Now let us turn once again to
God's Word, and we turn to the end of Ephesians chapter 1, the
first chapter in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, and I'll read
at verse 18. Following 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 who do 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
that 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." Last Lord's Day we were considering
something of that spiritual enlightenment that's spoken of here at the
beginning of the 18th verse, the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened and how necessary that spiritual enlightenment
is. We have God's Word before us. Our minds, of course, are
so darkened because of the deadness of that sin that is bound up
with our very nature as the fallen sons of Adam and Eve. We need that the Spirit who first
gave the Word should come and enlighten the eyes of our understanding
and so we we're considering something of the consequence where there
is that gracious enlightenment that comes by the spirits we
mentioned those three things there is that hope of the effectual
calling spoken of in the middle of verse 18 to know the hope
of his calling, not that general call that comes in the proclamation
of the Gospel, but that effectual call, that blessed hope of the
Gospel that comes to those upon whom the Spirit of God is pleased
to do His gracious work. And then also we consider that
consequence that's spoken of at the end of verse 18, to know
what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. That blessed inheritance that
God has laid up for them that love Him. And then thirdly, that
third consequence in verse 19, what is the exceeding greatness
of His power to us, where there is that ministry of the Spirit
there. there will be this knowledge of the exceeding greatness of
the power of God which is demonstrated in them that believe. And we saw now that the pattern
of that power is seen in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ from the dead. It goes on in verse 20, does
he not, to speak of what God wrought in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the
heavenly places. And see how at the end of verse
19 there's a connection you see between that power in them that
believe and that power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The one is according to the other. It's according to the working
of his mighty power, he says at the end of verse 19. The same power as was there in
Christ's resurrection is what God puts forth in the souls of
those who are born again. Those in whom God is pleased
to work that saving faith. Now, why is it that the Apostle
makes such a comparison as this? Why does he link these two things
together in verses 19 and 20? Why does he link Christ's resurrection
from the dead with that working of faith in the soul
of those who by nature were dead in trespasses and in sin. Well,
we said last time how the Christ's death and Christ's resurrection
is, of course, like no other. There are others that we read
of in the Scriptures who were raised again from the dead, we
mentioned that, and amongst them, of course, we can think of one
like Lazarus who was dead and had been lying in the grave,
and yet the Lord Jesus raises Lazarus to life again, a miracle. The great miracle he was able
to raise the dead was the Lord Jesus Christ. So, Christ is not
the only one in that sense who has been raised again from the
dead. But Christ's resurrection was
like no other resurrection because Christ's death was like no other
death. His death was that accursed death
wherein he was bearing the punishment of the sins of his people. Doesn't
Paul speak of that in Galatians chapter 3, how Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. For
it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. His was
an accursed death because he was dying as the substitute,
he was bearing the curse. that was due to those who were
the transgressors of God's holy law. As many as are of the works
of the Lord are under the curse, says Paul. For curse is every
one that continueth not in all things written in the book of
the law to do them. Christ's death day was a most
significant death as he died as the substitute, bearing in
his own person that wrath that was due to his people, that punishment
that he endured, they must have suffered for an ever-ending eternity. It is then a remarkable death,
it is a remarkable resurrection. In the resurrection is he not
declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit
of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Oh, what a blessed
consequence then, where there is this spiritual enlightenment
and we're enabled to see these things, not only the hope of
God's calling, not only the glory of His inheritance, but also
that exceeding greatness of His power that comes and works faith
in the souls of those who are dead in trespasses and sins,
the same power that is there in the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ. What a remarkable thing it is
for the sinner to be brought to believe. For the sinner to
believe, savingly believe. I don't mean just a notional
faith, an historical faith. Certainly all men ought to believe
the record that God has given us in Scripture concerning His
Son. But here we're speaking of that
faith that is justifying and saving. Doesn't he go on in the
next chapter to say By grace are ye saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works,
