Ecclesiology
The Prayer of Paul
Lesson XXXIII
MacRitchie Paper
Looking
through old materials we found the following in a paper written by Malcolm
MacRitchie sometime during the 1930’s.
We thought it so valuable that we wanted to include it in these lessons
even though some like material appeared in earlier lessons.
If
prayers for others is a guide or a barometer of our spiritual life, we can feel
what Paul felt was necessary for himself by his prayers for others.
In
the book of Ephesians there are two petitions and nothing further or deeper is
found in any of the Apostles’ writings.
This Epistle represents the high mark of Christian privilege and possibility. It is said of the Saintly Bengel that his
last prayer as he knelt before God for the last time was: “I thank Thee, Lord
Jesus, that we are on the same terms.
Goodnight. Amen.”
Ephesians 1:17-23
(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of him:
(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints,
(19) And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead, and set [him] at his own 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 world, but also in
that which is to come:
(22) And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave
him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth
all in all.
To
think we are permitted to hear the Apostle Paul pray! And what a prayer! A prayer uttered by the Holy Spirit through
him. A prayer of spiritual revelation to
have permanent place on the page of Divine Inspiration. Hearken as he prays in Ephesians 1:17-23,
“That the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
Notice: It is addressed to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory (Ephesians 1:17).
This
statement has startled many. Some think
the statement infers the Son to be secondary Deity. This is not the case.
We
must remember that the Person of Christ has never changed. He is who He was, and will always be who He
is. “Thou changest not.” He has never
changed in Person. He is as immutable as
God Himself, who indeed He is. He has however changed in Position. The only thing He can change is His position,
but his Person never. He was and is and
will be. He is as immutable as He is
infallible, indeed the latter is the result of the former. Not only is the Son the same essence with the
Father, but He is God in and from Himself.
The
incarnation did not in the least alter the nature and Person of the Lord. At the incarnation He changed His position
and manifestations, but in Person He was who He always was, but now (though
incarnated) He was still God, but God manifested in flesh.
The Father of glory: The universe has had
much display of God’s glory, and in the future, the exhibition of His glory
will surpass any display that has been made in times past.
Isaiah 6:3
(3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy,
holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.
1 Corinthians 2:8
(8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had
they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Psalm 29:3
(3) The voice of the LORD [is] upon the waters: the God
of glory thundereth: the LORD [is] upon many waters.
The
whole earth is to be filled with His glory (Isaiah 6:3). But here in Ephesians 1:17, God is called
“the Father of glory”: the One in whom glory had parenthood. Glory is the off-spring of God. Without God there would be no glory, for He
is the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8), and the God of glory (Psalm 29:3).
But
we believe the glory to which the Apostle refers in the address of his prayer
is not so much the glory which in God doth dwell, but that glory which has more
of Himself as the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ”, for the Lord Jesus Christ is
the Glory of God. The glory of which God
is possessed has no medium of manifestation apart from the Lord Jesus Christ
who is the sole Exhibitor of His Glory.
2 Corinthians 4:6
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God;
God
is the Father of this glory which glory is an exhibition in and through the
Son. It is in the face of Jesus Christ
we behold the glory of God. Christ is
God’s glory and God’s glory is Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.”
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and
come short of the glory of God” takes on a real meaning. No man is as good as is Jesus Christ.
We
have seen in former studies how the believer is secured by the Spirit as an
Earnest and Seal but now the Apostle’s prayer is that the Holy Spirit give
wisdom and revelation. That He might
give to you the Spirit of wisdom and open to you the knowledge of Himself. This is wisdom and revelation which lies
wholly within the bestowal of the Holy Spirit.
These things are the things of the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God delights
in imparting knowledge of Him.
It
is not acknowledgment of God of which we are now speaking, but the knowledge of
God. To know God we must have the Holy
Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Sin has
closed our eyes, clouded our minds, clogged our vision and stupefied our
affections and no human power can deliver us from the sin and Satan’s imposed bondage and burdens.
If
we are ever again to see and know, the eyes of our understanding must be opened
by God the Holy Spirit. When will we
cease from man and supplicate a Sovereign Spirit of God!
