Title: The Apostle's Prayer
Contents
4. The Apostle's Prayer (1:9-11)
One of the reasons God saved us is that He wants us to become fruitful Christians and that He may be glorified through the fruit.
(Ephesians 2:10) “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we might walk in them.” to bear fruit that pleases
1. The Apostle Paul’s Prayer (1:9) “I pray”
① The necessity of prayer
We must pray and go on until we are perfected.
(Ephesians 1:17) “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know God.”
② Contents of prayer
a. Abundant love with knowledge and understanding
“May your love abound more and more with knowledge and all understanding” (1:9).
We must seek before God such a love that has knowledge and understanding.
‘Knowledge’ = Spiritual knowledge (like Christ, living in Christ and with Christ)
‘Intelligence’ = discernment. Love without intelligence is disorder
(Ephesians 3:18) “Able to know with all the saints the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge
b. True and flawless love (verse 10) = Do not be hypocritical before God and men.
*Truth is not perfection, it means that there is no falsehood and no adornment./ Do not hide your sins from God, but reveal yourself.
* Being flawless means not being offered by others.
(Romans 12:2) “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
c. Love full of the fruits of righteousness (verse 11).
The fruit of righteousness = external righteousness (fruit produced by impartial), not internal righteousness (love, joy, peace). / A kind person who is justified in Jesus and becomes Christlike.
The fruit of righteousness of the saints is a fruit that is soft in our lives by obedience to the Holy Spirit./ When the fruit of righteousness is full, it becomes glory and praise to God.
(Ephesians 5:9) “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.”
(Matthew 5:16) “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”