that any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained,
that we should walk in them. For the believer is God's workmanship. There is a mighty work of regeneration
that is performed in the soul. And there's his connection, as
we sought to emphasize last week, between that work of regeneration,
that new life that comes into the soul of the sinner, the connection
with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy dead men
shall live, he said. Together with my dead body shall
they arise, because I live. Ye shall live also. And all of that doctrine, you
see, that is contrary to the sovereignty of this grace of
God, is really contrary to the very Gospel. The Gospel sets
before us the great power of God. How the Gospel must come
to us, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. Or there might be those then
who desire to know something of that. Well, this morning I
want us to move on as we look at these verses and to consider
now what he goes on to say here, particularly in verses 20 and
21. Having spoken of the exceeding
greatness of his power to us, would you believe, he tells us,
remember, it's according to the working of his mighty power,
it's in the same fashion, it's in the like manner of 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 I want
us to consider these words then in terms of the ascension of
the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the one, you see, who
is now exalted as a prince and a saviour. This is the one who
has all power and all authority in order to save the sinner. Paul says, in 2 Corinthians,
how he was crucified through weakness. And yet that one who
died upon the cross is now exalted. and he is seated at the right
hand of God. Let us consider then, from these
words, something of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
there we see quite clearly that he is risen again from the dead
and as we come together, of course, on this particular day, the Lord's
Day, the first day of the week, the Christian Sabbath day, we
remember It is the day of his resurrection that Christ is risen
and that Christ is risen indeed. He is risen from the dead, he
is ascended on high. God raised him from the dead
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. And of course, these were the
very truths that we see the apostles preaching. After they were endued
with the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, with what boldness
they assert the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ in that
exalted position that he now occupies at the right hand of
God. Peter then on the Day of Pentecost,
preaching there at Jerusalem, He declares this, verse 30, Therefore
being a prophet, and knowing that God hath sworn with an oath
to him, that of the fruit of his loins, this is David he's
speaking of, David was a prophet as well as a king, Therefore
being a prophet, and knowing that God hath 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. This
Jesus 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 shed forth this which ye now see and
hear. For David is not ascended into
the heavens, But he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit
thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. This is the message there. That
he's being proclaimed there on the day of Pentecost that Jesus
of Nazareth who was crucified on the cross at Calvary is now
risen, and not only risen, he is ascending, he is seated at
God's right hand. He is glorified. Why so? Because he has accomplished all
that work that the Father had given to him in the covenant.
For the Father and the Son have they not compacted together with
the Holy Ghost in that great covenant of redemption. And so
in the fullness of the time God had sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law. And Christ had fulfilled all
righteousness, He'd obeyed the law. and His obedience was unto
death, even the death of the cross. As He comes to the end
of His earthly life, He prays to His Father there in John 17,
I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work
that thou gavest me to do. He ever did the will of His Father,
and then when He comes to die, does He not cry in triumph, it
is finished? And then he yields up the goat,
he commits his soul into the hands of his Heavenly Father.
No man is able to take his life from him. He has power, he has
authority to lay his life down and to take his life again. All his work is now finished,
that work that was given him. All that he must do here upon
the earth as a man, and now risen and ascended on high. He is there
in heaven as the great covenant head of his people. And he's
exalted, of course, for a purpose. As we read there in chapter 4, why is he ascended on high? Well,
the Apostle refers to Psalm 68. There in chapter 4 and verse
8, wherefore he says when he ascended on high he led captivity
captive and gave gifts unto men. He is ascended for a purpose. Having finished his work upon
the earth he is now in heaven and is in heaven as the God-man.
He is there as that one who is still united to his people, who
is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. Because he didn't
take upon him the nature of angels, he took upon him the seed of
Abraham. And because the children were
partakers of flesh and blood, he has taken part of the same.
And now he is in heaven, of course, as a glorified man. All the exaltation
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has received gifts from men.