Now
we behold the three “What’s” of Paul’s prayer:
What is the hope of His calling (verse
18),
What is the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints (verse 18),
What is the exceeding greatness of
His power to us-ward who believe (verse 19).
The
prayer turns upon this pivot. The three
“what’s” give unto us its subject and scope. Notice it is for this
comprehension of these three “what’s” the Apostle prays for us all.
Before
we proceed further, let us bow in the presence of Him who is the Lord and pray
for enlightened and understanding and open eyes.
2 Kings 25:7
(7) And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes,
and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and
carried him to Babylon.
The
scene may be fair, the light may be bright and glorious the vision, but if the
sight be gone all is in vain. Zedekiah
had his eyes put out (2 Kings 25:7) by the King of Babylon and then he was
taken down to the imperial city but he could not enjoy the splendor, he might
as well have been in a desert. The vast
halls and palaces and hanging gardens and a city wall which was the wonder of
the world so that Babylon was called by the prophet, “The glory of kingdoms and
the beauty of the Chaldee’s excellency” but the blinded Monarch beheld nothing
of all the grandeurs of the golden city, and to him, her wealth was though it
had not been.
So
with the believer. He can know nothing
or see nothing of these three “what’s” until the Holy Spirit, the Divine
Oculist has operated upon his vision.
First “what” is “the
hope of his calling”
The
Apostle prays that the believer’s eyes may be opened to know what is the hope
of His calling, that is, the calling of the Church, the object of God’s special
dealing in the present dispensation and the subject of the Epistle to the
Ephesians.
Each
calling of God bears with it a hope which is in perfect harmony with the
“calling”. God never confuses. He never issues a heavenly call with an
earthly hope, nor an earthly with a heavenly hope and in this regard the
calling of God is without repentance.
The call
of God was sent to Israel.
Genesis 12:1-3
(1) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I
will shew thee:
(2) And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will
bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
(3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him
that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 15:4-21
(4) And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him,
saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine
own bowels shall be thine heir.
(5) And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now
toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said
unto him, So shall thy seed be.
(6) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him
for righteousness.
(7) And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought
thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
(8) And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I
shall inherit it?
(9) And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three
years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and
a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
(10) And he took unto him all these, and divided them in
the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he
not.
(11) And when the fowls came down upon the carcases,
Abram drove them away.
(12) And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell
upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
(13) And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy
seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them;
and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
(14) And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I
judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
(15) And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou
shalt be buried in a good old age.
(16) But in the fourth generation they shall come hither
again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full.
(17) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down,
and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed
between those pieces.
(18) In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the
great river, the river Euphrates:
(19) The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
(20) And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
(21) And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the
Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Genesis 17:1-9
(1) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the
LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before
me, and be thou perfect.
(2) And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and
will multiply thee exceedingly.
(3) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him,
saying,
(4) As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and
thou shalt be a father of many nations.
(5) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but
thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
(6) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will
make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
(7) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee
and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be
a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
(8) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God
(9) And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my
covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
Genesis 22:13-18
(13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and
behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went
and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son.
(14) And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovahjireh: as it is said [to] this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be
seen
(15) And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of
heaven the second time,
(16) And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD,
for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only [son]:
(17) That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the
sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his
enemies;
(18) And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Genesis 26:1-5
(1) And there was a famine in the land, beside the first
famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of
the Philistines unto Gerar.
(2) And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down
into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
(3) Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and
will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these
countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
(4) And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of
heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed;
(5) Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my
charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Genesis 28:3-4, 13-15
(3) And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful,
and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
(4) And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and
to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a
stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
(13) And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I
[am] the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon
thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
(14) And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and
thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to
the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be
blessed.
(15) And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in
all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for
I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of.
Romans 15:8
(8) Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the
circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises [made] unto the
fathers:
National
Israel was called in Abraham and confirmed to him and his seed in
covenants. The purpose of Jehovah’s call
to
That
covenant of God stands sure, and while as yet the nations of the earth have not
realized the fullness of the blessings promised through Israel, nevertheless
the Words of God standeth sure and our God is a covenant-keeping God. He keeps his covenants unto generations and
generations.
The hope
of Israel’s calling is the earth.
Isaiah 61:3 to Isaiah 62:12
(3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto
them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
(4) And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise
up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the
desolations of many generations.
