“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” – Philemon 1:4-6
LIGHT FOR NOW: You will not be doing yourself good in the Christian walk as a believer if you give ignorance a kingly seat in your life.
Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:16-17 have the same emphasis on the words of Philemon 1:4-6; that is, they were both prayers that are focused on knowledge. “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:16-17). The word “and” here in verse 17 means “that is”. “And” in the originals does not always refer to a conjunction. It can also be used to imply a further explanation. So, with this understanding, we can re-read Paul’s words as “…the spirit of wisdom which is revelation in the knowledge of him”. When this happens, what is the result? Next verse shows us; “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).
The word “enlightened” means to illuminate, to be flooded with light, to make to see. Philippians 1:9 “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment”. Colossians 1:9-10 “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God”. Knowledge makes the believer effective in that which he has already, in whom he is in Christ. The gift of God is Jesus Christ, and in him are all things freely given. Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Notice “how then shall he not with him FREELY give us all things”. One must thus appraise this knowledge that whatever comes from God to us is FREE! Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Don’t neglect knowledge.
DECLARATION: I don’t take the knowledge of God’s word for granted. I go after knowledge situated within the confines of the rightly divided word of truth, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
QUOTE: Your knowledge of Christ is vital for your effectiveness in the Christian faith.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ROMANS CHAPTER 8; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 3
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 