Now what is the greatest of those gifts? Is it not the gift of
God the Holy Ghost? As Peter preaches there at Pentecost,
being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He, that is Christ,
hath set forth this which ye now see and hear. He gives the
Holy Ghost. And this is all part and parcel
of the outworking of that covenant, that inter-trinitarian covenant
between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That covenant in which
the Son, though equal to the Father, willingly becomes the
servant of the Father and accomplishes all his will. And in that same
covenant, the Spirit God the Holy Ghost. He is prepared to
serve the Son. And the Son sheds Him abroad
on the day of Pentecost. That He might work in the souls
of sinners. You see, that's spiritual enlightenment.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened. Where does
the spiritual enlightenment come from? It comes from the ministry
of the Spirit. Or Christ has received this greatest
of gifts, even the Holy Ghost and He sheds Him aboard. That
now we should come and we should ask God, we should ask the Father
in the name of Christ, that He would grant us that precious
gift. Christ says, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? Or can we not ask the
Father on the authority of Christ? that he would grant us the Holy
Ghost to come and to illuminate our poor, dark minds, and to
pour eye-salve upon our eyes, that we might know that spiritual
enlightenment. And not just come, you see, as
those who are familiar with the letter of God's Word, but know
something of the reality of it by that ministry of the Spirit. He has received gifts from men,
the gift of the Holy Ghost, the gift also of repentance, the
forgiveness of sins. Him has God exalted with His
right hand, says Peter, to give repentance to Israel and the
forgiveness of sins. God has exalted Him for that
purpose, that there might be the pardon of sins. that there
might be in us that true evangelical repentance, that grieving over
our sins, or that seeking the forgiveness of our sins for the
sake of Christ, that pleading of that precious blood of Christ. Gift, you see, it's gifts in
the plural, the Holy Ghost, working that repentance in the soul.
And then five also, does he not give five? We're to be looking
on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. He's there at God's right hand. Raised from the dead, God has
set him at his own right hand, we read here in verse 20, in
the heavenly place is. And that's where we look for
faith. You desire to know that faith that is truly saving. That
faith that is spoken of here in chapter 2 as the gift of God. You have to ask. Ask and it shall be given you
says Christ. We have to look to the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's the author of it. He's the finisher of it. All
our faith must therefore come only from Him. Or is He not able
to save them to the uttermost, to come unto God by Him? And then, of course, we know
also this blessed truth that it is from heaven. It's from
heaven that the Lord Jesus Christ is to come again. He will descend
from heaven. He will usher in the end of all
things. He will bring in that great, that terrible
day of judgment. In 2 Thessalonians, in chapter
1 at verse 7, see how Paul assures these believers in Thessalonica
they are troubled. And he says this, to you who
are troubled rest with us. when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angel 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 saints and to be admired in all them that believe because
our testimony among you was believed. in that day, admired in all them
that believe in that day. That's the blessed hope, is it
not? That that he's spoken of there
at the end of verse 18, the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the saints. He comes from heaven and he comes
to usher in all of these things. See then something of the exaltation
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is he now? is at God's
right hand. That's what it says here at the
end of verse 20. God has set him at his own right
hand in the heavenly places. And what does that tell us? Well,
it is the place of privilege. It is the place of honour that
the Lord Jesus Christ occupies. When Solomon was made king, In
1 Kings chapter 2 we read of his mother Bathsheba and as Solomon
sets his mother as queen at his right hand Bathsheba was at the
right hand of King Solomon. He gave to his mother that place
of privilege. The Psalmist says it, does he
not? in Psalm 45. Upon thy right hand did sit the
Queen in gold of oath. The right hand is the place of
privilege. We read in the Gospel of that
request that the mother of James and John came to Christ with.
She desired that when Christ came into his kingdom her son
should be sitting one at his right hand and one at his left
hand. She wanted James and John to have that position, the position
of honour in the Kingdom of God. The right hand then is clearly
the place of the greatest privilege. And this is where the Lord Jesus
Christ has been set, because He pleased the Father in all
the work that He did here upon the earth. Or did the Father
not declare on those two occasions to cross? both at his baptism
and at the Mount of Transfiguration, this is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. How he pleased the Father that
he executed the work of the Covenant. And now having finished that
work, the Father has raised him and received him into heaven
and set him at his right hand. But it's not only the place of
privilege and the place of honor, it is also the place of power
and authority. That's the right hand, it's the
place of authority. When the Apostle writes in the
opening chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, see how he speaks
of the Lord Jesus Christ as that one who is the image
of the invisible God there in verse 3 of Hebrews chapter 1
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 Oh, he purged the sins of his
people, he made the great sacrifice, and what does the Father do?