(5) And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and
the sons of the alien [shall be] your plowmen and your vinedressers.
(6) But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: [men]
shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the
Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
(7) For your shame [ye shall have] double; and [for]
confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they
shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
(8) For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for
burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an
everlasting covenant with them.
(9) And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and
their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them,
that they [are] the seed [which] the LORD hath blessed.
(10) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be
joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he
hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh
[himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels.
(11) For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the
garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD
will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
(1) For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for
Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as
brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp [that] burneth.
(2) And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all
kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the
LORD shall name.
(3) Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of
the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
(4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall
thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and
thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be
married.
(5) For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall
thy sons marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so]
shall thy God rejoice over thee.
(6) I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, [which]
shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep
not silence,
(7) And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he
make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
(8) The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm
of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn [to be] meat for thine
enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which
thou hast laboured:
(9) But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and
praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the
courts of my holiness.
(10) Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way
of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a
standard for the people.
(11) Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the
world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold,
his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.
(12) And they shall call them, The holy people, The
redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not
forsaken.
In
the earth God gave them a land, a city, a house and a throne. And for these unto this day
Now
the Gentiles or Nations of the earth have also a calling and a “hope”.
Genesis 9:26-27
(26) And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and
Canaan shall be his servant.
(27) God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the
tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God
has called them through Israel, and let it be remembered that while God dwells
in the tents of Shem (Israel) yet God shall enlarge “Japheth” and Japheth shall
dwell under the booth and blessing of Shem.
The
Gentiles as Nations are yet to enjoy, in the purpose of God, great national
blessings, but this blessing is to be brought to them through Israel, the
divine channel. How wonderful if it were
ours at this time, to collect and correlate the future glory of nations of the
earth as revealed in Scripture. They
shall not always be in a state of war, but their future attitude is one of the
worship of Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Church
is also called and unto the Church is also given a “hope” which is in holy
harmony with the calling.
Ephesians 1:3
(3) Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places]
in Christ:
Ephesians 6:12
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
Ephesians 3:10
(10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of
God,
The Church
is called unto the “heavenlies”.
It
is the place of her present standing (Ephesians 1:3), strife (Ephesians 6:12)
and her future service (Ephesians 3:10).
Her
wealth is in the “heavenlies”. Her
warfare is there and her walk should be of that character. It is sad indeed to
record that the Church has forgotten the primitive hope, and with the loss of
this hope has also suffered the loss of primitive faith and love. Eyes that should be lifted to the heavenlies
are now fixed upon earth. Instead of
looking to her spiritual sphere, the Church is now taken up with social
service. What was once done in His Name
is now done in humanity’s name. The
Church is busy cleaning up the red-light district, cleaning up the slums,
reforming politics, controlling governments, running civil affairs. The ballot box has taken the place of the
Bible.
If
the
Philippians 3:20
(20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also
we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Oh
how the mighty are fallen! The Church
has forgotten that her one attitude is to look for her Lord from heaven. The modern emphasis is a distortion of the
Apostles’ plain declaration, the Apostles’ claim that our citizenship is in
heaven from whence we look for the Saviour (Philippians 3:20). Thank God we stand with the Apostles, not
with the present apostasy. Our eyes have
been opened in answer to the Apostle’s prayer.
We have no human knowledge but have received Divine illumination.
The second “what”: “What is the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints.”
That
we have an inheritance in Him is often the subject of our meditation and the
cause of much exultation.
We
well know that He is the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2) and that we are
joint-heirs with Him but here - Oh the marvel of it! - the Apostle desires our
eyes to be opened to know what our inheritance he has in His saints.
Hebrews 1:2
(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
We
must never forget that the Biblical ideas as associated with “heir” and
“inheritance” always refer to possession and not to succession as in
ordinary phraseology.
The
Saints have a wonderful inheritance in their Saviour, but can it be that the
Saviour has an inheritance in the Saints?
Indeed these are the words of the Apostle. We have often sung: “When by His grace I
shall look on His face, that will be glory for me.” Is it possible that we could change the song
and scripturally sing: “When through His
grace He shall look on our face, that will be glory for Him.”? Yes. God has chosen a people as an inheritance
for His Son.
