Grasping the Scale of God’s Love

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Introduction

How many of you moved into a new house before?

Imagine having your own ideal bedroom. What kinds of furniture would you want? New or old? Ratty or clean? What kinds of posters would be on your walls? How would you decorate.

What’s interesting is that the things we surround ourselves with reveals something about our identity. They are expressions of things or people we love. The same is true with what we wear or music we listen to. It’s an expression of something we value.

Now imagine your best friend moving in with you. The room is probably going to change isn’t it? Maybe that ratty old rug you’ve loved since you were a kid gets thrown away for a new one. You get new curtains. Your best friend may not love your posters and puts theirs instead.

Here’s where I’m going: let’s talk about being a Christian and the Holy Spirit living within you. Your heart is like your bedroom that you fill with all of the things you love. When the Spirit of Christ takes up residence there he redecorates our soul with His holy character and His love. As we look at another prayer Paul shares for the Ephesians, we’re going to see how this works.

Pray

Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Kneeling Before the Father

Ephesians 3:1 ESV

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Ephesians 3:14 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

Paul here is resuming where he broke off last time. There are three reasons that Paul is praying this.

He wants to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 1:10).

this is exactly why Paul is proclaiming salvation of the gentiles and the mystery of Christ. The epic plan of God is to bring everything in creation under the headship of Christ.

The second reason is that God’s plan is not just being accomplished from God alone (vertical) but among His people (horizontal).

God’s plan is accomplished by being reconciled to God and with others in the church (Ephesians 2:11-22).

The third reason is that we are being built together to be God’s dwelling place (Ephesians 2:22).

This is amplified in this passage. As a part of the church, God’s Spirit dwells within you.

Paul is praying for big things to be accomplished in the Ephesians’ lives. While God is concerned about the smallest details of our daily needs (Matthew 6), but sometimes we can focus on small things that are really just selfish or trivial. We can focus on the furniture in our room or the posters on our walls and miss the fact that there is a fire in the other room next door. So Paul prays. He prays to the Father.

The Father and the Family

Ephesians 3:14–15 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Fathers are the head of the family. Your father is the head of your family. Families are important. They are so important that God based the relationships of the church on families. Families, however dysfunctional they are because of sin, reflect the family of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Churches provide the kind of family support that our natural families may not have had because of abuse, or alcohol, or envy. Churches can be a family for those of us who need help because of illness, bereavement, homelessness, whatever. When we suffer, our Father doesn’t always remove us from the suffering. Instead he sends members of the church into our suffering to help us. Without family, even your family, the structure of the church wouldn’t make sense. Your family matters. Your church matters.

How Paul asks for this should surprise us too. He asks three times for “power” (Ephesians 3:16; 18; 20).

Power to Welcome Christ

Sometimes we get anxious about asking for power. We don’t want to pray like prosperity preachers who exploit people. But Paul asks us how to pray for power to welcome Christ into our hearts and live there.

Ephesians 3:16–17 ESV

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Faith is not just an initial reliance upon Christ for salvation. It is a daily personal relationship that we can be confident in Christ. He is our savior daily. He keeps us forgiven and safe. He provides for us daily. The Holy Spirit, who lives in our hearts, strengthens us and our faith through His Word.

Spiritual Renovation

Ephesians for You Spiritual Renovation

When the Spirit of Christ makes himself at home, he constantly renovates our hearts to make us a more appropriate dwelling for the Lord Jesus, because the Lord Jesus is not merely dropping in briefly. He is staying for ever. When someone comes for a short visit, they usually just leave their stuff in their travel bags and try not to disturb the room. But when someone moves into a new home permanently, they change the wallpaper, paint the ceiling, replace the carpet and chuck out the old furniture. When the Spirit of Christ moves in, he gradually redecorates everywhere. Room by room, the horrible old wallpapers of selfishness are replaced with a brand new wallpaper called love; the old ceilings darkened by fear of death are repainted with bright colours of hope in the resurrection of Christ; filthy old carpets stained by years of immorality are replaced with clean new carpets of purity and kindness; and the rickety old furniture of idolatry is gradually replaced with sparkling new ministries that worship Jesus.

Questions

•When you’re going through something difficult, is your heavenly Father the first person you turn to or the last resort when everything else fails?

•How have you experienced the Spirit’s power to renovate your heart as a home fit for Christ?

•How have these verses encouraged you to pray and helped you know what to pray for?