Ephesians 3: Live Faithfully to the Lord

Introduction: As many of our CLUB parents may know, we are continuing our study of Ephesians that we began back in the Spring. As of this point, we have just started Ephesians 4. Each night we review what I have referred to as the 6 Blessings of Being Saved: 1) Transformation (Eph 1:4), 2) Adoption (Eph 1:5) 3) Redemption (Eph 1:7), 4) Union (Eph 1:9), 5) Inheritance (Eph 1:11), and 6) Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13). Each of these forms themes that Paul elaborates on through the rest of the letter to the Ephesians. For example, Paul focuses on the topic of Redemption in Ephesians 2 and is relation to the topic of Union. Ephesians 3 forms a transition where Paul speaks about the Lord’s working in his life and how that should impact others. At this point in Paul’s life, he’s a prisoner for preaching the gospel. However, the gospel message is a responsibility that the Lord has given to Paul. If Paul is physically restrained, how can he be faithful in proclaiming the gospel, this responsibility? Practically speaking, we can also face difficulties that threaten our faithfulness to the responsibilities that the Lord has given to us (spouses, parents, children, students, siblings, friends, church family, employees, employers, etc.) I believe that Paul’s example helps us to understand how to address these questions. Let’s look together at we can learn about how the Lord worked in Paul’s life and, subsequently, in others.

Theme: Live Faithfully to the Lord

Ephesians 3:1-3 “1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.”

In beginning with the phrase, “For this reason,” Paul is pointing back to the previous chapter as the foundation for what he’s going to say next.

Paul makes the point that we all need to be rescued from God’s just wrath against our sin.

God has planned this rescue by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus.

God is rescuing all who have put their faith in Him, whether Jew or Gentile.

God is making holy those He has rescued.

Paul’s reason, then, is that God is rescuing all sinners by grace through faith.

Notice how Paul describes himself here: the prisoner of Christ Jesus.

What’s fascinating is that Paul was in prison at the time of his writing this letter.

He was in for preaching the Gospel.

Hence Ephesians along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are often referred to as Prison Epistles, or letters from prison.

Interestingly, Paul does not say, “I’m a prisoner of Rome”.

Instead, he says I’m a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

As a prisoner of someone, your life is under the total domination and control of the other.

Hence, for Paul to be a prisoner of Jesus Christ means that he sees his life under the control of Jesus.

As the prisoner of Christ Jesus, Paul acknowledges that he’s been given a certain responsibility.

This is where the phrase “the stewardship of God’s grace” comes in (Eph 3:2).

Paul has been given a specific task by God associated with all peoples (the Gentiles; Eph 3:1)) that was previously a mystery (Eph 3:3).

In this task, there’s no indication that Paul’s imprisonment has stopped Paul.

Quite the opposite has happened - Paul is still being faithful to his responsibility given by God towards the Gentiles.

How is this possible for Paul to continue to be faithful in this task?

It’s only by God’s grace (Eph 3:2).

What we see in Paul’s life so far is that God’s grace has enabled him to be faithful in the circumstances that the Lord has led him to.

Therefore, we learn from Paul’s example that we too can Live Faithfully to the Lord because He leads.

If the Lord Jesus is your Savior, He also is the One Who controls your life, just like Paul’s.

Just like Paul, He has called you to serve Him (spouse, parents, children, siblings, employees, Church family).

Just like Paul, the Lord has grace for you in those roles that is not restricted by circumstances.

Paul is not finished this idea of mystery yet. In fact, Paul will help us understand how important this mystery is for everyone in the next 4 verses.

Ephesians 3:4-7 “4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”

What’s fascinating here is that Paul can’t keep this mystery to himself.

Instead, he invites others to come to the same understanding that he has (v. 4).

Notice how Paul describes this understanding that he came to in v. 5.

It was something that was not made known to just anyone.

Paul is describing here that this mystery that he came to understand is not available through relying on human reason.

You need more than human reason to be able to understand this message.

Thus, neither Paul nor anyone else can proudly claim that they have superior understanding.

However, it is a message that was revealed to certain individuals by a certain Person (v. 5).

Paul identifies that it was revealed to the holy apostles and prophets.

The holy apostles, those specifically chosen by the Lord who had seen Him raised from the dead to lay the foundation of instruction from God’s Word for the Church.

The prophets referring to those that received God’s message of sin’s destructiveness and that only the Lord can save delivered in the Old Testament.