Psalm 17:15
(15) As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness:
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Isaiah 53:11
(11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall
be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he
shall bear their iniquities.
“I
shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). This is the expectation of the Saints.
“He
shall see the travail of His Soul and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). This is the expectation of the Saviour. What a wonderful day will that day be when
both the Saviour and the Saints are satisfied.
The
inheritance of the Saviour is the Saints.
They form it and are his peculiar glory.
This purchase is for a purpose entirely resounding to His glory. God has
everything, glory and grace, but He wants vessels and that is what He has in
us. God was not satisfied in possessing
suns, stars and systems. He made a new creation of sons and saints and these we
are. In these saints Christ has riches
of glory, fullness of glory and flowing, over-flowing glory which is yet to
flood the universe.
Certainly
we cannot understand. Therefore, the
Apostle prays that we may.
Whatever
glory there is, it is all to the praise of the glory of his grace. O God, open our eyes to know what is the
riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints.
The third “what”: “What is the exceeding greatness of His
power to us-ward who believe.”
The
Apostle also desires that our eyes may be opened to know what is the exceeding
greatness of His power to us-ward who believe. Power is one thing the Church of God needs
most and has least. The work of the Lord
languishes for lack of power. The
Church, like Samson in the lap of a harlot, has lost this secret of strength
and is shorn of power. The Church cannot
arise and go out as in other times and this, the Philistines well know.
Oh
that the Apostle’s prayer were answered, that the Church should have open eyes
to realize and recognize the present working of His power!
Isaiah 11:16
(16) And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his
people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day
that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Let
us notice God’s standard in the two testaments.
In the Old Testament, the measurement by which God worked on behalf of
His people was like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the
land of Egypt (Isaiah 11:16). When God
desired to call attention to His power in their behalf, it was in calling to
their remembrance what God did when He brought them out of
Ephesians 1:19-21
(19) And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead, and set [him] at his own 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 world, but also in
that which is to come:
There
is a new standard of power in the New Testament. Not as when He brought
When
God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him to His own right hand, He
established a new standard of power. It
was power transcending anything previously revealed. It was power that brought Israel out of Egypt
and dealt with the material element which intervened as obstacles, but much in
excess of this was God’s display of power when he raised Christ up from the
dead.
Wherein
was the resurrection of Christ from the dead exceeding greatness of power? That Christ should be raised from the dead
was no secret. The Old Testament bore
this prophecy and held forth this promise.
The Apostle says Christ was raised from the dead on the third day according
to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3).
1 Corinthians 15:3
(3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
But
wherein was the exceeding greatness of His power? After what manner was truth established? The secret of power which the Apostle desires
the Ephesians to know and the supreme knowledge that should be possessed by the
Ephesians 2:5-6
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
(6) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit
together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
The
power which God displayed at the resurrection of Christ when He raised Him from
the dead and seated Him at His own right hand is in this that He not only
raised up Christ from the dead and seated Him but that He also simultaneously
raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him (Ephesians 2:5-6).
Colossians 3:4
(4) When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then
shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Oh
let us praise God! Christ died for our
sins! With Him we went into His
death. He could not leave us there for
with Him we arose in His life, but He could not leave us there, for with Him we
were raised into heavenly places far above principalities and powers and might
and dominion and he will not leave us there, for when Christ who is our life
shall appear (Colossians 3:4) then shall we also appear with Him in glory.
Praise
His precious Name!
Nor
is this all that is implied in the exceeding greatness of power in Christ when
He raised Him from the dead. For we
cannot overlook the “us” for the “us” here refers to both Jew and Gentile. He not only got us together but He raised us
up together and the only place in the universe of which we know Jew and Gentile
being one is the place in Christ to which we have been raised up together by
the mighty power of God.
This
is the end of MacRitchie’s notes on this subject.
Here
is more material we have gathered over the years on the subject.
The
Church’s warfare:
In Ephesians we have:
the heavenly calling of the Church;
the heavenly conduct of the Church;
the heavenly conflict of the Church.
Ephesians 6:11-24
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace;
(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for
all saints;
(19) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me,
that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
(20) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein
I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
(21) But that ye also may know my affairs, [and] how I
do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make
known to you all things:
(22) Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that
ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts.
