Ephesians 3:14-21
“When I think of all this…” Paul is referring to the previous verses where he outlines God’s great plan for mankind
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is very positive. Imprisonment did not dampen his enthusiasm for spreading the message of Christ's love and grace. It served as a testament to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
What would your letter from Prison look like? Here’s mine!
Paul's testimony is that the power of God's love and the work of the Holy Spirit are not hindered by external limitations. Our faith should not be dependent on favourable circumstances but on the unchanging truth of God's Word and the power of Christ's love. No matter our circumstances, we can find strength in Christ and be filled with the fullness of God.
Four areas of Spiritual Growth that Paul wants us to understand:
[1] v14-16
Paul points us to the Father. God is sovereign, the source of all life and creation. We can approach God with reverence and humility, recognizing His majesty and our dependence on Him. God will empower us with inner strength through the Holy Spirit.
Fix your eyes on the God of the circumstances who has UNLIMITED RESOURCES to deal with anything that arises
John Ortberg says this “Peace doesn’t come from finding a lake with no storms: it comes from having Jesus in the boat with you through those storms”
[2] v16-17
Paul prays that the believers may be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit in their inner being, divine empowerment that comes from God Himself. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are granted the privilege of having Christ dwell in our hearts by faith. It is through this intimate relationship with Christ that we find strength, guidance, and transformation. Paul emphasizes the importance of being rooted and established in love. You need to be in God, nothing else. That’s what keep you strong!
[3] v18-19
Our faith in Christ is built upon the foundation of love. God's love is not limited by time, space, or circumstance. It is wide enough to embrace every person, long enough to endure throughout eternity, high enough to lift us from despair, and deep enough to reach the depths of our brokenness. Understanding and experiencing this love enables us to live a life filled with the fullness of God.
This love is beyond our understanding
Paul constantly lives in this love of God – see Romans 8:35-39
[4] v20-21
Paul proclaims the greatness of God and His ability to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think. God is not limited by our human minds. He is able to accomplish extraordinary things in our lives beyond our wildest dreams. He works in us and through us by His power, bringing glory to Himself in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations.
Think of the most outrageous prayer that you can pray and God can do infinitely more than that – think of the most unlikely person that you know that could become a Christian – someone you cannot even believe for – God can do infinitely more than you can think or imagine!
Look at Paul writing here – he was Saul – persecuting the Church and killing Christians for fun - then he met with Jesus and this book along with many others is the result!!
I want to finish with a prayer from Ephesians 1:16-23 which Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus and I would like to pray over us today.