Prayers of Paul – Knowing our Value – Part 4

We are continuing with the prayers of Paul. I don’t think we can ever come to an end of them. Layer after layer keeps unfolding new truth and depth. Today we will focus on the value that God has placed in us. He has invested everything in us – His very own Son – Jesus Christ.

If you remember, in the Ephesians 1 prayer (Eph1:15-19) Paul was praying for the believers to receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. As Paul layed out, that illumination would have three major results for the believer. 1. They would know the HOPE of His calling. 2. They would know what are the riches of the glory of the INHERITANCE of the saints. 3. They would know the POWER that is toward those who believe. We are putting our attention on number 2, our inheritance or value to God.

“…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” (Eph 1:18b)

What a loaded statement! Paul was not only asking that they would know their inheritance but what are the “riches of the glory” of them. We cannot simply gloss over these words. God has placed within each believer an immense treasure of riches. In fact, we are those riches! Jesus paid the full price with His body so that we could be redeemed. Is anything more valuable than the life of Jesus?

In Matthew 13 Jesus told the parable of the pearl of great price.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (vv-45-46)

You are that pearl! I am that pearl! Do you see it?

I grew up in a household that struggled with finances. I also grew up without a father. As a result I had a lack of confidence in my life. I felt I had little value as a person. God was not real to me and as a result I knew nothing of His love. This lack of knowing my value led to many poor choices. But! At the age of 20 or so I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Slowly, as I began to learn (by revelation) what God thought of me, my opinion of myself changed. I learned that He deeply loves me. This kind of knowledge is available to all people, not just a select few. He will reveal His love to you if you ask. In fact, this is really what Paul was asking in Eph 1 and especially in Eph 3. Paul asked that they would “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.” (v.19)

Let’s go back to Eph chapter 1. By the way, I would highly recommend getting well acquainted with Eph 1:1-14. In it Paul lays the foundation of our position in Christ. More importantly it lays our our value to God – how much He loves us! Look for key words like chose, adoption, redemption, sealed. There are more! Ask God to reveal its depths to you.

In verse 11 we find a profound statement:

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.“

And what exactly is that inheritance? Paul reveals it in the following verse.

“that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” (v.12)

Therefore, our inheritance is that we would “be to the praise of His glory.” Notice the word “be.” It is not something we do but rather who we are. And we know from verse 6 that it is by grace alone. “…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Now, the person of the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in our inheritance. Continuing in our Ephesians 1 passage.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (v.13)

During salvation we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. It is the seal of approval and possession. We are loved and belong to God. The good news gets even better!

“who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (v.14)

The word guarantee can also be translated “down payment.” The Holy Spirit is our down payment of what God will complete. What will He complete? Our complete redemption! “…until the redemption of the purchased possession.” Jesus paid the full price for our lives. Now, our inheritance is the complete outworking of His redemptive work in our lives. It is like the declaration of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) The word “must” is not in the original, rendering the verse “He must increase, but I decrease.”

Jesus, I thank you for your redemption. I thank you that you chose us before the foundation of the world and that you love us. Oh you love and value you us enough to die for us. We ask that you make us into the praise of the glory of your grace. We ask that you increase in our lives and we know we will decrease as a result. Lord, you are Lord. Take all of my Your purchased possession. In Jesus’ name. Amen.