(23) Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(24) Grace [be] with all them that love our Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity. Amen. <<{To [the} Ephesians written from Rome, by
Tychicus.]>>
Here
we find the conflict of the Church to be in the same sphere and locality as her
calling, “in the Heavenly places”.
Since
the Church is called into the Heavenlies, the present conflict of the Church is
waged against it from the Heavenlies. The
Church’s warfare is not against flesh and blood. The Church is not contending for a position
and place on earth, where flesh and blood are in conflict for a possession in
it.
The
Nations struggle against Nations. The
Church is neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free, therefore has no place or
part in that struggle. Indeed, speaking
strictly within the Scriptures, the Church is not even on the earth. It is moved by God and seated with Christ in
the heavenlies. Positionally, it is
there. Conditionally it is here, but
spiritually it must reckon itself with Christ in heavenly places.
If
the conflict of the Church is not against flesh and blood, what is it
with?
“Principalities,
powers, the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness
(wicked spirits) in heavenly places.”
Six
times we are told we are “against”.
These are the rulers of the darkness of this age. They actually exercise rule over this world
in this age of darkness and delusion.
Perhaps
it will help to keep us right if we know what, whom, we are really against.
We
stand in conflict against the deceitful powers of darkness, in our own lives
and in the lives of others. So our
band-aid approach is not of much use.
As
Jehoshaphat cried out , we need to cry out, “ O our God we have no might
against this great company…but our eyes are on thee “ (2 Chronicles 20:12).
2 Chronicles 20:12
(12) O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no
might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what
to do: but our eyes [are] upon thee.
We
have no might. None whatever. In our battles, flesh profits nothing. And without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
John 15:5
(5) I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth
in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can
do nothing.
Ephesians 1:20,21 Christ has been raised
far above all principalities and powers.
Ephesians 1:20, 21
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in
that which is to come:
The
cross was Satan’s defeat. There God’s
David took the sword of Goliath and pierced him with a mortal wound. Now Christ is exalted above every name and
every one (Philippians 2:8-9).
Philippians 2:8-9
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
(9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name:
He
is now in Heaven and principalities and powers are now subject to Him (Philippians
3:20).
Philippians 3:20
(20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also
we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
They
did not come into subjection without a struggle. It was not willingly. It will be but a short space until His
enemies are His footstool (Psalm 110:1).
Psalm 110:1
(1) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right
hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
But
now, these enemies, having failed to defeat Christ, the Head of the Church, now
turn their attention to the Church the Body of Christ.
God
has purposed that the “Heavenlies” be the sphere of the future service of the
Church (Ephesians 3:10).
Ephesians 3:10
(10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of
God,
Her
calling is heavenly, so get this. The
place occupied now by a wicked host will be, one day, occupied by the Church.
This is
the root cause of our warfare.
This
is the one and only conflict and contest for the Church. All other enmity to the Church is created and
promoted from this seat of antagonism.
Satan
seeks to blind the eyes of believers to their heavenly calling and heavenly
conflict. His purpose is to keep the
hope of the Church centered upon this earth. That is why in recent years we have the
renewed emphasis on “health and wealth” here and now; on so called
“reconstruction” and “dominion now” and “living in the kingdom now”, and a lot
of other doctrines hurtful to the Church. The real loss to the Church is its
primitive calling and its early hope.
With the return of this hope of the calling all else will be
restored. The message of the book of
Ephesians is what the Church needs. Perhaps
we could call it the book of ecclesiology.
Ephesians 6:11-17
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace;
(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The
only weapons of warfare necessary for the Church and every member in it can be
found in Ephesians 6:11-17.
Here
are the weapons and they seem to be in pairs.
Ø Truth and righteousness
Ø The gospel and faith
Ø The Word and prayer
This is the whole armour of the
Church:
Truth which is ours by Divine
Revelation.
Righteousness which is ours by
Imputation.
Peace which is ours by Divine
reconciliation.
Faith which is ours by Divine
Inspiration and
The Word of God which is ours by the Spirit’s interpretation. And finally,
“Praying always with all prayer, with all perseverance, for all
saints.”
My
mother often said, “The Devil trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his
knees.”