What’s so incredible about Paul is that he’s beginning to hint at the content of this mystery that has been revealed to him.

It’s something that God has spoken and thus intends to make known.

What it is that the apostles and prophets received is preserved for us here in God’s Word!

Thus, by implication, Paul is inviting us to understand the same message since God has spoken and preserved it!

Not just anyone revealed this message to these individuals.

In other words, it had to be Someone perfectly equipped to make the message clear to those that it was intended for!

Only the Holy Spirit is equipped for this kind of revealing work.

Since men cannot understand this message on their own, one must rely on the Holy Spirit in order to understand it.

The wonder of how God has worked out the blessings of being saved means that a believer always has the Holy Spirit with them.

Therefore, every Christian has with them constantly the best resource to rely on to understand God’s Word: the Holy Spirit.

Hence, no one can take credit for what it is that they have learned from God’s Word.

All the credit belongs to God’s Holy Spirit Who gives understanding.

Paul can’t contain himself any longer and reveals the content of this mystery he understood through the Spirit (v. 6).

This message concerns the Gentiles, any person that is not a Jew by birth.

This message identifies their fellow status with the Jews.

To be a fellow means that you are now part of the group.

Jews and Gentiles are brought together into the same experiences.

They are fellow heirs.

We know what an heir is; someone who inherits something.

Paul wrote about an inheritance in Ephesians 1 and will do so again in Eph 5:5, the kingdom of heaven - a home in heaven!

In other words, you don’t have to be a Jew to go to heaven!

You can be from any background!

They’re also fellow members of the body.

Paul has talked about a body before (Eph 1:22-23).

This body is the Church!

In Ephesians 2, Paul describes God’s purpose in bringing together Jews and Gentiles into one body - union!

In other words, God is making one people from many different backgrounds to be the Church!

You don’t have to be a Jew in order to part of the Church.

You can come from a different background other than being a Jew to be part of the Church.

The final fellow that Paul identifies is partaking of “the promise”.

To be a partaker of something is to participate in something.

Paul has used this phrase “promise” is referring to an individual before.

It’s the Holy Spirit in Eph 1:13!

In other words, both Jews and Gentiles can have the Holy Spirit live inside of them, God with them always!

Paul adds on an important qualification about all these fellows.

It’s “in Christ Jesus through the gospel”.

Hence, Paul is identifying the means through which all people from any background can go to heaven, be included in the Church, and have the Holy Spirit: through Jesus Christ, His perfect life, death on the cross for our sins, burial and victorious resurrection that gives new life to all who trust in Him!

In other words, one must trust the Lord Jesus as their Savior from their sins to be made this kind of fellow.

Notice how Paul describes his relationship to this message (v. 7).

He views himself as a minister, or as one who is to serve others by proclaiming this message that anyone from any background can trust the Lord Jesus as their Savior from their sins and have a home in heaven, be included in Christ’s Church, and receive the Holy Spirit.

Paul recognizes that he cannot take credit for this service.

Instead, he credits God with giving him the grace he needed to serve.

This is so wonderful!

Remember, the Lord is the One that Paul recognizes is directing his life, even through the difficulty of prison.

The Lord in His kindness gave Paul the message to proclaim, the understanding to make it clear, and the power to proclaim it regardless of the circumstances.

In other words, the Lord full equipped Paul for this task that He led Paul into in proclaiming salvation from sin through the Lord Jesus to anyone who would trust the Lord.

Paul’s example reminds us that one can Live Faithfully to the Lord because He equips.

The Lord who is leading Paul into this task gave Paul the message to proclaim, thus, He can give us what we need for the tasks that He calls us to, in proclaiming the gospel or otherwise.

The Lord also equipped Paul with understanding to proclaim this message with clarity and can do the same with us, especially since we have the Holy Spirit, just like Paul!

The Lord empowered Paul to proclaim this message regardless of his circumstances, reminding us that the same Lord is with us in all of life and can do the same.

The Lord is not bound by our circumstances as to the extent that He can empower us for service.

Instead, He empowers us to serve according to His sovereign choice.

Paul recognizes the Lord’s leading and equipping in his life to be faithful to what the Lord has called him. Now, Paul is going to describe his perspective on this gift that God gave to him.

Ephesians 3:8-13 “8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.”

Notice how Paul describes himself in v. 8.

He characterizes himself as “the very least of all saints”.

For something to be “the very least” of anything is to call attention to how small something is that it almost does not deserve notice.

