Ephesians: The Hope of His Calling
Ephesians 1:18-19 - May the eyes of your heart be enlightened!
“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…”
Ephesians 1:18-19 NASB1995
This is another awkward translation break in Ephesians (apparently there are more coming). It’s a challenge to decide which verses to study! The AI image is quite intriguing. Here is what ChatGPT said in part to the verses as a suggestion for an image:
The natural landscape below is beautiful but realistic—rolling hills, trees, and a distant horizon bathed in soft golden morning light.
Subtly layered into the scene is a second, spiritual dimension: faint, ethereal light patterns and radiant overlays woven into the landscape—gentle beams of light, soft glowing pathways, and shimmering highlights that suggest unseen spiritual reality. These elements should be delicate and not overpowering, as if only partially visible to the viewer.
The overall tone should convey hope, revelation, and quiet power—not dramatic or chaotic, but deeply peaceful and awe-inspiring. The lighting should be natural and golden, with cinematic depth of field and high dynamic range.
Our AI friend was trying to create an image that matched the idea of the “eyes of our heart”, a perception of the enlightenment and hope of His calling that goes beyond vision and thinking. I think this is intriguing!
Enduring Word also has intriguing commentary on this passage; keep in mind he uses the NKJV translation:
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, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,
a. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: If the Ephesians will know all God has given them in Jesus, it will take a supernatural work. It will require that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened by God.
i. Paul used a great expression when he speaks of the eyes of your heart (heart is more literal than understanding). Too many Christian hearts have no eyes (places where they gain real knowledge and understanding), and too many Christian eyes have no heart – God wants both to be combined in us.
ii. “The word ‘heart’ in Scripture signifies the very core and centre of life, where the intelligence has its post of observation, where the stores of experience are laid up, and the thoughts have their fountain.” (Alford)
b. What is the hope of His calling: Paul wanted them to know this. Few things give us a more secure and enduring hope in life than simply knowing that God has called us and has a specific calling for us to fulfill.
i. The hope of His calling has its perspective on the future. The believer has a glorious future of resurrection, eternal life, freedom from sin, perfected justification, and glorious elevation above the angels themselves.
c. What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints: Paul wanted them to know the greatness of God’s inheritance in His people. We usually think only of our inheritance in God, but Paul wanted the Ephesians to understand that they are so precious to God that He considered them His own inheritance.
i. Several commentators believe that Paul also spoke of God’s inheritance in His people back in Ephesians 1:11. But that is certainly his idea here, with Paul probably drawing his idea from Deuteronomy 32:8-9: When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
ii. Knowing our spiritual poverty, we wonder how God can find any inheritance in the saints. Yet God can make riches out of poor men and women because He invests so much in them. He has invested riches of love, riches of wisdom, riches of suffering, riches of glory. These things accrue to a rich inheritance in the saints.
d. The exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe: Paul wanted them to know how great the power of God is toward us who believe. Christians should know they serve and love a God of living power who shows His strength on behalf of His people.
i. Many Christians do not know this power – or they only know it from a distance. God wants resurrection life to be real in the life of the believer. “The very same power which raised Christ is waiting to raise the drunkard from his drunkenness, to raise the thief from his dishonesty, to raise the Pharisee from his self-righteousness, to raise the Sadducee from his unbelief.” (Spurgeon)
ii. This ends the “request” portion of Paul’s prayer. The following section explains more of this mighty power and what it did. Paul asked these things because they were important to ask for. We could say that the prayer of Ephesians 1:17-19 is essentially a request that the promises of Ephesians 1:3-14 be found as real in the lives of the Ephesian Christians.
iii. In the same way, your prayers for the spiritual growth and enlightenment of others are important. If Paul believed it was important to pray these things for the Ephesian Christians, it is important for us to pray them for others – and for ourselves.
A few takeaways:
Too many Christian hearts have no eyes (to gain enlightenment and understanding) and too many Christian eyes have no heart.
The Christian heart is the core and center of life.
The hope of His calling is what we have in store for us in the future: Resurrection, eternal life, freedom from sin, perfected faith and elevation above the angels.
God makes riches out of poor men and women because He has invested so much into us.
Resurrection power can lift us out of unbelief, sin and self-righteousness.
Speaking of that resurrection power, here is what the late John MacArthur says about these two verses in Ephesians, as quoted in Precept Austin:
The same divine power that created, sustains, and controls the universe secures your salvation.
God’s power is awesome! David wrote, “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name” (1 Chron. 29:11–13).
In Ephesians 1:19 Paul focuses on one key feature of God’s power: His ability to secure the salvation of His people. And he prays for you to understand the surpassing greatness of that truth.
The Greek word translated “power” is dunamis, from which we get dynamite and dynamo. This power is active, dynamic, and compelling—and it is mightily at work on your behalf. You might not always sense it, but it’s there nonetheless.
Peter expresses the same thought in 1 Peter 1:5, where he says you are “protected by the power of God through faith” in Christ. In that verse “protected” means “to keep or guard” and reflects Peter’s confidence that salvation is inviolable.
The same limitless power that created, sustains, and controls the universe saved you and keeps you saved. That’s why Jesus said no one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand (John 10:29). Not even Satan has the power to do that. Paul confidently added that nothing therefore can separate you from God’s love (Rom. 8:38–39). That’s the confidence you should have as you live each day.
That same power that created heavenly wonders like the Andromeda galaxy in the photo above and keeps it intact through His immutable laws of physics and mathematics is same the power that brought Jesus out of the tomb and that power keeps us saved!! Nothing can separate us from God’s love!
My next devotional examines Ephesians 1:20-23 - The rule and authority of Christ.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I pray the prayer that accompanies the commentary from John MacArthur: Pray for greater spiritual enlightenment and a clearer understanding of your security in Christ. ✧ Nothing will rob you of your assurance quicker than unconfessed sin. If that has happened to you, confess it immediately and turn from it. Then ask God to restore to you the joy of your salvation.
Citations and Credits:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 03/29/2025 to review commentary for Ephesians 1:18-19. Within the Precept Austin commentary was a link to the John MacArthur study of Ephesians, which is found at this resource: MacArthur, J. F. (2011). The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Set of 31 Volumes. United States: Moody Publishers.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. The Enduring Word format has just been updated and the bibliography was not available that I could find.
Beautiful message, Barb thank you