Praying for Power

As we move to Paul's petitions, two main requests emerge: power and love (Carson, Ephesians, 182; see also O'Brien, Ephesians, 253). Verse 19b is considered "the third and climactic request, or the summarizing request in which the contents of the two preceding petitions are realized" (O'Brien, Ephesians, 253). Stott points out that they are like a "staircase" (Ephesians, 134). We begin with the lead request "to be strengthened with power" (v. 16); then we move through the next requests (notice the use of "that") until we reach the climax: "so you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (v. 19b).

Notice all the phrases about power and love in verses 16-19, and then peek into verse 20:

Paul is essentially praying for the readers to experience what he has just talked about in the previous chapters: Christ's supreme power and God's great love toward sinners. We should remember that prayer and teaching always go together (Stott, Ephesians, 132). It is one thing to teach it or hear it; it is another to experience it. Let us look closer at what Paul believed the Ephesians desperately needed, which is what we desperately need also.

Paul asks God to strengthen the believers with power in the "inner man." This is where we need strength and power—on the inside. This is how we fight sin, proclaim the gospel with courage, and love people the way Christ has loved us. In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul says that the outer man is perishing but the inner man is being renewed. Our bodies may be wearing out, but while our bodies are weakening, our inner man may be renewed by the Spirit.

Our culture places primary importance on the outer person, but the inner person is far more important (cf. 1 Sam 16:7; Prov 31:30). Make sure you give attention to your inner being.

Why do we need to be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man? Paul says, "That the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith." These two petitions in verses 16-17 clearly belong together. Paul uses the language of the inner man (v. 16) and the heart (v. 17). He uses the language of the strength of the Spirit (v. 16) and of the indwelling Messiah (v. 17). Paul does not intend to separate the Second and Third Person of the Trinity. To speak of the indwelling Christ and the indwelling Spirit is to speak of the same thing (Stott, Ephesians, 135). Christ dwells in our hearts by the Spirit.

It is indeed part of the "mystery" that Christ dwells in believers, not in a tabernacle or temple. Some might say, "I thought Christ was already in my heart as a Christian." Yes, He is (John 14:15-17). But Paul is speaking about something more than just Christ dwelling in our hearts. Paul is talking about Christ ruling in the heart. Paul's choice of words for "dwell" is important. He uses a strong word. He could use the word that means87 "to inhabit," but instead he uses the word that means "to settle down." It carries the idea of a permanent resident, not a short-lived resident.

D. A. Carson points out Paul's word choice and then illustrates the difference between a short-lived resident and a long-term resident. Carson says, when Christ takes up residence in a believer, it is like a couple who purchases a home that needs a lot of work. Over time they clean it up, repair it, and eventually say, "This house has been shaped to our needs and taste and I really feel comfortable." Then Carson says,

When Christ by his Spirit takes up residence within us, he finds a moral equivalent to trash, black and silver wall paper, and a leaking roof. He sets about turning this residence into a place appropriate for him, a home for which he is comfortable ... When a person takes up long-term residence somewhere, their presence eventually characterizes that dwelling ... When Christ first moves into our lives, he finds us in bad repair. It takes a great deal of power to change us; and that is why Paul prays for power ... [He is] transforming us into a house that pervasively reflects his own character. (Spiritual Reformation, 186-87)

Christ enters the heart of a Christian that He may live, abide, and reign there. He enters our hearts that we may reflect His character. In Colossians Paul says that we are to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and let the word of Christ dwell in our hearts (Col 3:15-16). Let us pray the same as Paul!

Paul moves from talking about strength to love, but strength is still in view since we need God's power to understand the limitless dimensions of His love. Sure, the Ephesians knew of God's love. But Paul is asking for them to know it better.

Understand that this petition does not focus on the Ephesians' love for Christ (though that is a good thing for which to pray), but rather it is a prayer that the Ephesians may know Christ's love for them! Paul apparently thinks they do not appreciate Christ's love as they should.

I think the same could be said of us. When we begin to grasp Christ's love for us, we live a crucified life. Consider how Paul ties an understanding of Christ's love to a Christian's radical obedience:

88I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal 2:19-20, emphasis added)

And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us. (Eph 5:2, emphasis added)

It is not a mere intellectual appreciation of the love of Christ that Paul is after. Carson says,

Paul is not asking that his readers might become more able to articulate the greatness of God's love in Christ Jesus or to grasp with the intellect alone how significant God's love is in the plan of redemption. He is asking God that they might have the power to grasp the dimensions of that love in their experience. (Spiritual Reformation, 191, emphasis added)

God's love is rooted in history, most magnificently at the cross, but that love is to be tasted. It is to be experienced. Numerous verses refer to the idea of experience (e.g., Ps 143:8). Peter says, "And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy" (1 Pet 1:8). That is not mere head knowledge. Paul goes on to say that this love "surpasses knowledge." It is a love that is knowable and explainable to a degree; yet, it must be experienced.

Let me point out two ditches to avoid regarding experience. First, watch out for experiential abuse. Some base too much on experience. They do not filter experience through God's Word. This can lead to mysticism. This is dangerous, as it can lead to heresy and all kinds of problems. God's revelation must be primary. We must understand our experience through the lens of Scripture, which alone is perfect. Second, watch out for experiential avoidance. Some are so afraid of the abuses of experience and the work of the Spirit that they have their own problem, that is, an avoidance of the Spirit and experience. They have a cold, dead orthodoxy as a result.