During our Wednesday night fellowship meals, I have helped in preparing the salad.

Sometimes we have bell peppers with our salads.

Have you ever cut into a bell pepper and found what looks like a small one that grew on the inside?

I found out recently that, according to gardeningknowhow.com, you can eat these tinier bell peppers.

Oftentimes, I just throw the tinier one away, thinking it’s not worth the effort to try to cut it up to serve.

With Paul’s characterization of himself in this way, he’s calling attention to an important attitude that he has.

It’s a humble attitude.

A humble attitude puts one’s idea about them in perspective to God, identifying that the Lord is greater than them.

With Paul’s humble attitude, he marvels at how God has provided for Paul to be able to continue being faithful to the responsibility that the Lord called him.

Paul emphasizes God’s grace here like a gift.

Paul helps us to identify God’s grace at work in his life to produce faithfulness to the task before him.

In light of the gift nature that Paul alludes to, there’s an implied thankfulness for how God has empowered Paul for the task.

Paul reminds us what this task is: To preach a message, “the unfathomable riches of Christ”.

For something to be unfathomable refers to its incomprehensible nature.

In other words, there is something about Christ that is not fully within our capability to understand.

Now, you might be thinking, “wait a moment, didn’t Paul just say that others can understand what he’s also learned? How can Paul say we can understand the message but there’s still something about it would won’t be able to fully comprehend?”

Paul uses a similar phrase in Ephesians 1:7, wherein Paul talks about redemption, that Christ purchased the forgiveness of sins through His death.

Why is it that Jesus chose to die on the cross for our sins?

Because He loves us.

Why did Jesus choose to love us?

There’s nothing lovable about us.

This makes the riches of Christ unfathomable - He chose to die on the cross because He loves us!

Notice God’s grace was not only to proclaim a message.

As we read in verse 9, God gave Paul grace to call attention to something that God is doing.

Paul describes what God is doing as the “administration of the mystery”.

We can understand what it means to administrate something: to follow a plan.

The mystery refers back to what Paul identified before: God is saving people from any background who trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior from their sins.

Paul not only reemphasizes how man needs God’s help to understand what God is doing through the reference “hidden in God”, but he also emphasizes something about God’s ability.

God is the One Who created all things.

When we think of God’s creating all things we are drawn to think of the variety in God’s creation but also His power both in creating all things and sustaining, or providing what is needed for life to survive, all things.

Thus, Paul is drawing attention to both God’s creativity and His power.

Importantly, God’s power is what is behind His carrying out His plan to save anyone from any background who trust the Lord Jesus to save them from their sins.

Paul then is implicitly giving us confidence in God’s plan.

Since God has backed up His plan to save with His power, there is nothing that can stop His plan from going forward.

In v. 10, Paul helps us to understand God’s purpose for giving Paul the grace to proclaim Christ’s love demonstrated in the cross that redeems and God’s plan to save anyone from any background that trusts the Lord Jesus as their Savior from their sins.

Paul describes this as the manifold wisdom of God.

Something that is manifold is describing something that has such variety to it that we are awed by its amazing and beautiful qualities.

Like a kaleidoscope (describe).

Such a purpose as related to the Lord, would be to demonstrate how God alone possesses unparalleled wisdom.

When you think about it, we can chronicle God’s unparalleled wisdom to accomplish salvation right from the beginning.

Even though the first couple sinned, God promised a Savior would come through the nation of Israel begun through Abraham that culminated in the first coming of Jesus Christ.

That summary statement condenses thousands of years of history and events that God wrought to the minutest detail and includes His purpose even in bringing us here today to sit before His Word.

Thus, even with Paul in jail, God was still using His power to advance His gospel.

Nothing can stop the plan of God.

Paul also helps us to understand how God’s manifold wisdom is being displayed.

It’s being displayed through the Church!

The Church being the people of God that He is bringing together from any background, having saved them by faith in the Lord Jesus.

In other words, as God continues to add to His Church and His Church demonstrates their unity as God’s people, God’s manifold wisdom is proclaimed, abundantly.

It proclaims a message that only God is wise enough to do this.

This being bringing people from all different backgrounds into one Church.

Paul also points out the audience for this manifold wisdom.

Paul describes this audience as the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”.

This group includes angels that serve the Lord, demons that rebelled against the Lord, and even the devil himself.

In other words, God’s manifold wisdom through His work in the Church is on display for the whole universe to see.

