Ephesians 3:14-21

Paul is blown away by the incredible narrative on how God has continued to reveal Himself and His redemptive plan to him.

The priviledge of being chosen by God.

Reunited with Him through the work of Christ

That from the very beginning when Adam chose sin that lead to death put this world in peril or in danger or in jeopardy, completly separated from God.

But God exemplifying mercy, showed His grace by providing His Son, Jesus, the work on the cross/raising him from the dead/the forgiveness of sins and the gift of believing or having faith on what that work accomplished.

This unraveled the mystery that Paul, being part of the “chosen people of God”, was hung up on. That is God as He revealed himself in the early years (OT) to Abraham then to the nation of Israel was only to evolve in saving the rest of His chosen people, who are not of Jewish decent but Gentiles alike, together within a separate Corporate body from the world in peril called the church where Jesus is the head.

Ephesians 3:6 NIV

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:10–11 NIV

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

refering to every Angels/any hosts in heaven and family of mankind derives from the God…holding God with much reverance …the Creator

Kneeling before the creator Paul asks in verse 16 regarding the very foundation of what we need and often in our natural state we struggle with…and that is remembering that Christ resides in our (belivers) heart.

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.

how many times have we started our daily routines with prayer, remembering Jesus in the morning but somehow as the day passes time, the business of the day takes over and someohow Jesus fades.

or how about during the week, we start with churhc and thus reminded about Jesus , but as the week passes we no longer feel He is near or we forget about him, thus carrying on our merry ways forgeting that He is right there with us

Believers really need the Holy Spirt to strengthen our hearts because as you all know we get caught up with our daily lives through the course of the day or week or months, we forget that Jesus is right there or worse feel that Jesus has disappeared, especially when faced with challenges or trials or even when things are going good.

Now that being said with Jesus dwelling in our hearts, Paul continuest to pray. He says

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,

I think this love Paul refers to when he says, “establish in love” is a believers response to the very commandment that jesus said in

Matthew 22:36–40 NIV

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

See also :

John 13:34 NIV

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 13:35 NIV

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 15:12 NIV

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

John 15:17 NIV

This is my command: Love each other.

Romans 12:10 NIV

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

but dont forget what Pauls mentions in this verse “together with all the Lord’s holy people” in reference to the body of Christ or the church

in other words, Paul is saying that “rooted in this love” in the context of the church. He prays with this context, that the believer have “... the power ...“ verse 18

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

20 20 Hindsight.

Quetion, if we, with the wisdom and experiece we gained over the years, were to face ourselves 20/30/40 years our junior what advise can would we give ourselves?

When Paul speaks about how to grasp how wide/how long/ how high and how deep ”the love of Christ,” is basically to understand “the love of Christ ” today similar to what we did not understand 20/30/40 years our junior

Paul clarifies in verse 19

19 … to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

best way to illustrate maybe is to going back to our 20/30/40 years junior and ask ourselves did we have the knowledge of how much our parents love us? We probably did to some extent. But today 20/30/40 years after as parents or mature adults, we can truly say kids 20/30/40 years our junior will never really know until they become parent themselvers. or for these who do not have kids, until they become full Tita’s and Titos to someone young or jsut mature adults for that matter....

so now paul ends his prayer with praising God for the power of Holy Spirit. Paul says verse 20

20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

Glory means wha?

To Honor God, To honor Christ in the Church. with a capital H for honor.

We will talk about it next week. But today we are going to be reignited with worship but as week carries out let not forget about who resides in our hearts … Jesus