through it and all these wonderful colours.

And this cloud, this glorious, wonderful, he's trying to describe God. And he can't. How can mortal man describe the immortal in terms of mortality? He can't do it. He's trying to describe the glory of God.

Experiencing the Riches of God’s Presence

And Paul prays to you and me that we might know something about the riches of his glory among us. Abundant riches, surpassing riches. I want to suggest to you that the glory of God is his presence, all that he is amongst his people.

I described to you just now the ongoing revelation of God that I have experienced my own limited experience. I've known him as my friend and my saviour and beyond that he became my healer and my supplier.

And beyond that I began to know more and more of him. I began to know more and more of the glory of God. But he is so much more. There have been those days when walking out, particularly I enjoy praying when I walk.

I'm one of those who loves to walk when I pray. I don't know if you like that, particularly out in the country. I like singing and I start singing and I'm talking and I feel as though my heart would burst within me.

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

What am I experiencing? I'm experiencing something of the infinite who dwells within. Paul writes this way to the Colossians. Christ in you, the hope of, he wants to reveal his glory among us brothers and sisters.

He doesn't want us to stand afar off looking like Moses at the burning bush. Or like John who looked into heaven and saw the great revelation. He said I want you to know it among you. I want you to know the riches of his presence, his glory among you.

Pentecost and the Indwelling Spirit

See in the Old Testament days the spirit of God came down upon the people and they uttered words of prophecy and they moved according to the spirit of God. But on the day of Pentecost he came to dwell among you and in you.

The Spirit of Truth Reveals Christ

And Jesus said when he the spirit of truth has come, he will not speak of himself, he will reveal me in you. He will lead you into truth, he will be glory in you. That is why the scriptures teach us that he wants to lead us on from glory to glory.

More and more revelation of himself. And that comes from God. As he gives revelation to you and to me.