Keep with me as look together at v. 11.

Paul identifies how long the Lord has had this purpose to display His greatness through the Church to the whole universe.

It was an eternal purpose.

Long before any of us existed, God developed this plan.

Thus, God is powerfully carrying out a plan that He developed from eternity, further giving us confidence in His purpose.

Paul also points to Who it is that God used to accomplish this purpose.

Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul’s manner of referring to Jesus here is significant.

As Christ, He is the One that God chose for the task of dying for sins and rising to new life that is available for all who trust Jesus.

As Lord, Jesus has all authority, as demonstrated in His resurrection

Thus, Jesus was the only One who could accomplish God’s purpose to make it possible to save anyone from any background through His sacrifice for our sins and His unparalleled authority.

Paul notes two things that all believers have by trusting the Lord Jesus as their Savior from their sins.

The first being boldness.

Paul will eventually ask the Ephesians believers to pray that he has boldness to proclaim the gospel.

Thus, Paul has identified here the attitude this Christ supplies to accomplish the purposes that God has given to His Church to proclaim the Gospel.

The other being “confident access”.

This access is none other than direct access to God the Father that Paul identified in Eph 2:18.

This access is facilitated through God’s Holy Spirit.

Hence, both of these items are connected to one’s trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

Looking at v. 13, Paul employs the word “Therefore” connecting what we have considered so far to the point he’s going to make next.

Thus, Paul bases his next statement on the fact that 1) the Lord is leading his life (vv. 1-3) 2) the Lord has equipped him to be faithful and 3) the Lord is sovereignly carrying out His plan.

In other words, Paul sees how the Lord is sovereignly working, regardless of the circumstance.

That’s why he can say to the Ephesians, don’t lose heart but, by implication, be encouraged instead.

Their temptation to be discouraged relates to what Paul is facing, tribulations.

We’ve already identified what difficulties Paul was facing, specifically imprisonment for proclaiming the gospel.

We see how it is that people can be discouraged from living faithfully to the Lord because sometimes it means facing difficulty.

Notice though that Paul sees the purpose of his difficulties.

They are for the glory, or the benefit, of others.

Paul has already alluded to how even his difficulties can be a benefit to others.

Even though the Lord’s leading in Paul life meant also through jail, the Lord still continued to equip Paul to faithfully proclaim the gospel message.

This gospel message is the same one that the Lord is advancing through the church before a universal audience.

Thus, every difficulty has a larger purpose that God is working out to proclaim the gospel.

As we consider Paul’s confident faithfulness to proclaim the Gospel that the Lord has tasked him with, we’re reminded to Live Faithfully to the Lord because the Lord is sovereign.

The Lord directed Paul’s life through difficulty.

To be sure, difficulties of all shapes and sizes can tempt us from being faithful to the Lord, as Paul recognizes in the Ephesian believers.

Even Paul’s word choice emphasizes the seriousness of the difficult circumstances that we cannot easily dismiss difficulties that we face.

That difficulty could not stop God’s empowerment as Paul testified to being the recipient of God’s grace even in jail.

That difficulty could also not thwart God’s eternal purpose to use the Church to proclaim the Gospel as a universal audience watches.

In other words, we have what we need to boldly follow the Lord through whatever He leads us through, confident not only in His leading but His equipping and His plan that He is working out.

Paul recognizes the reality of this kind of discouragement and prescribes for us in the next section the action that all must undertake to combat such discouragement.

Ephesians 3:14-19 “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”

In referencing “For this reason”, Paul is referring to the reason he stated in Eph 3:13, the possibility of losing heart or being discouraged that Paul was facing difficulty in following the Lord’s leading on his life.

What’s fascinating is what Paul does here.

When Paul references that he “bows [his] knees before the Father,” he’s talking about a physical positioning of his body that I’m sure we all know well.

Paul is praying.

Think about it, when Paul knows that there’s a temptation to be discouraged, what does he do?

He talks to God in prayer!

With Paul calling God, Father, Paul is doing more than just using a nice title to refer to God.

Instead, Paul is calling attention to the rich relationship that He has with God.

This relationship is only possible because of God’s choice to adopt Paul into His family through Jesus’ sacrifice.

Paul knows that He is praying to His able Father who loves him.

If Paul prays to the Lord when there’s the possibility of being discouraged, this can only mean one thing about the Lord: only He can answer this kind of prayer!

Notice how Paul refers to God’s ability to answer this kind of prayer in Eph 3:15.