He puts him at his right hand in that place of authority. He goes on to say later in that
same opening chapter, sit on my right hand until I make thy foes subject. his enemy brought in
subjection to him, you see. He is put there then at the right
hand of God. He is gone into heaven. He is
on the right hand of God. Does he not say at the end of
Matthew's gospel as he gives that great commission to his
apostles and sends them forth to proclaim the gospel, all power,
he says, is given unto me. in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And know
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. All power is given to him. All
authority belongs to him. He is in that place of authority,
he is seated then at the right hand of God. This is his exaltation. For this is the result of that
work that he has executed, by accomplishing all the good will
and pleasure of his Father, by that obedient life that he lived
upon the earth, by that great oblation that he made when he
died upon the cross. And so, as we see here the ascension
and the exaltation of Christ, so we must also observe the sovereignty
that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. God raised him from the
dead, we're told, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places, far above all principalities, 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 hath put
all things under his feet. He is that one then who is sovereign. When he ascended, of course,
we are told, are we not, in the Psalms, of how he was received
into heaven. at the end of Psalm 24. 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. He is that One who is the King
of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He is
that One who has all authority. The Lord Jesus Christ, you see,
rules in this present world. He is that One who has all temporal
power. Look at the exaltation that is
spoken of here in verse 21. It's in this world. He has dominion, not only in
this world, it says, but also in that which is to come. He
has temporal power in this world, but he also has spiritual power
in the world that is to come. His authority is total. It's over heaven and earth. First
of all, as we think of the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ, consider
that rule that He exercises in the present world. We have Him
set before us, of course, in the Old Testament. Many of the
Old Testament books are full of prophecies concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ. And that is the case with the
book of Proverbs. We see it in the eighth chapter
where Christ is set before us as the wisdom of God. And what
does he say as God's wisdom? By me kings reign and princes
decree justice, by me princes rule and noble, even all the
judges of the earth." That's the language of wisdom. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
the wisdom of God. Who of God is made unto us wisdom,
says Paul. And there, in Proverbs chapter
8, he plainly declares, you see, that all temporal power that
is exercised by kings and princes all that authority that belongs
to the judges of the earth comes from him. God is that one who is sovereign
not only in the spiritual realm but also in the natural realm.
And remember how Paul reminds us of that solemn truth in the
13th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. Let every soul, he
says, be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power
but of God. The powers of thee are ordained
of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth
the power resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to the evil. Will thou then not be afraid
of the power?" He speaks, you see here, of civic power, political
power, those who are in authority, and he's addressing this church
in Rome, which is the very center, of course, of the great power
of the Roman Empire. Although it be a pagan empire,
yet, Even that pagan empire is under the sovereign hand of God.
It's to be recognized. Peter says, honor the king. Fear
God, honor the king. He is the minister of God to
thee for good, says Paul. If thou do that which is evil,
be afraid, for he bareth not the sword in vain. For he is
the minister of God, a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that
doeth evil. Wherefore ye must need this subject. the powers that they had ordained
of God, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is that One who is
the Sovereign, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Our God
is in the Heavens. He hath done whatsoever He pleases. All the mystery you see of that
Divine Sovereignty, even in the natural affairs of life, we're
to recognize it, even with regards to those who bear the rule over
us. This is why we're to respect
the authority. This is why we're to pray for
them. We're to pray for those who bear rule over us. Ultimately, we recognize
the absolute sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ, even in these
temple things. Many devices in a man's heart,
we're told, All men have their plans and their plots and their
schemes. They have their various devices. Nevertheless, says Solomon,
the counsel of the Lord, the counsel of the Lord, that shall
stand. The Lord Jesus Christ then clearly
has authority with his temple. He has authority in the present
world. But here in verse 21, the emphasis is more upon his
authority in the spiritual realm, the world to come. He is far
above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this world, he says,
but also in that which is to come. He is God. He is God, and he doeth according
to his will, among the armies of heaven, as
well as among the inhabitants of the earth. He does his will
amongst the inhabitants of the earth. None can stay his hand.
