Paul continues by praying that his readers will know the hope of God’s calling, our riches in His inheritance, and his power toward believers. Our hope is built on a spiritual future which gives us strength to live as we grow in Christ through the joys and trials of life. Our inheritance is the ability to live free from sin and live sanctified lives as we look forward to our final inheritance in heaven. The greatness of God’s power is revealed both in raising Christ from the dead and from raising us from our former lives in which we were walking in darkness.
A quick note about the Greek word for heart (καρδία, kardia) – in our culture we think of emotions when we think of the “eyes of our heart.” But the Greeks thought of the intestines as the seat of emotions. The heart was considered the seat of understanding, thought, and the core of one’s life. Many today see religion as an emotional thing, personal to each person without containing absolute truth. But as enlightened Christians we know through thought, not mere emotion, that we are called to a higher purpose both in this life and the next. We are being transformed to display his glory and should see ourselves and fellow believers in this light.
Paul uses four words for power in verse 19: power (dunamis - strength, ability), working (energeia - energy, operative or supernatural power), strength (kratos - force, dominion), and might (ischus – ability, power, strength). Using four synonyms for power magnifies the idea of God’s power made available to us. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! His strength is made perfect in our weakness! We can triumph over sin, we can trust him in our trials, we can know he hears our prayers, and we can depend on Him to work all things to our good.
Great post! Thanks for bringing out that emphasis on the power God makes available to us. Blessings!
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