God is also the One Who has named all things.

When you name something, you demonstrate both ownership and authority over the thing named (e.g. families).

Thus, Paul is referring to God’s authority over all things!

Hence, God’s authority over all things gives Paul the confidence to call on His Father when there’s the threat of discouragement!

Beginning in Eph 3:16, Paul is going to identify what it is that he confidently prays to the authoritative Father when facing discouragement.

Notice that Paul is still talking about God so far and references “the riches of His glory.”

This means that God has enough resources to be able to provide for what Paul prays for.

Paul’s confidence is not only in the fact that the Father has all authority but also that the Father has enough resources to be able to provide when there’s discouragement.

Based on the rich resources that the authoritative Father has, Paul prays for strength.

Notice that this strength is supplied through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you have the Holy Spirit in your life because the Lord Jesus is your Savior, then you have constant access to the Father’s sufficient resources to be strengthened when there’s the temptation to be discouraged.

It’s like having an unending supply of charge for your phone, only better!

Eph 3:17 identifies that this empowerment relates specifically to how one lives.

In order to refer to how one lives, Paul refers to the heart.

Essentially, if Christ is in your heart, then He will come out in your life: actions, words, attitudes.

Paul’s first request then is that, instead of discouragement, believers would receive power from the Holy Spirit to live more and more like Jesus.

God has the authority to do this work!

God has the resources to do this work through the Spirit!

Paul also prays that we, with the other believers, would know something about Christ (Eph 3:19).

We would be confident of Jesus’ love for us.

Notice that Paul makes this request to the Father in the context of referring to love and the community of believers.

Paul is pointing to the need to grow in our confidence in Christ’s love for us while interacting with one another in love.

When we grow in our confidence of Christ’s great love for us, the natural result is that we would grow in love for what Christ loves and gave His life for: His Bride, the Church.

Look at how Paul describes Christ’s love.

“breadth and length and height and depth, … surpasses knowledge.”

This is great love that is beyond our full comprehension.

What makes this love so great is that extent that Christ was willing to go to demonstrate His love: to die on the cross.

But also the object of this love: unworthy sinners (we don’t deserve Christ’s love but He still chose to love us).

Paul further identifies the purpose of being confident in Christ’s love for us.

To be “filled up” refers to something that is completely full.

In other words, Paul is referring to being complete in Christ, the fullness of God.

We would find our strength to live like Christ to please the Lord from the Spirit and be confident in Christ’s love for us as we love one another.

Paul’s prayer here reminds us of the need to Live Faithfully to the Lord because He produces faithfulness.

The Father Who as all the authority has all the resources ready to employ through the Spirit so that we would be empowered to live like Jesus and grow confident in His love for us as we love one another.

Just as nothing can stop God’s wise plan to save anyone from any background, nothing can stop His ability to empower us to live faithful to Him: like Jesus, confident of Jesus’ love.

Ephesians 3:20-21 “20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

It’s no wonder that Paul concludes his prayer with this note of praise!

He has expressed God’s sovereign leading in his life.

He has expressed God’s powerful equipping in his life.

He has expressed God’s enacting his sovereign plan before a universal audience.

He is able to do more than we could ask or think through clearly demonstrable activities!

What’s fascinating is what He chooses to do with this great power.

He uses it in Paul’s live, and by extension ours, so that we would be equipped to carry out His sovereign plan: faithfulness to the task He called us, both individually and generally in Gospel proclamation.

He shares this power with us for our benefit; only God can do this!

Notice how Paul describes those who should give God glory, or praise, and for how long.

The Church, all believers contemporary to Paul.

Christ Jesus, our example of perfect obedience to the Father.

All generations, every believer subsequent to Paul.

Forever and ever, unending praise.

If God deserves this kind of praise from every believer, Jesus, and for all time, then He must be great!

With Paul’s concluding prayer, we are reminded to Live Faithfully to the Lord Who deserves all praise.

His track record deserving praise is what prompts our praise to Him.

In other words, His past faithfulness to lead, equip, and sovereignly carry out His plan that prompts our unending praise encourages us to live faithfully to Him.

We are confident that, as we seek the Lord, He will faithfully lead, equip, and sovereignly carry out His plan so that we would faithfully live to please Him in what He has called us to do.

Conclusion: Church, the Lord has preserved for us an example of how He produced faithful living in His servant, regardless Paul’s circumstances. Let us also Live Faithfully to the Lord.