Let us turn once again to God's
Word and continue to consider the passage that we have at the
end of Ephesians chapter 1 the Apostles prayer as he addresses
the believers there at Ephesus not only writing to give instruction
and to teach great doctrinal truths but also as he writes
he can not but pray for, as he says at verse 16, he ceases not
to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayer. And so we've been considering
something of the prayer that follows through to the end of
the chapter. And I want us now to turn this
morning again to verse 18, and we'll read through to verse 21. here in Ephesians 1.18-21. He prays, 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, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us wards who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power, which he wrought in Christ. when he raised him from the dead
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places 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. And so last week we were considering
in the morning somewhat of that spiritual enlightenment that's
spoken of in verse 18, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. Principally the church was made
up of those who were Gentile converts. They not have the privileges
that belong to God's ancient covenant people, the children
of Israel. And Paul speaks of them there
in chapter 4 of verse 18, having the understanding darkened, alienated
from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them
because of the blindness of their hearts. What is he describing?
Well, in the context we see, he's speaking of what they were
as Gentiles. Verse 17, that she henceforth
worked not as other Gentiles were, in the vanity of their
mind, having the understanding darkened. Such was their condition
that they had known that gracious enlightenment that Paul is speaking
of here in verse 18. And we thought last Lord's Day
morning more particularly of the consequence where there is
that gracious ministry, the enlightening of the Gospel. Its effects are
the hope of effectual calling, but also the hope of a glorious
eternal inheritance as he continues in his prayer there in that 18th
verse that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance the eyes so enlightened
that they see what is that efficacious work of God in their souls by
the Spirit and that blessed prospect of an eternal inheritance with
the Lord in glory. Well we looked at that 18th verse
and then we moved on in the evening last time to consider what he
says in the following verses where he speaks more particularly
of the greatness of God's power in bringing faith into their
souls, that faith that comes by the operation of God. Remember
what he says in those verses, verse 19, the exceeding greatness
of his power to us would who believe according to the working
of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ. when he raised
him from the dead and set him with his own right hand in the
heavenly places or what the comparison he is making here it's the same
power that was in the Lord Jesus Christ in his resurrection and
his ascension to the Father's right hand that was demonstrated
really in their souls when they came to experience the grace
of God and came to saving faith The pattern of that work then
is set before us in what he says in that comparison, it's according
to. I said the expression there according
to literally has the idea of after the same fashion in like
manner as that that was there when Christ was raised from the
dead and received into the highest heavens. Christ's resurrection
then is the measure and the standard of that work of regeneration
that takes place in the soul of the sinner. That is the union
that is between Christ and his people. Thy dead men shall live,
together with my dead body shall they arise. Oh, what a blessed
union it is when we think that all that was in Christ is brought
into the soul of the sinner in order that that sinner might
come to know the blessings of saving faith. Well, we move on
now to consider what he goes on to say in the following verses. And the theme then that I really
want to take up is that we have at the end of verse 20 and in
verse 21 Our Christ risen is now set at
God's right hand in the heavenly places, 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. And
to take up that theme of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ascension of the Lord Jesus
Christ. and to think of that in terms
of exaltation and sovereignty is that not what we see really
in the language that the apostle is employing in these verses. God has set him with his own
right hand in the heavenly places 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. First of all then to say something
with regard to the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ it's
that that we find the Apostle Peter preaching on the day of
Pentecost. The language that we have there
as it's recorded in Acts chapter 20. We have of course here the
account of the sermon that was preached. Remember what he says
there at verse 30, he's referring to David, he's referring to the
language of Psalm 16. Speaking of David therefore being
a prophet, he says, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath
to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh
he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, he seeing this
before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption, the
words of Psalm 16. This Jesus, says Peter, hath
God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being
by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath set forth it which ye
now see and hear. For David is not ascended into
the heavens, but is at himself. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool
his kingdom you see has now begun as we sang just now in that hymn
of Isaac once his kingdom has begun because through the cross
he has ascended to the to the throne and there he is exalted
