Where I live, some people perceive that our government policies benefit them. Others see those ideas are robbing people blind. In a book I just read, the wife of a man loved him because he was kind toward her. Others thought he was only after her money. A person I know strongly expresses anger against the way Covid was dealt with while others praise the way the powers that be tried to protect us. How we perceive what is happening around us determines how we talk and live in it. The same is true of spiritual resources; our perception affects how we live.
(May) the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might . . . (Ephesians 1:17–19)
Because perceptions can be so opposite, the NT tells us to pray that God will enlighten or reveal to us the perception that is according to who He is and what He is doing in our lives. This is vital because those who do not know Christ have varying ideas of the Gospel. A young woman who was a member of a cult told me that we are saved by doing good works. I had her read Ephesians 2:8-9 aloud to me, then asked her what it said. She said, ‘We are saved by doing good works.’ Her perception was so strong that the plain denial of her belief was invisible to her eyes.
Ephesians 1 gives a long description of the magnificent wonder of our inheritance in Christ, then Paul prays that we will know the riches of its glory. He knew how blind we can be to the things of God, even after reading his description. Profound and wonderful spiritual truth requires supernatural help to understand.
Divine enlightenment is needed because our perception of what the Bible says will affect how we live. A friend told me, “I know the gospel; we are saved by grace, yet something in me says I must do things a certain way. I am fearful that I cannot please God.” She was raised in a Christian home but with many rules, and that distorted her understanding of grace. Instead of having that amazing peace of knowing full salvation, she struggles with being ‘good enough’ even when she knows her error.
Those with the perception of grace described in the NT are less likely to give in to temptation, more likely to trust God for all their needs, and are confident of His unconditional love. This perception enables godly living, fearless trust, and freedom to love others without demanding anything in return.
Jesus, I realize how deeply I need to know, understand, meditate and remember all that You are and have done and will do. The way I live is directly related to what I truly believe and accept, not to mere knowledge but to that deeper knowing that comes through faith, that assurance of truth that changes lives. This is about Your rich and glorious inheritance, but it is also about the privileges of being Your child right now. I live in a complex world filled with strong opinions and arguments about what is good and bad, best and better. I need to know and deeply believe what You say, and deep belief is tied to obedience . . . the more I do what You say, the stronger my assurance is because the blessings of obedience back it up.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places . . . . (Ephesians 1:3)
So live like it!
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence . . . . (2 Peter 1:3)
So live like it!
MORE EXAMPLES: Read 2 Corinthians 11–12 and notice the trials Paul faced and how God responded. Also notice how God responded to his request to remove an unnamed “thorn in the flesh” and how Paul lived with that answer. Think of things in my life that God has delivered me from and consider the weaknesses that are still part of my journey. What are my perceptions about those weaknesses and how do I live because of those perceptions? (Examples: God and government, God and suffering, God and persecution . . . .)
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