Restoring the "Forgotten Middle" to Christ's Resurrection Power--Ephesians 1:19-20 (Easter message)

            There’s a song that’s been going around Christian radio lately that reminds us of an important truth regarding Christ’s resurrection. It’s the song, “Same Power,” by Jeremy Camp, and the basic message of the song is captured in the line at the beginning of the chorus: the same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in us. We have that same power at work within our lives through the Holy Spirit.

            That’s an important truth for us to remember, lest we start to think about Christ’s resurrection only in terms of the past and the future and lose sight of its implications for the present. We can sometimes find ourselves thinking about Christ’s resurrection the same way that we think about a retirement account – it’s good that I started one in the past, and I’ll sure enjoy it in the future when I can begin to draw from it, but it doesn’t really help me right here, right now, on a daily basis.

            We might have that same kind of thought about Christ’s resurrection. Sure – we know it’s great that he rose from the grave all those many years ago, and we know that we too will be resurrected one day because of it. But in the meantime – well, what difference does it make?

            That song reminds us that God’s resurrection power is still active in the world today – and in fact, it’s active within you and me. That truth is expressed in a handful of different passages in the New Testament, but today I’d like to point you specifically to Ephesians 1:19-20. I’m going to start reading in verse 15 to give you the context, and let me ever so briefly give you a summary of verses 1-14.

            In those first 14 verses, Paul gives us a rundown of God’s plan of salvation and how he has worked it out in our lives. If you could master the message of just of those 14 verses, you would have a great handle on the vast majority of New Testament theology. You might want to make those 14 verses the subject of some careful, personal study in your daily Bible reading before long.

            Beginning in verse 15 then, Paul describes why and how he prays for the Ephesian believers. Let’s read his description down through verse 20 [READ].

            The phrase “according to” in v. 19 might seem a bit unclear to you, so let me read for you how verses 19 and 20 are translated in the NIV: “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

            So God’s incomparably great power for us who believe is indeed the same power that rose Jesus from the grave. From this point forward in the book of Ephesians, we could view it as a description of what God can accomplish in us and through us through the immeasurable greatness of his power. So I want to take you today on a quick tour through the book of Ephesians. You’ll get a glimpse of how God’s resurrection power can transform your daily life right now and make a difference for you in the present day, not just in the past and the future.

1. His power gave us spiritual life to walk in His path of good works--2:1-10

            In this section, Paul describes how we were spiritually dead without Christ, unwittingly following Satan, and living for little more than satisfying our own lusts. But through Jesus Christ, God saved us from that situation and gave us new spiritual life, through which we can accomplish good things for him in this world. All of this is summed up in the familiar words of 2:8-10 [READ].

            God has saved us from our sins and molded us to do good works – actions that will bear his fruit in this world and do good for mankind. As we look around our world today, we see problems that leave us staggering because of their size and complexity. But the history of Christianity can be seen from one angle as a story of dismantling difficult problems. Christians in the Roman Empire successfully ended practices like infanticide and the systematic neglect of the sick and handicapped. Christians in the New World effectively put an end to the legal slave trade among English-speaking countries. Christian missionaries have taught jungle tribes how to escape the cycle of revenge killings, and they’ve challenged pagan cultures to put an end to practices like human sacrifice.

            God can work through us to effect lasting change in this world. The immeasurable greatness of his power can accomplish incredible things through his people – and not just on a societal level, but in your homes and in our schools and in our communities.

2. His power allows us to overcome prejudice in order to walk in unity with other believers--2:11-3:13

            In the next section of Ephesians, Paul describes how Christ brought together Jews and Gentiles as one body and one family within the church. That was no small feat when you consider the prejudice that existed between those groups. It would be like Blacks and Whites in the Jim Crow South joining together in true peace and harmony.

            God’s great power can overcome the prejudices that we might harbor against each other, which is highly significant given how deeply held our prejudices often are. These attitudes are often lodged in our hearts rather than our minds, which makes them all the more difficult to change. If you discover that you’ve simply been thinking about something incorrectly, it might not take too much for you to change your mind. But when your feelings and values are tied up in it, watch out! Attitudes like that require an adjustment that can be life altering.

            But God can do it in his power! He can make friends out of lifelong enemies and fellow worshipers out of former antagonists.

3. His power allows us to comprehend the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God--3:14-21

            This section is so beautiful that I just want to read it to you rather than comment on it [READ]. Isn’t a passage like that a feast for your soul? I especially love the notion that it takes strength to comprehend the love of Christ. It’s a love that blows us away, so we have to have God-given strength just to be able to comprehend it!

4. His power equips us to help each other mature in Christ--4:1-16

            In the next two sections, Paul really builds upon the image of walking to describe the way we move through life with our decisions and actions. In 4:1 he writes, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” When you think about how high our calling is as believers, it’s almost stunning sometimes to think that we actually can live up to it – that through God’s power we can live in such a way that the name “Christian” or “little Christ” actually suits us well!

            God’s power can accomplish that in us, and he can also use us to help each other mature in Christ. Notice what Paul writes in 4:15-16 [READ].

5. His power leads us to walk in love and wisdom rather than selfishness and ignorance--4:17-5:21

            In this section, we have a number of commands that all build upon this metaphor of walking. In 4:17, Paul writes, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” Then in 5:1-2 he writes, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

            Next, in 5:8-9 he writes, “Walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.” Finally in 5:15-16, Paul writes, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

            Earlier, Paul had described how those who do not believe are simply led around by their own passions and desires, but through Christ we have the immeasurable greatness of God’s power that can strengthen us to live a different way. Our sinful desires are like gravity – they are always pulling us down whether we realize it or not. But God’s great power strengthens us to rise above our sinful desires and escape their pull so that we can walk a different path.

6. His power allows us to act properly in all our relationships, and for the right reasons--5:22-6:9

            In this section, Paul gives practical instructions to various groups of people to teach us how to live together. As we all know, one of the most difficult challenges we face is simply to live together with other people in ways that are healthy and beneficial and encouraging rather than dysfunctional. So Paul writes to husbands and wives, to children and parents, and to slaves and masters to tell them all how to act properly in those relationships.

            And with each piece of advice, he reminds us that our goal in these relationships is not simply to please ourselves or even other people, but to please Christ. In each of these relationships, we should live in love toward Christ, which will keep us on the right track.

7. His power strengthens us to stand against the schemes of the Devil--6:10-20 (vs. 10-12)

            We have a powerful foe in the devil who is always seeking to do us harm. The Bible describes him as powerful, intelligent, cunning, and even attractive. But his power is no match for the immeasurable greatness of the power that rose Jesus from the dead! God’s power strengthens us to stand against the schemes of the devil.

            And so, let us always remember that the same power that brought a dead man back to life is at work in our lives today to accomplish things that might also seem impossible. When we feel the powerful pull of our sinful desires, it may feel impossible to say no, but through God’s power we can walk a different path. It may feel impossible for us to live in peace with someone from “that other group” of people, but through Christ we can find unity in worshiping him.

            Wives, it may seem impossible for you to honor your husbands, or husbands, it may seem impossible for you to love your wife as you love your own body, but through Christ that can be your love story! It may seem impossible to live up to the high calling to which we have been called or to think that you could actually enhance the reputation of Jesus among the people who witness your life, but through Christ it is possible. The immeasurably great power that brought him back to life is at work within us right now, and it can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think so that God might receive the glory for ever and ever. Amen!