and he is at the father's right hand had he not glorified the
father here upon the earth in the work that he and accomplish
that work that was committed to him in the eternal covenant
when we come to that great high priestly prayer in the 17th chapter
of John he prays I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished
the work that thou gavest me to do now father glorify thy
son with that glory which he had with thee before the foundation
of the world his work was accomplished, his work was finished, he goes
on doesn't he in the course of making that great voluntary sacrifice
that great sin atoning sacrifice he declares it is finished and
he bows the head and he gives up the ghost no man was able
to take that life from him he was the one who had authority
to lay it down and he had authority to take it again. That was the
commandment he had received and he glorified the Father in his
obedience to that commandment. All Christ's work is finished
and now risen he has ascended. He has entered heaven itself
and there he ever lives to make intercession. He has entered
into another aspect really of his priestly work. We see him
upon earth, the sacrificing priest. but now he has entered into that
beyond the birth now to appear in the presence of God for us
says the apostle there in heaven then he is still the covenant
head of all his people and again look at the language that we
find Paul using in the same epistle in chapter 4 And verse 8, wherefore
he said, when he ascended upon high, he led captivity captive,
and gave gifts unto men. The language is that that's taken
from Psalm 68. Of course, we know how the writings
of the Apostle are peppered with these quotations from the Old
Testament Scriptures, because Christ is that one who is spoken
of in all the Scriptures. He's there prophetically. But
now the Apostle is able to look back upon the fulfilment of those
ancient prophecies. And the language there in Psalm
68 is what he takes up then as he considers Christ as the Ascended
Saviour. And what has he done? Ascended
he has received gifts. Gifts for men. And what are the
gifts? The first and the primary of
all those gifts that the Ascended Christ has received, surely,
it is that of the Holy Ghost. As the Father has sent the Son,
so it is the Son who bestows the Holy Spirit. This is the
great truth that's revealed to us. in the whole economy of Christ,
the outworking of that eternal covenant. Though the three persons
in the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost are co-equal as they
are co-eternal, yet in the economy of Christ it is the Father who
sends the Son as his servant. It is the Son who becomes man. God incarnates and comes not
to do his own will but the will of the one who was sent him and
then as the son accomplishes all that work and is raised from
the dead and ascended on high so he is the one who bestows
the Holy Ghost the language that we've already read there in Acts
2 at verse 33 being by the right hand of God exalted having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost. He hath shed
forth this which ye now see and hear." Or the exaltation of Christ
as that one who has received gifts for men. And it says in
the psalm, doesn't it, also for those who are rebellious, even
for rebel sinners he has received these gifts. and so what does
the spirit come to accomplish in the soul of the sinner? he
comes to accomplish faith and repentance what can we know of faith? what
can we know of true repentance except we experience the gracious
workings of the spirit of God? what with those who are dead
in trespasses and in sins we need then that that great
power that exceeding great power that we were thinking of last
Lord's Day evening if we're going to know anything of saving faith Paul goes on doesn't he in the
second chapter to remind them what they once were You have
equipped and who were dead, he says, in trespasses and sins,
wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation, all had our manner of life in
times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath even as others that was our natural condition and
we need all we need the gifts that the exalted Christ is able
to bestow and as I say the primary gift must be that of the Spirit
he must come in all his quickening powers remember how Paul goes
on doesn't he in that second chapter to remind them that their
salvation is all by the sovereign grace of God for by grace are
ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift
of God not of works lest any man should boast for we are his
workmanship created in Christ Jesus well what does the Spirit
do? He takes those who are dead in
trespasses and sins and He makes them new creatures in Christ
Jesus In many ways it's a far greater work than that of the
first creation. In the first creation God simply
takes the dust of the earth and forms man and then breathes into
his nostrils a breath of life. But now you see he takes that
man who is dead in trespasses and sins in a state of alienation
and makes him a new creature in Christ Jesus. Oh, the exalted
Christ, He has given the Spirit to do a great work. But it's
interesting, isn't it, because whilst it is the work of the Spirit to bring
faith into the soul of that sinner who is dead in all his trespasses,
yet faith is said to be the gift of Christ. Looking onto Jesus,
says Paul to the Hebrews, the author and finisher of our faith all Christ is that one who is
the cause of faith but the agent by whom that faith comes is God
the Holy Spirit and it's not only true with regards to the
gift of faith but also with regards to the gift of repentance as
the apostles say there in Acts 5.31 Him, that is Christ, hath
God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour
to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. Again, the cause is Christ. The agent is the Spirit. It's
all that the Lord Jesus Christ has received gifts from Him.
