Do you believe God still works miracles today? I do, and the Bible and Church history attest to this truth (I defend the case for healing today in my book Receive Your Miracle Now!). Today, in this article, I want to discuss “The Greatness of His Power” as we continue our study in Ephesians.
Before I begin, I was reminded this week of a miracle I observed a few years ago. During one of my early ministry trips to Brazil, I witnessed the dramatic healing miracle of an eighteen-year-old woman who had been born deaf and mute. She came to one of our meetings with her medical doctor specifically for healing prayer. The doctor had personally known the young woman and her family for many years, and she asked me to pray for her to be healed of these conditions. Another team member and I began to pray with the doctor for this young woman to be healed. The doctor communicated our prayers to the woman using sign language. We prayed for several minutes with no indication of change.
I asked the doctor about the young woman’s father. Was he in her life? Was there a possibility she had unforgiveness toward him? The doctor explained that soon after she was born, the father left, as he could not bear the condition of his daughter. The young woman’s mother had been left to care for the girl on her own.
I then asked the young woman through the doctor if she had any unforgiveness toward her father for leaving. To my surprise, she communicated that she held no ill feelings toward her father. The doctor then told me to ask how she felt about her mother. I asked the young woman about any unforgiveness toward her mother. Immediately, she became agitated and responded that, yes, she had some issues with her mother. We led her through prayers of forgiveness and had her break judgments toward her mother. There was a noticeable change in her countenance after these prayers.
We then began to pray for her ability to hear and to speak. Within minutes, for the first time in her life, she began to hear and speak simple words. Tears of joy ran down her face. I spoke softly the name of Jesus to her, in English, and she repeated His name, the first word she ever spoke. After nearly twenty minutes of prayer ministry, her hearing and speech were functioning very well. The doctor was astounded and overjoyed; she witnessed this deaf and mute woman she had known for many years hear and speak for the first time!
Notice that the miracle occurred after the young woman forgave and broke judgments toward her mother. The unforgiveness that the young woman had toward her mother restricted God’s grace for healing when we first began prayer ministry.
God is the Healer; we simply prayed and cooperated with the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus healed the sick and deaf by relying on the empowerment and leading of the Spirit. Through our union with the resurrected Christ and the Trinity, we can be used by God as a conduit of His healing grace and power to facilitate healing and miracles to those in need. (See John 14:12.)
The Glory of the Church is Christ in Her!
In the book of Ephesians, Paul reveals God’s plan for us individually and for the Church corporately. Paul reveals what Jesus did for us, our identification with Him, and His ascension ministry.
The Church isn’t an afterthought with God; rather, the Church was God’s plan before time began. In Ephesians, something transcendent is revealed to us. We see how the Church comes out from Christ, how it was chosen before the foundation of the world, and how it will forever manifest the glory of Christ in eternity.[1]
As I shared last week, God had a plan before the foundation of the world that, through Christ, all who would receive Him as Lord would be adopted into God’s family. Through Jesus, we are redeemed by His blood, we are freed from the bondage of slavery, and we are given an inheritance in Christ that is eternal and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
The Spirit is God’s guarantee (arrabōn) that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” (Eph. 1:14 NLT)
Paul’s use of ‘guarantee’ is from a Greek word arrabōn. It is a word used at that time for legal or commercial transactions, such as down payment on a piece of land. Today, we often think of an inheritance as just money, but, in the ancient world, it was primarily land that would remain in the family.
Paul’s use of arrabōn in this verse implies that God took the initiative and that the Spirit is part of the promised future meeting us now in the present.
Our present new life in Christ is experienced by the Holy Spirit within as a guarantee, pledge, or down payment of our future resurrected life!
Paul mentions the importance of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Gal. 5:22-23 NIV)
But in his letters, he also mentions the importance of the power of the Spirit,
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power…” (1 Cor. 2:4 NKJV)
We should expect both the fruit and power of the Spirit to operate in our lives as we walk with Jesus. God desires to release the surpassing greatness of His power to and through those who believe!
