Ephesians 3:14-17 NLT
[14] “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [15] the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. [16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”
As we read through the Apostle Paul’s letters, we must keep in mind that he was called to reach and teach Gentiles.
Gentiles were pagans, born and raised in the belief systems of worldly paganism with its foolishness, ignorance, and idolatry. What a mission!
The pagan gods Gentiles worshipped were both the product of their ungodly minds and the influence of their wicked spirit rulers. Gentiles were steeped in idolatry, attributing all their human experiences to evil, unpredictable, and capricious powers represented by visible images.
(Paul warns his readers in Corinth against trespassing into pagan territory by knowingly eating meat offered to idols).
(1 Corinthians 10:16, 19-20 NLT
[16] “When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?…
[19] What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? [20] No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.”)
Gentiles lived in fear of falling foul of their gods’ whims and, consequently, did whatever they could to stay in favour with them. Since their gods represented demon spirits who were the epitome of evil, there was no end to the debauchery and wicked behaviour their worshippers engaged in.
God sent Paul to these people to tell them the truth. Imagine how difficult it must have been for him to tell them about the God and His interventions that were utterly foreign to them! Therefore, Paul’s confidence lay, not in the eloquence of his preaching, but in the power of the message he preached.
Romans 1:16 NLT
[16] “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.“
1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NLT
[17]”For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. [18] The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”
Paul’s tidy mind enabled him to explain God’s plans and the execution of them in an orderly way. How important that his readers have as clear an understanding of their faith as possible! Based on the knowledge of what God has done, his readers, in turn, would learn how to respond to God’s grace.
Faith without knowledge is fragile and dangerous. Without an understanding of what and why people believe what they believe, they have no solid foundation upon which to build their confidence in God. They are vulnerable to any “wind of doctrine” that may blow from unscrupulous preachers.
So, God in Christ has made provision, through the gift of people equipped with the knowledge of the truth, to train His people to be who they are, sons of the Most High God.
[11] “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”
Everything Paul has explained in his Ephesian letter so far, is leading to a grand conclusion. Paul knew that the power of the gospel in all its facets lay in the Holy Spirit’s revelation of truth. The Spirit and the Word of God are an inseparable duo, working together in tandem to enlighten His people with life-changing truth. Without the Spirit, the Word is sterile. Without the Word, the Spirit has no ammo with which to dislodge lies. Together, the Spirit and the Word renew minds, and change lives.
Ephesians 6:13-17 NLT
[13] Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD.
Ephesians 6:18 NLT
[18] “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
Following his detailed explanation of God’s cosmic plan of salvation, including the place Gentiles occupy in His plan, Paul does the only thing left to do. He prays! Paul’s response to this plan so superb that no human mind could ever imagine it into reality, is to call on God’s Spirit to disclose its source and meaning to his readers to give them understanding of the truths he taught them, and empower them to live by who they are.
Why has God done all of this for us? What prompted Him to go to the lengths He did to rescue us from our self-destructive ways and catapult us into untold favour and blessing? Only one thing….His love!
God’s very essence is love. Everything He is, says, and does issues from His love.
“Essence is the basic nature of a thing, and the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is” (Definitions from Oxford Languages).
For us to live loved, to quote Paul Adams of “The Shack” fame, we must know God’s love in both understanding and experience. How can this happen? Only through the Holy Spirit in us, working through the truth we now know, to secure our faith in that love.
We cannot live “rooted in love” until we know what that LOVE has done for us. We cannot know what that love has done for us until the Holy Spirit convinces us of its truth through the Word. The revelation of that Word comes from the apostles God chose to be the channels through whom His truth was written.
Ephesians 3:3-5, 8-9 NLT
[3]”As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. [4] As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. [5] God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets…
[8] Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. [9] I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.”
Paul’s prayer, then, is an echo of God’s heart and purpose. This is what true prayer is. God has done everything needed to undo the devil’s work and redo His original plan. It will happen in us as and when we add our “Amen!” to what He has done.
We can only participate in the fullness of God’s plan as we live loved in all the dimensions of God’s love. We learn to attribute everything that happens in our lives, good and bad, to the love that is guiding us towards God’s desired end. We trust that love even in our darkest times because we know that He is working for our good.
Ephesians 3:19 NLT
[19] “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
There is always much more of God’s limitless love than we can ever know or experience here, now. Yet, God’s power administered to us through His Spirit will always show us more… and more… and more… as we are ready to receive it.
And if and when we ever reach this level, we will discover, to our delight, that there’s aways still more… much more!
Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT
[20] “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. [21] Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
To be continued…