Through Ephesians -06- Strength to Know

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

Ephesians 3:16-18 (NIV)

I.   Strength to Believe (vv.14-17a)

     A.    Paul kneels to Our Father.

         1.    The glorious and amazing reunification of the human race under Jesus, sets Paul back on his heels.

             a.    We all derive our name from the same Father - we all have the same surname!

             b.    When our jaws do not drop in praise at the mighty acts of God, maybe we have not yet understood them.

         2.    The 1st two words of the Lord’s Prayer gain new meaning — the “Our-ness” of the Father.

         3.    Kneeling is an act of obeisance (a gesture expressing respect and subordination).

             a.    Paul crashes to his knees in awe at what God has done.

             b.    As opposed to the Judiazers who raised their fists at these events.

     B.    Strength out of God’s Riches

         1.    Paul prays for strength for us — strength that comes from God.

         2.    It is out of God’s goodness that he gives us strength.

         3.    Through His Spirit in our inner being.

             a.    We need to be changed way down deep inside to be a suitable place for Christ to live.

             b.    The Spirit does that for us!

     C.    Christ in our Hearts (through faith)

         1.    Only with God’s strength would we not be consumed and annihilate by the presence of Christ in our hearts.

         2.    But by God’s grace, and because of the Spirit’s work in our inner-being Christ can dwell in our hearts.

         3.    This happens, Paul adds through faith.

             a.    Faith is not believing “that” but believing “in.” It is a synonym of “trust” and “confidence.”

             b.    Trust and confidence is the hand that opens the door of our heart to God.

II.  Strength to Know God’s Love (vv.17b-19)

     A.    Being Rooted and Built in love.

         1.    It is not insignificant that Paul precedes his expectation that we can experience God’s love with our actual experience of loving and being loved in the context of the Church.

         2.    Love is a relational event. God knows that we learn about love in human contexts and He gives us one: the Church.

             a.    The Church is an imperfect institution, but that is a good testing ground for real love. We only have imperfect people to love. Can we love them?

             b.    The Church is the assembly of the family, the object of God’s most significant effort. The focus of Jesus’ work: “His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two” (Eph.2:15b)

             c.    In the context of this imperfect assembly, we are prepared for a glimpse of the immensity of God’s love.

     B.    Power to know God’s immense Love.

         1.    Did you notice that Paul prays not only that we will know but that we will have power to know? (Lit. “Have sufficient strength to grasp”)

             a.    Without God’s help we are too intellectually puny to even make a beginning at grasping this love.

         2.    “Power together with all the saints”: Paul again underscores how we know God more fully in the context of the Christian community.

         3.    God’s love is wide and long and high and deep.

             a.    It is 3 dimensional.

             b.    It surrounds completely.

             c.    We can never get away from it.

             d.    It is beyond measure— as big as the universe.

     C.    Knowing beyond Knowledge

         1.    Knowing love that surpasses knowledge.

             a.    Huh?

             b.    Lit. To know this love that is beyond the boundaries of knowledge. (Huh?)

             c.    Why do you think we need God’s power?

         2.    Augustine said that he finally gave up trying to understand in order to believe. But when he finally believed, then he understood.

         3.    God reveals himself to us so that we know Him in ways that are simple abilities.

     D.    Filled beyond Fullness.

         1.    Not only do we know beyond knowledge, we are filled up “to the measure of the fullness of God.” More than fullness!

         2.    Our cup is running over with God!

         3.    Oh that we could experience and know God that way!

III. Praise God who Answers prayers! (vv.20-21)

     A.    More than we ask or imagine!

         1.    I don’t know about you but I can ask for a lot and imagine a lot more.

         2.    God does more than we ask, in fact, He always improves on it!

     B.    He Can answer this prayer!

         1.    More significant than winning the lottery, or getting the biggest fish at the salmon derby, God can make us capable of being in-dwelt by Christ and of knowing the width, length, height, and depth of his love — well, at least to have a beginning at it.

         2.    It is our hearts desire to know Him in this way. Look within. Don’t you find that this is true?

     C.    Praise Him for His Greatness!

         1.    Paul erupts with praise as He ponders God’s immense love and his ability and willingness to show himself to us.

         2.    Paul will move on in the next chapter to ask us to respond to the immensity of God’s goodness by living a life worthy of God’s activity in us.

         3.    When we ponder God’s goodness, how can we hold the joy inside?! Praise him with the joy in your hearts. Let it out in your daily walk.

God loves us! He really and truly does!!!

The Bottom Line:

Ponder the immensity of God’s love for us. Respond to it with a Joy-filled life!