The Holy Spirit working in the life of a believer is the sure evidence of God’s salvation; “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16 NKJV). We are those alive presently who are guaranteed to inherit God’s new world! The Spirit is a sign that one day we shall fully possess our inheritance—the already and not yet of the Kingdom.
Paul prays that the believers would progress in maturity and fully appreciate the greatness and power of their salvation (Eph. 1:15-23).
This power, he assumes, will be demonstrated both in and through us. He is praying that the Spirit would help them to know God better, and that it would help them understand their future and God’s power.
Paul also wanted the Church to understand that She is the present, physical presence of Christ. Our calling is to be transformed into His likeness and to represent Him. We, the Church, are filled with the Holy Spirit and are assigned by Jesus to represent Him to society by ministering His life, love, and power.
Paul states that God’s Kingdom and dominion rule overall. Through Christ, we have been given the fullness of His Kingdom, His authority, and His dominion. However, it’s up to us to possess the inheritance He has freely given us. It’s according to His mighty power.
We are in a time of transition in the body of Christ. A metamorphosis has begun where the Church is moving into a force to be reckoned with through God’s love, humility, and power demonstrating the greatness of His power in the world!
…one who is feeble among them like David, the house of David shall be like God, like an angel of the Lord before them.” (Zech. 12:8 NKJV)
In our generation, we are His representation of what Heaven is like. We display what is the measure of the stature and fullness of Christ. We are a confident people in Christ; He is our hope and confidence—this is true humility—a life dependent on Christ.
It’s not what we go through in this life that is important; it’s what we have become in Christ that is! We’ve entered His fullness, His splendor, and His victory!
The Greatness of His Power
Demonstrated through faith & love, revelation, and power.
Faith & Love
“I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.” (Eph. 1:15 NKJV)
Notice faith and love in verse 15. They are pillars to Christian character and to walking in His power. Faith and love had grown to such a point in the Ephesian church that it was being discussed abroad. Great revival and power, but it was their faith and love that was being discussed. The Church should be known for our love.
Paul writes to Timothy, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith” (1 Tim. 1:5 NKJV).
I desire more than anything a Church united, walking in the surpassing greatness of His power. It begins with each of us walking in faith and love, maintaining honor towards each other and to everyone.
I heard Pastor Peter Lord say years ago, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!” Jesus is the main thing! We are to keep Him the focus and emphasis of our lives.
To walk in His power, it begins right here: keeping Him foremost in our lives! Love, purity, and sincere faith flow from relationship with Him. Think how the Church would be transformed if the body of Christ resolved to keep this main goal of growing in faith and love!
A worthy goal is for others to hear of the great things God is doing in our midst as a local church; however, let’s be sure we are known for the right reasons, beginning with faith and love to start!
We are pursuing Jesus, not revival or His power! They are by-products of sincere devotion to Him. “…. Faith working through love.” (Gal. 5:6 NKJV)
Revelation
“I pray that the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the wisdom of His Spirit. Then you will be able to understand the secrets about Him as you know Him better. I pray that your hearts will be able to understand. I pray that you will know about the hope given by God’s call. I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him.” (Eph. 1:17-18 NKJV)
Wisdom and revelation of the Lord flow to those who walk in His faith and love. Right priorities bring an increase of prophetic revelation of Christ.
Paul is praying God would increase their revelation and knowledge of their glorious inheritance in Christ and the power of God which will finalize the inheritance in due time.[2]
This enlightenment by God…would give his readers understanding of three things: the hope of their calling; the riches of His inheritance; and His incomparable power for the believer (Eph. 1:18–19).[3] Hope is certain, established through faith.
Our revelatory experience in Christ empowers us to live the words He gives us. It’s our prophetic vision of Christ that releases all other vision—He is the author of faith! Vision captivates, vision propels, and vision enables. It begins with knowing Jesus and understanding His ways.
