Ephesians 1:21
Far above All
Ephesians 1:21. In this devotion we are continuing in a passage we began in our previous devotion with an emphasis on verses 20 and 21. Just who is this Lord Jesus Christ of whom Paul is speaking in these verses?
7 that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you
the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is
the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far
above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Ephesians 1:17-21, NKJV
Ephesians 1:21
Far above All
Just who is this Lord Jesus Christ of whom Paul is speaking in Ephesians 1:20 and Ephesians 1:21? We note that God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. His position, which is far above all principality and power and might and dominion, is secure, not only in the time of the early church, but forever!
What does this mean for us in this, the 21st century? How are we directly impacted by these verses?" You have heard the statement, "Familiarity breeds contempt." While we do not contempt the Lord Jesus Christ, we as believers certainly do tend to lack a true sense of who He is and how small we are in comparison. Our world tends to revolve around us, but this should not be so. Our world needs to revolve around the Lord Jesus Christ.
How does Paul present Christ in these verses? First of all, since Christ was resurrected, He is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. As such, His dominion is far above all principalities, earthly or heavenly powers, and every name that has ever and will ever be named.
Christ's rule does not depend upon our acceptance or rejection of Him. In other words, if a person does not even believe that God exists, much less His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ is still the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is still that unbeliever's King!
We are so completely limited in our understanding that we can only perceive of earthly powers. Yet, in the spiritual realm, powers and principalities not only exist, but are at war with one another. Satan is a real being with real power. His army is not to be underestimated by mere humans. Yet, even Satan must go before God to receive permission to do his dastardly deeds.
We have a classic example of this in the book of Job. Why does God allow such things? Known only to God are the great hidden secrets. We cannot begin to understand a realm we can barely perceive. However, we do know that, in the end, when time ceases, Satan and his entire kingdom will be vanquished forever.
For now, he is still being allowed to trouble the human realm, seeking to bring as many people as he can into the same utter destruction he will experience. God, however, has sealed a people for Himself. As people of God, Satan may destroy our bodies, but he cannot destroy our souls. God keeps us in His hands of protections all of our days on this earth.
Psalm 91:1 (KJV) tells us, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
As we continue through our Ephesians Bible Study, let us rejoice in this amazing God we serve. Christ has accomplished our salvation and now sits at the right hand of God making intercession for us. He is our advocate before a righteous and holy God.
Go to Christ today. Think of these wonderful promises found in Ephesians 1:20 and Ephesians 1:21. Christ is our only hope of joy, peace, and love both now and even forever more!
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