“For this reason” repeats the first
words from yesterday’s passage. Paul was about to say what he says in today’s
passage, but he had to pause for vss. 1-13 to ponder a mystery, namely the
unity of the Church and our reconciliation with God and with each other.
Now he gets back to the point he
started in verse 1. “For this reason,” remember, refers back to the
jaw-dropping truth that in Christ, Jew and Gentile are now one, that Gentiles--who'd been “far”--are now brought together with Jews--who were relatively
“near”--are now united with each other in the Body of Christ.
In view of this wonderful mystery we
call God’s plan of salvation, Paul prayed for the Christians in Ephesus, but
what he prayed for is something we all could use. Everyone this side of Glory could use this.
What did he want for the Ephesians?
·
That
out of his glorious riches he would strengthen them with power through his
Spirit.
·
Why?
Power to do what? Lift a car over our heads? No, in order that Christ might
dwell in our hearts through faith. Of course, Christ came to live inside us
through his Spirit at the moment of salvation.
There’s no such thing as a Christian who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit inside
them. The word "dwell" is translated from katoikeō in the Greek. It’s not a word for simply occupying a space. It’s a word that means living comfortably in a place you own or making a home for yourself. So the question is not “Do you have the Holy Spirit?” but “Does the Holy
Spirit have you?” Or as someone
pointed out to me long ago when I was a teenager, there’s all the difference in
the world between the Spirit being resident and President. He lives
inside every redeemed heart, but he’s only at “home” in a heart where he’s on
the throne.
·
He
also prayed that they, being rooted and established in love (the first among
the Fruit
of the Spirit and the “greatest”
among the virtues), would together with all God’s holy people (that’s you and
me), would be able to grasp something. Again, we need to change our
perspective. Our view of the world is way too small. We need to get just a
glimpse of “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” How
wide is it? Wide enough to throw
our sins are far away from us as the east is from the west. How long? From everlasting
to everlasting. How high? It reaches up to the heavens.
How deep is it? Deep enough for him to leave the Throne of Heaven, to come down
to this pit
of sin and death, pull us out, clean us off, and turn what he found there into
sons and daughters.
·
He
also wants us to not just know about
this love. He wants us to know this love personally. The Lord Almighty, the One
before whom angels shield
their faces, the high and exalted One who
“[lives] in a high and holy place” also wants to live with “the one who is
contrite and lowly in spirit.” Paul wants us to “be filled to the measure of
all the fullness of God.” Filled with his presence, filled with his love, and
filled to the brim with his empowering grace.
·
Then
he ends the theology-heavy section of Ephesians with praise, and in the midst
of it he tells us something about our Lord. The One we serve “is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at
work within us.” Ponder that for a moment. It’s not just that he’s able to do
more than we ask. It’s not that he’s
able to do more than we can imagine, which,
like our desires,
is theoretically limitless. No, he is able to do immeasurably more than
we ask or imagine. And this is the power that is at work in us. Right now. This
moment. We just have to tap into it.
·
It
all comes back to his honor, his glory, his praise. The reason why the Church
is here—the main purpose—is to provide honor and praise to our Savior God. Not
just now, and not just in the generations to come, as important as that is.
Forever and ever and ever. That’s what we’re here for, and I look forward to
the day when I can do that perfectly.
How’s about you?
Father, when I compare
what I can do versus what you can do, it’s no contest. May the same power that
raised your Son from the dead now fully be displayed in me, to your honor and
glory and praise. Starting this moment, forever and ever and ever. In your Son’s
name, Amen.
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