Have you ever considered that your heart has eyes? (See Eph. 1:18.) Have the eyes of your heart been opened yet? If you’re a believer in Christ, the answer is yes. Receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior empowers you to see and understand truth and mystery in God’s Kingdom.
There is a spiritual world all around us. What we see with the eyes of our heart should be as real to us as what we see with our natural eyes.
True faith is built up by seeing Who He is, and who we are in Him. True vision sees Him, who He is, and where He sits now. We are changed into His glory by seeing Him and realizing that we share His new life and nature (2 Pet. 1:4).
We must begin to live with an awareness of how beautiful and brilliant we are in Christ. We must move away from false humility that says, “Jesus is wonderful, but I’m nothing.” Real humility recognizes how great Jesus is, and declares, “though I don’t understand, He has made me like Him!” We should be a confident people in Christ; He’s confident in us!
Power
“And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength.”(Eph. 1:19 AMPC)
For Paul, the greatest display of God’s power, or that the world has ever seen, is confirmed through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (vs. 20) who is now enthroned—on the basis of God’s power—over all the universe. (This is an echo of Philippians 2:9-11, which was originally a hymn of the early Church).
Therefore, at the center of this prayer for them, Paul desires that they would realize and know this resurrection power that is available for their daily use.
The English word power used in Eph. 1:19 is from the Greek word kratŏs. It means dominion, strength, and manifested power. The word especially signifies exerted strength and power demonstrated in a reigning authority. It primarily refers to God’s Kingdom authority, dominion, and majesty. Kratŏs is also used in Ephesians 3:20 and 6:10.
Perhaps too many Christians today, and likely in Paul’s day too, are unaware God’s power is there and available to them!
Here are some simple steps to walking in God’s power.
First, believe the Holy Spirit dwells within you as a believer. He is the guarantee, the down payment of our inheritance in Christ.
Second, recognize and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in your life (Gal. 5:22-23).
Thirdly, expect God’s power to operate in your life, your prayers, and ministry to others as Paul and others did (1 Cor. 2:4).
Lastly, stay close to Jesus! Live a consecrated life to God, led by the Spirit!
It takes fresh revelation and wisdom to observe God’s power. The fact that many say they “don’t see God’s power” at work is even more reason this prayer is needed—the Church must see what God has made available now in His Kingdom.
It is like having a powerful telescope to see—until you look through it, you can’t see the fullness of the heavens! We must gaze into the truth of God’s Word and into what the Spirit is revealing of Christ.
Our confidence is in Christ, in His power and dominion. As we recognize our authority as a believer and begin to walk in the fullness of Christ, we impact our world.
The Church is the Fullness of Christ
“God put everything under Christ’s feet and made him head of everything in the church, which is his body. His body, the church, is the fullness of Christ, who fills everything in every way.” (Eph. 1:22-23 CEB)
Paul finishes this passage by stating how Christ fills everything and the Church is the fullness of Chris. The Church has a profound impact on the world; we are the light of the world!
“God put everything under His feet,” quoting from Psalm 8, which was a favorite of the early Church. This was also a veiled reference to all of the earthly and spiritual powers in and around Ephesus that they were subject to Jesus. “It also speaks of God’s purpose for humankind: that we should be sovereign over the whole of creation. This is what has been accomplished in Jesus the Messiah.” [4]
Christ is the fullness of God and we, the Church, are the fullness of Christ. In other words, all that pertains to life and godliness are found in Christ, and Christ is in us, and He is the fullness of every spiritual blessing.
There’s miracle power in your life—the manifested dominion of Jesus! Expect the unexpected! Pray audacious prayers for your family, the Church, and our nation. God wants to renew, revive, and transform!
Next week, I’ll continue in Ephesians chapter two, and I’ll explore how we are United with Christ!
For a deeper look at this topic, watch the Passion Church message “The Glory of Christ and His Church: The Greatness of His Power”:
[1] Watchman Nee, The Glorious Church, (Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1993), 50.
[2] Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 16-17.
[3] Mark A. Holmes, Ephesians: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 1997), 61.
