Rooted in Love

Paul now returns to his prayer for the church.

Paul has just reminded them of their place in God’s people and the church’s role in God’s cosmic plan.

The other reminder… we have become a temple in which God now dwells…

Ephesians 3:14–21 CSB

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Look at Paul’s posture for this prayer… typically prayer was practiced in a standing position but here Paul says he “kneels before the Father”

Paul is completely humbling himself before God in prayer.

In this prayer he offers 4 petitions or requests and a doxology which shifts the focus from his requests back to God’s nature and sovereignty.

The 4 petitions build on one another and flow out of one another…

Be strengthened in the deepest parts of your spirit.

This is not a “when the going gets tough the tough get going” kind of strength or power.

We are not talking self-discipline or the power of positive thinking.

This is the fundamental, life changing work of God through the Holy Spirit to our spirit.

Strengthening us and giving us the power over sin.

This strength is "according to the riches of His glory" (v. 16). It’s not God giving us a portion of His strength; it’s God giving out of an infinite reservoir.

Renewing us daily from the inside out…

Why?

So that Christ may dwell in us.

Paul says to dwell in our hearts through faith.

There are two Greek words for dwell: one means to inhabit as a stranger (like a hotel), but the one Paul uses means to settle down permanently as a master of the house.

This is Jesus being at home in our hearts (not our literal hearts but the center of the inner life - the mind, the will, our desires)

Robert Munger in his booklet My Heart Christ’s Home, pictures the Christian life as a house, through which Jesus goes from room to room.

In the library (the mind), Jesus finds trash and all sorts of worthless things which He proceeds to throw out and replace with His Word - He goes through the dining room, the living room, the workshop, and the closet… only once Jesus has cleaned every room, closet and corner of sin and foolishness could Christ settle down and be home.

Jesus doesn't just want the "living room" (what people see on Sundays) but the "closet" (hidden habits or secret shames).

To have Jesus dwell in our hearts through faith means for Him to be at home in every corner of our life, because we believer His promises and become obedient to His word.

We must be rooted in love.

Love is the soil in which we are believers are rooted and will grow.

Paul also says being “firmly established” - love is the foundation in which we are built.

It was God’s love that sent Jesus to the cross - it is Jesus’ love that kept Him there.

It is in this love that we began to grow as new beings in Christ.

As we grow we begin to “know” the vast dimensions of the love of Christ - length, width, height and depth… there is not an area or aspect of life that we cannot and should not encounter the love of Christ.

Width: Reach far enough to include everyone (even enemies).

Length: Reach from eternity past to eternity future (He never gives up).

Depth: Reach down into our deepest failures and "closets."

Height: Lift us up to our heavenly calling.

When we understand this love we know who we are - our identity in Christ is revealed.

This is not only individual but it occurs in the context of the church as each member knows in a personal, emotional and intellectual way this love of Christ.

Ironically, the more we know the love of Christ the more we must confess it is beyond our full comprehension.

This is a lifelong pursuit - we are diving into a spiritual ocean that has no bottom.

Let us be fully satisfied with God.

We want to be filled up with the fullness of God.

The we may be all that God wants us to be - spiritually mature.

If we pursue God praying for Him to strengthen us with the power of His Spirit then as Jesus makes His home withins us we can have the confidence and security in His love for us.

Then we are able to love others leading to the fullness of God in us.

His presence, His power, His love, His life inhabits us…

Just like a dry sponge is brittle and small. A sponge "rooted" in water becomes "filled with the fullness" of the water. We aren't just "full of ourselves" or "full of information," but saturated with His character, His love.

We then can participate fully in His kingdom on earth.

For all the God has done for us and in us then we should…

Worship God for Who He is.

We must realize that this life isn’t something we manufacture through effort or sheer will.

We don’t root ourselves; we surrender to the One who has already laid the foundation.

Paul ends this prayer not with a list of instructions, but with worship, a doxology - because when you fully grasp the scale of God’s grace, “Thank you” feels too small.

We usually ask God for just enough strength to "get through the week" or "survive this crisis." - "God doesn't just want to help you cope; He wants to help you conquer. He provides immeasurably more power than your problem has pressure."

We often treat Jesus like a guest or a "safety net"—someone we call when things go wrong. - We ask for a Savior to save us from our mess; He gives us a Friend who stays to live in the mess with us and transform it."

We tend to measure love by human standards—conditional, limited, and fragile. - Your sin has a limit; His love does not. Your failures have a depth; His grace goes deeper. Whatever 'measure' you have for His love, add 'immeasurably more' to it."

We often think spiritual maturity is just "knowing more Bible facts" or "doing more chores for God." - We ask God to change our circumstances; He wants to change our capacity. He doesn't just want to give you things; He wants to give you Himself."

When we realize that God’s “more” is always greater that our ask the we stop trying to manage Him and start to worship Him.

God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or even think.

I God can do so much more then why or what are you holding back?