Oh, he is exalted as one who has received gifts for many,
aye, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell
amongst them. And this is all the outcome,
of course, of his resurrection and his ascension to the right
hand of God. He now receives the reward of
all his suffering he will seal the travail of his soul he will
divide the spoil with the strong all those so strong in all their
opposition to God and all their hatred of God and yes the Lord
is able to take such a make Christian believers of them he's able to
say to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. All the work is finished, Christ
is risen, Christ is ascended, Christ is the one now who reigns
in glory and bestows these wondrous gifts, the Holy Spirit, faith,
repentance and it is the same Christ who is going of course
ultimately to come again and the Father has committed all
judgment to Him Oh no, the Father judges no man. He has committed
all judgment unto the Son and He is to come. And how the Apostle
speaks of these things. Remember the language that we
have when he writes there at the end of the opening chapter
in 2 Thessalonians concerning Christ's return and the purpose
of that coming. He says there, verse 7, following,
to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall
be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord
and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified
in his sights and to be admired in all them that believe because
our testimony among you was believed in that day and to those Thessalonians
he also of course speaks of that second coming at the end of chapter
4 in the first epistle Then in 1 Thessalonians 4 at verse 15
following, and he concludes with those striking words, wherefore
comfort one another with these words. All the prosperous, the
Christ who died, the Christ who rose again, the Christ who was
risen and received all these wondrous gifts for men is the
one who is going to return again. in power and great glory and
he will sit and he will make the final judgment and separate
the sheep from the goats. This is the exalted one. And
where is Christ? He's in that place of privilege
and honor as we read here at the end of verse 20. God has
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. the father's
right hand. Remember when Solomon becomes
king there in 1st Kings chapter 2 and his mother Bathsheba comes
to speak of the conspiracy that was against him we're told how
Solomon set Bathsheba at his right hand the position of favor,
of privilege, of honor The psalmist says, upon thy right hand is
stand the queen in gold of oath. That's a prophetic psalm of course,
Psalm 45, it's speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is
that one who has his people at his own right hand, they're in
that privilege of favor. It was a request, wasn't it,
that the mother of James and John made to the Lord Jesus,
that when he came into his kingdom Christ would put one son on the
right hand and the other on the left hand. It wasn't Christ's
gift that. It's what the Father has given
and the Father has given that to every believer in a sense.
Every believer as part of that one true Church of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the Queen in gold of Ophir. That favoured position
at the right hand of the glorified Christ this is where the Lord
is now, is in that great position so favoured by the Father all
honour is to be given unto Him but it's not only the place of
privilege it's also the place of power it's the place of authority
that great opening chapter of Hebrews where the apostle speaks
so clearly of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal
Son of God equal to the Father. And what do we read there in
that third verse of that chapter? We read of Him who being the
brightness of His glory, the brightness of the Father's glory,
the image of the invisible God, who being the brightness of His
glory, and the express image of his person and upholding all
things by the word of his power when he had himself purged our
sins sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high that's
where the father is sitting on the right hand of the majesty
on high and he rules all things by the word of his power What
does the Father say in prophecy, Psalm 110, sit on my right hand,
till I make thine enemies thy footstool? It is not just privilege then.
