As the eyes of our hearts are enlightened, true spiritual formation begins to take place from the inside out. We begin to understand the greatness of the blessings God has given, and if we appropriate them, those blessings change us. By faith we are: blessed with every spiritual blessing, chosen to be holy and blameless, adopted into His family, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, forgiven and reconciled with the Father, who has shared His wonderful mystery with us that gives us eternal hope, and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, to show that we belong to Him, guaranteeing our eternal security.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ” (Eph. 1:18-20a). In his book Holy Available, Gary Thomas described this process: “The more clearly we see, the more faithfully we obey. The more we obey, the more clearly we will see, and–over time–the more deeply we will mirror the spirit and life and character of Christ.”

In verses 20-23, Paul acknowledged that this spiritual transformation takes place only through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. The power that raised Him from the dead is the same power that transforms our lives.

The resurrection of Jesus is an essential element in God’s breaking forever the power of sin. When Jesus rose from the dead, the work of salvation was complete. Sin and death were vanquished. Additionally, the resurrection demonstrated to the world that the cross was effective, that God had been victorious through Christ. The resurrection assures us, not only that our faith is valid, but also that our sins have been wiped away.

Finally, the resurrection also demonstrates the power of God available for us as we live our lives for God’s purposes and glory (Eph. 1:19-20). The same God who raised Jesus from the dead will work in and through us as we seek to serve Him in every facet of our lives through the Holy Spirit that He marked us with. And it is His strength, and not our own that gives us the power in Christ. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

I pray today for people who desperately need the power of the resurrection in their lives. I think of those who are weighed down by sin, discouragement, suffering, and skepticism. Stir up faith in them, Lord. Help them to affirm and to experience the reality of the resurrection. All praise be to you, God of power and might, heaven and earth are filled with your glory. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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