Paul On The Power And Love Of Christ

Eph 3:14  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
Eph 3:15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Eph 3:16  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Eph 3:17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
Eph 3:19  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Eph 3:20  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,
Eph 3:21  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

This is a powerful prayer that Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus. To have and experience the love of Christ, to have and experience the fullness of God.

In Ephesians chapter one, Paul prayed for the people of Ephesus to know and understand the doctrine he was teaching them, which was that Gentiles were equal in every way to the Jews in accessing God.They had all the promises that previously only the Jews had in God.

This was a revolutionary message to the Jews, who before Christ died on the Cross, were the only ones who inherited the promises, who had direct access before God, albeit through rituals done through the Old Covenant. Now Paul was telling them they had direct access to God, had access to his power through the Holy Spirit in them, they had Christ’s deep love for them, but the Gentiles had the same privileges as the Jews. They had Christ’s deep love. Wow. Paul wanted to be sure that the Jews got it. This was the essence of the prayer in chapter one.

This was important because socially and even in the church, the Gentiles were always thought of and treated as less than the Jews. Paul was telling them something entirely different. They were on the same level. In the Universal church, in the local church, socially, they were on the very same level.

In chapter three he prays for them to experience all the things he has taught them in chapters one and two of Ephesians.

In the first few verses of chapter three, Paul begins to pray, then stops. He wants to be sure that the people of the church understand fully the riches they have in Christ, and that this is true of all born again believers, including the Gentiles. All truly born again men, women, children. All who have had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he begins to pray that they experience the knowledge they have been given.

The message is that we too have the same vast spiritual wealth that Paul is speaking of in Ephesians. And not just one certain denomination, not just certain people.

So many know the Bible, they know what Paul is speaking of, yet they fail to live out these truths. Paul wanted the people of Ephesus to live out these truths, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Is what he was asking too much? Was he asking something that God would not answer? No. The reasons are given in verses 20 and 21. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (NKJV)

And exactly what is the fullness of God? It’s His attributes. His greatness, kindness, patience, mercy, love, power, wisdom, majesty, all that He is and all that He does. We can know it, we can experience it.

I noticed that Paul bowed his knees in praying this prayer. This is significant because the custom for the Jews when praying was to stand. This is seen in the Old Testament, in the prayers given by Abraham, for one example. So for Paul to bow his knees indicates his passion for wanting this for the believers of the church. It also indicates his humbling himself before God in giving this petition.

It’s my prayer for Christians everywhere. That we know the riches we have in Christ Jesus, which are listed in this prayer, Christ’s love which is so vast, no human being can fathom it. That we experience it.

I encourage the study of Ephesians, pray the prayers Paul petitioned. Pray them for yourself, pray them for the people God brings to mind.

The Christian life is not a life powered by us, our strength, our wisdom, our ideas, it’s a life that is empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit through us. It’s God’s wisdom flowing out of us that makes our ministries, our witnessing, our daily tasks, fruitful. It’s knowing the love of Christ that motivates us, drives us to desire to be more holy. Wanting to drink of the scriptures. To know more and more, as we can’t get enough of God’s words to us.

When we pray we come to a loving concerned, tender, compassionate, and accepting Father, who invites us to call Him Abba, which translated means Daddy. He loves when we come to Him. He anticpates our coming to HIm with everything. He lights up when we enter the throne room. He welcomes and embraces us.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us to come boldy before the throne, to find help in time of need. This is what Paul did in each of his prayers. He came to God boldy. We have this same access, this same invitation. Men, women, children. All who are true born again Christians.

Let’s live what we are. Children of the King. God loves us with a special, intimate love, that we cannot even begin to understand. It’s vastness beyond our comprehension. This is our hope. This is our strength.

All of our pleasures in life is an expression of God’s love for us. Not because we deserve it, yet He gives it to us anyway. This alone is why we worship and praise Him freely, giving thanks for this love poured out on us.

What makes a successful ministry? When people have heard your message, and it causes them to want to dig in the Bible deeper, drink of it, so thirsty that they can’t get enough. When people know and experience the fullness of God, the love of God. That is when you will know your ministry is headed down the right path. And it’s all through the power of God. The same power that God used to raise Christ from the dead, is the same power He uses in us. How marvelous is that. Something to think about.