All power, all authority belongs unto Him. He says, doesn't He,
as He gives commission to His disciples at the end of Matthew's
Gospel, all power is given unto me all authority is given unto
me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore make disciples of all nations
all that's the authority of the gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ
has committed into the hands of his apostles and what We read so many times
in the writings of the Apostle Paul, we find the same also in
other of the Apostles, Peter, the Apostle Peter. And the language
we find Peter using there in 1 Peter 3 verse 20, he speaks
of him who has gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God,
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
All things are subject unto the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His
day. It is the Gospel day. This is 2020 for the year of
our Lord and our Dominion. I know now that's completely
discounted, isn't it? They like to talk now of the
Common Era. Instead of using the initials A.D. because we
live in such a wicked secular society, but what matters is
what men say. We know that this is the day
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the acceptable time, the day of salvation. He is reigning in his mediatorial
kingdom. And so, having tried to say something
with regards to the exaltation, which is such a significant part
of his ascension. Let us turn in the second place
to the sovereignty of our Lord Jesus. Isn't that what we read
of here in verse 21? He is 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. He's
at God's own right hand but he is far above all that is spoken of there in
verse 21. This is what his ascension amounts
to. We have the language of the Psalmist
there in the 24th Psalm. Remember the words recorded there
at the end of that great psalm, verse 7, Lift up your heads,
O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the
King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory, Selah. It's Christ. the Lord of Glory
who is reigning and he reigns as I've already intimated even
in this present day, in this present world. He has temporal
power. What does it say here? In this world, there at the end
of verse 21 in this world and then also in
that which is to come he has temple power but he also has
spiritual power and we do well to take account of those two
aspects of his sovereign rhyme we see him there in the 8th chapter
of the book of the Proverbs as that one who is the wisdom of
God and the language we refer to it many times where he speaks
of his eternal sonship it's Christ who is the wisdom of God as he
is the word of God and what does he say remember the words verse
24 when there were no depths I was brought forth or before
there was any creation he was eternally brought forth when
there were no fountains, no fountains of water, before
the mountains were settled, before the hills, he says, I was brought
forth, eternally begotten of the Father, daily as delight,
he says, rejoicing always before Him. and he's delightful with
the sons of men. It's a remarkable portion of
Scripture, Proverbs 8, and it's full of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And what does he say? There in Proverbs 8, verse 15,
By me kings reign. This is wisdom. This is Christ.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes
rule, and nobles, even all the nobles of the earth. He is over all things in this
present world. We know that the powers that
be are ordained of God, but God is over the powers that be. We
surrender unto God first and foremost the things that are
of God, then we render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. But we look beyond governments. We look to Him who is the King
of kings and the Lord of lords. that every soul, Paul says, be
subject unto the higher powers there is no power but of God and what a comfort that should
be to us really when we think of the wickedness of the kings
of this world and yet they are not free agents the sovereignty of our God is
absolute the prophet said shall there
be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it now God is not
the author of sin and that word that's used there evil in the
city really refers to calamities things that to us seem to be
so strange if God is reigning we know that the God that we
believe in is too wise to be mistaken he's too good to be
unkind And even when we think of recent events in Parliament,
the debates just the other day, and the outcome of that bill,
how it was passed. But we have to look higher than
that, we have to look to God and we have to continue to cry
to God. Again, the wise man tells us, doesn't he, in the book of
Psalms, there are many devices in a man's heart. nevertheless
the counsel of the Lord that shall stand." God's counsel cannot
be frustrated. Oh, this is our comfort, the
sovereignty of God. Do we really believe it? We say
we believe it. But do we really live our lives
in the light of it? That nothing happens by mere
chance. And the one who is reigning in
heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the day of His mediatorial
kingdom. He is the mediator. We're going
to go on later, if the Lord will, to look at what He says in the
final verses of this prayer, that God hath put all things
under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to
the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth
all in all. In all His sovereignty in this
world he ever has his eye upon his people his church that is
the apple of his eye all this is our comfort is it not? and
Paul is praying for this church at Ephesus that they might understand
these things and live by these things what God has done you see, what
God has wrought in Christ and set him at his own right hand
in the heavenly places 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 and so the sovereignty
of Christ is not just a matter of the temporal powers but also
