Knowing the Love of God

Paul's Reason for Prayer

[A]Our relationship to God the Father

In .

Ephesians 3:1 NIV

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Paul begins again the sentence which he began in verse one.

It is for this cause begins Paul and he is asking us to consider the cause of his need for prayer. This is a basic theme of the whole letter. Paul is painting a pictiure of the church

we are in the midst of a world of chaos and division, nation against nation between families and factions like football holiganism

It is Gods design that all the warring factions and discord be brought into one in Jesus

Jesus becomes the instrument of unity whereby mankind is brought into oneness. However this cannot happen unless the church carries the message of Christ and of the love of God to everyone.

We need to note two things

[a] Paul prays on his knees

The normal Jewish way of prayer was done in a standing position to kneel is to show a more severe earnestness like Solomon at the dedication of the temple, Stephen at the time of his martyrdom, and peter by the bed of Dorcas.

[b] Paul prayer is to God the father

(1)God is the father of Jesus

He is the Father. To Paul God was not just God he was the father of Jesus. It was always in these terms that Paul thought of God. Our inheritance of our names are a gift firstly from God as he is the author of all families

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Ephesians 3:16 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

adds to the sense of fatherhood by introducing the concept of being richly strengthened in power by the gift of the Holy Spirit

(2) God is the father to whom we have access

So therefore we have access to God the father

The old testament tells od the story of the god who was hidden and only revealed to a few special people

There is the story of a young boy who heard that his father had been promoted to a general in the army. After a moments silence asked do you think he will mind if I still call him daddy.

It is the temple curtin rent in two that brings us into the presence of the father of fatherhood, the God of all creation.

(3) God is the father of glory

Our right of access to the father does not give us the right to be and do what we like he is not a mushy sentimental God. God is holy and in seeking a relationship with him we must be holy as well for this lays on us the obligation of seeking to be worthy of such a privilege that is found in holiness.

(4) God is father of all

No man, No church, No nation has exclusive possession of God. There is the mistake the Jews made. The fatherhood of God extends to all and therefore all human contempt and pride and religious exclusiveness are wrong. The very fact of fatherhood of God means that we are called to love and respect all people equally

(5) God is the father to whom thanks is given

verse 20 highlights this for it implies the debt of man. God’s presence as a father figure is found in all circumstances that we may encounter not just in the great and crucial moments of life. If we are not careful we can miss the point that everything that comes to us in life are in fact gifts of God.

(6) God is the pattern of all true fatherhood.

Paul seeks in this passage to assure us that God as father in heaven is the same as God the father on earth.

[B] The Strengthening of Christ

This is a comment that relates to the spiritual, the inner man The call to reason being able to discern clearly, less attune to passions and instincts and desires

Paul is calling for us to be more in tune with wisdom that comes from Christ to help keep us pure.

There was a second call to conscience in that we would become more sensitive and then there was the will.

We often know what is right, however sometimes we fail to follow the right pathway the prayer book has a confession that reads in part I have done..........

This brings us to the third point Paul is making

[C] The Infinite Love of Christ

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Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:18–21 NIV

may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

How do we define something that is in its own way outside of our understanding. It is impossible to quantify it in human terms