None can say to him, what doest thou? But he also exercises his
sovereignty over the armies of heaven. All the heavenly hosts,
that's the angel. That's the elect angel. who have never sinned, who are
about the throne of God, who are always doing God's bidding.
Remember in Isaiah chapter 6 how the prophet there sees God's
throne and the seraphim. And they have six wings, and
with two they cover their eyes, and with two they cover their
feet, and with two they fly. And they fly at the bidding of
God, they do the commandments of God with all haste. Those
are the elect angels about the throne of God, the burning seraphim. But he is also sovereign, of
course, and this is our comfort, we believe this comfort is the
Christ's authority. He's exercised also over those
fallen angels. He is in the heavenly places. We're told at the end of verse
23, said that God's own right hand in the heavenly places He
is that one who is sovereign also in the world which is to
come. How the believer you see is one
who is spiritually aware of those principalities and powers against
those rulers of the darkness of this world, those spiritual
wickednesses in high places. The believer is one who is spiritually
enlightened. He's aware of the forces of darkness. He knows and experiences these
things in his walk with God. He knows there's a devil. What
does Paul go on to say at the end of this book in chapter 6?
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, not temporal powers, not physical
powers, not flesh and blood but principalities and powers, the
rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in
high places. And he goes on of course to speak
there in chapter 6 about spiritual armour that God has provided
for his children as they seek to engage in this conflict as
they seek to fight that good fight of faith. The weapons of
our warfare are not carnal issues, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of the strongholds of Satan. And we need to be in
prayer then, you see. Why does the Lord tell us in
that patterned prayer that we're to make certain petitions? He
tells us how to pray, doesn't He? And amongst the petitions
that we need to be making to God, he says, lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. All friends, there is a
conflict that the believers are so very much aware of. And that conflict is not only
external, it's not only a conflict with Satan, the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children
of disobedience, as we read here in chapter 2.
There's also that internal conflict that the believer is so much
aware of, he's been awakened, that he knows something of himself,
he knows he has a fallen nature, and he feels it, he knows those
awful lusts of the flesh, he feels these things, But here
is His comfort, you see, that the Lord Jesus Christ is that
One who is exalted and is in the place of authority, is at
God's right hand. That all power belongs unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. And He, as I said, is exalted
for a purpose. He has received gifts for men,
as we read there in chapter 4 and verse 7. And who are the men
that the Lord Jesus Christ has received gifts for? Well in chapter
4 he is actually quoting from the psalm, psalm 68 is the psalm he is quoting from.
If we go back to the psalm we are told something of the character
of those men that Christ has received the gifts for. Psalm
68 and verse 18, David says, Yea, for thee rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell
among them. for the rebellious. These are
the ones that the Lord Jesus Christ has received gifts for.
Sinners. Rebels. Those who set themselves
against God. Those who have behaved so foolishly
and perversely and refused to submit to his authority. Oh,
there's hope, you see, for sinners. In the resurrection and the ascension
and the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is in that great
place at the right hand of God and is there for whom? For sinners.
This is the man who receives sinners. Even the Lord Jesus
Christ, the one who has received gifts for sinners. Oh friends,
is it not for us then to come to him and to ask that he would
yet grant to us those precious gifts And above all, that great
gift of the Holy Ghost to come and to enlighten the eyes of
our understanding that we might know these things. And know them
not just in theory, not just a letter of God's Word, but to
know the very truth of them as we experience these things in
our own souls, or the power of God in the Gospel. That's what
he's speaking of here, and that power, that authority is all
vested in the Lord Jesus Christ. Raised from the dead, set at
God's 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 the world to come. All God's
grants that he might be ours to know this Savior, this mighty
Savior. He's able to save. Able to save
for the uttermost, says Paul, all that come to God by him. Oh God grant that we might be
those who would come only by his mediation. The Lord grant
his blessing for his name's sake.