spiritual power belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ he does according to his will among the armies of heaven as
well as among the inhabitants of the earth remember how Nebuchadnezzar
was brought to recognize that, to acknowledge, to confess that
He doeth according to his will among the armies of heaven and
the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand none
can say to him what doest thou? and here at the end of verse
20 we read that he is set at the right hand of God in the
heavenlies it's there in the heavenly places that he is reigning
and so we have it again at the end of verse 21 not only in this
world but also in that which is to come all the spiritual
powers as I have spoken of far above all principality and power
and might and dominion what does he go on to say later
in the in the final chapter where he speaks of the believer and
that great armor that has been provided for the Christian. He reminds us, doesn't he, of
the battle, the conflict, and where it is and what it is. Verse
12 of chapter 6, 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 all the forces of darkness the great host of the fallen
angels and Satan at the head of them now we have to pray then
to the Lord in our prayers that he lead us not into temptation
but he deliver us from evil or there is a conflict but the Lord
God himself is sovereign over over all these things even Satan
himself is no free agent we see that so clearly in the matter
of Job and all that that poor man had to endure of the assault
of Satan but Satan was no free agent so clear there in the opening
two chapters of that book of Job God is sovereign. And our comfort is that the Lord
Jesus Christ is that one through and in whom God is reigning in
the day of grace. That's the day in which we're
living, the day of grace. Christ's kingdom has begun. and
still He rules and reigns and He is far above all principality
and power and might and dominion and every name that is named or do we really believe that? God has highly exalted Him given
Him a name which is above every name that's what we are told
there in Philippians 2, 9 after The Apostle has spoken of all
his great humility, the lowliness of mind of Christ, the depths
that he sinks to, but all the exaltation of that one who made
the great sin-atoning sacrifice. We're wrestling against all these
powers of darkness. Again, we have the language of
the Apostle there in that 10th chapter of 2nd Corinthians verse
4 he says the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of struggles
casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted
itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ all the weapons of
our warfare what are they? well we are told aren't we at
the end of the book in that sixth chapter that great armour that
the Lord God provides for his people in that good fight of
faith but we know that the conflict is not only external in the sense
that we're at war with Satan and with the world that lies
in that wicked one But there's also that that is internal. There's our fallen nature. There's
the lost of the flesh. There are those sins that cling
and cleave to us. How the flesh lost it against
the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, says Paul. And you
cannot do the thing that you would. How the believer feels
it. Paul certainly knew it. all wretched
man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death
he says and then the answer I thank God I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord so then with the mind I myself serve the Lord
of God but with the flesh the Lord of sin all the I myself
the real Paul it's not Saul now is it? he is that new man in
Christ and by Christ He will mortify all the deeds of the
flesh. All Christ, you see, is exalted. He is exalted to give
gifts. And He gives His gifts to men.
Yea, the rebellious also, He says. That the Lord God might
dwell among them. Or that we might know then that
blessed reign of grace in our own souls. How we stand in need
of Him. that the Lord would come and
subdue all our iniquities, that the Lord would come and deliver
us from all our awful unbeliefs, scatter it from us, establish
us by His grace, that we might rest in His sovereignty, that
we might live the sovereignty of our God. I know I've mentioned
this on previous occasions but remember when I first came to
Southampton, assistant pastor with David Fountain there in
Southampton and of course when he was an undergraduate at Oxford
he'd attended the ministry of Sidney Norton previous to that
he'd been a schoolboy at Dulwich College and as a youngster he'd
gone up to Westminster Chapel he'd sat at the feet of Dr Lloyd
Jones when he was in his early teens I suppose and then he goes
up to Oxford and he discovers this man ministering to a handful
of people at Squitchy Lane in Somertown, one of the suburbs
of Oxford. That man was Sidney Norton. And
there were other undergraduates and some who were doing postgraduate
studies there. I remember seeing Sidney Norton's
visitors book and you know, some remarkable men sat at his feet
there in Squitchy Lane. I remember David Fountain saying
this to me, he said, I'd sat at the feet of Dr. Lloyd-Jones
and I went up to Oxford, he said, and I attended the ministry of
a man, and that man was Sidney Norton, and you know what, that
man was living the sovereignty of God. He was living it. That was the impression that
he made. He knew it in his own soul. And isn't this what Paul
is praying for these people? And it's a prayer for us also,
surely. to know what God hath wrought which he wrought in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right
hand in the heavenly places 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 for Christ is that
one risen ascended exalted. His kingdom has begun. He reigns. O God, grant that we might know
then something of the comfort of that blessed truth. Amen.