Paul shows us what we need. He has spent three chapters on God's truth. Now he says he wants us to know it, to experience it. God's salvation, God's power and love, are to be known and experienced. Many people have known right doctrine but committed grave sins because they were not walking in the fullness of God's presence and love personally. 89They were straight as a gun barrel but just as empty. Notice four aspects of love that we need to know in our minds and in our experiences:

Know that you are secured in God's love (3:17b). Paul describes Christians as "being rooted and firmly established in love." Stott says, "Love is to be the soil in which their life is rooted; love is to be the foundation on which their life is built" (Ephesians, 136). Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 2:6-7: "rooted and built up in Him" (Col 2:7).

We are to build our lives on the love of Christ. We must let our roots go down into the love of Christ and draw strength from there, living moment by moment knowing we are loved by God. This love has come to us before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-6). In love God has called us and brought us to life (2:4-5).

Know the limitless dimensions of God's love (3:18). Next Paul goes on to express his desire for the Ephesians to grasp something of the greatness of God's love. He uses the expressions: "length and width, height and depth" (cf. Rom 8:31-39). It is difficult to understand precisely what Paul is getting at, but God's love is certainly extensive! Scripture speaks of the breadth of God's love in that He has included all ethnic groups as part of His family; Jew and Gentile are one. Scripture speaks of His love being as long as eternity. Jeremiah says He has "loved you with an everlasting love" (Jer 31:3). Scripture speaks of God's love being higher than the heavens (Ps 103:11-12). Scripture speaks of His love in terms of depth in that God casts our sins into the bottom of the sea (Mic 7:19).

Notice that we should try to "comprehend" it. But it takes God's "power" to do so! This love has been expounded beautifully in chapters 1-2.

Notice also that we should try to grasp it "with all the saints." All the saints—rich and poor, black and white, young and old—should think on the love of Christ together. Discuss His love; share stories of His love; study the Bible together. This is another reference to the importance of the church. God intends to shape us through community as we reflect on His gospel. We are not intended to live the Christian life in isolation.

Know that this love surpasses knowledge (3:19a). Paul urges us to grasp and experience God's love as much as possible. We cannot get to the bottom of God's love since it "surpasses knowledge." How do we experience God's love? Vertically, we need to stop and marvel at God's love (2:1-2) and rest in God's forgiveness (4:32).

90I meet many people who often say, "I know God has forgiven me, but I can't forgive myself." That is idolatry. If God has forgiven us, we need to move on. He is the ultimate authority, not us. When we think we need something more than God Almighty's forgiveness, it is clear that we are not finding our identity in Jesus Christ and the gospel. We are living in a works-based system that does nothing but enslave.

Horizontally, we need to experience God's love by showing love to the world. And we need to show this love in the church, to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic background (2:11-22). We need to forgive others because Christ has forgiven us (4:32). We must show God's love by putting up with difficult people and offering patient, forbearing love (4:2-3): the same type of patient love that God has for us.

Know God's love that you may be mature (3:19b). Paul concludes his prayer with this great phrase: "filled with all the fullness of God." Paul wants them to know the love of God in Christ to the end that they might "be all that God wants them to be" or "be spiritually mature" (Carson, Spiritual Reformation, 195).

Paul uses a similar expression in 4:13 to talk about spiritual maturity: "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ's fullness."

As individuals, we are to go on being filled with the Spirit of God (5:18). And as a church, although we are already filled with His fullness (1:23), we are to grow up into Him until we reach fullness (4:13-16). God is growing us up into maturity in Christ, which means He is growing us up into the fullness of Christ. In Colossians Paul says that God's fullness dwells in Christ, and we have come to fullness (Col 1:19; 2:9-10).

Jesus got at this idea when He prayed, "So the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them" (John 17:26). We cannot be mature unless we know and experience the power and love of God in Christ. We need the fullness of God's love and power in order to be like Christ. Each of us should seek the fullness of God's power and love that we may love our neighbors, our churches, our families, and this broken world. This leads us to the following doxology.

Pray With Great Expectations

Ephesians 3:20-21

Finally, Paul moves to praise. He shows us the greatness of God. Consider the "what," "how," and "why" of this doxology.

Paul says God is "able" (20a)! Able to do what? Notice how he heaps up phrases to describe God's sovereign might:

God can do more in response to one prayer than we can do in one hundred years of planning and plodding. Do we believe God alone is the only Sovereign? He is the One who raised Jesus from the dead and placed Him as head over the church, and He has put all things under His feet! If so, then pour out your heart to Him, believing He is able.

We need a vision of God that increases our faith in God's greatness. The best way to do this is to fill our minds with the Word of God.

How does God work beyond our imaginations? Paul says it is "according to the power that works in us" (20b, emphasis added). Think about the examples of this in the Bible. Think of His work in the lives of Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah (a man like us according to Jas 5:17-18), Isaiah, Nehemiah, the disciples, and the church. God is able to do extraordinary things through ordinary people by His power at work within them.

Why does God do these things? Paul says it in verse 21. This should be the ultimate goal for our prayers for power and love: "To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." God blesses His people for His own glory.

But notice Paul says that God desires His glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. Stott says, "God desires glory in the bride and in the 92bridegroom; in the community of peace, and in the Peacemaker" (Ephesians, 141).

For how long? Forever. Forever, God will be glorified for His power and love. Forever, God will be glorified by His people. Forever, God will be glorified in Christ Jesus, the Lamb who was slain. Forever, God will be glorified in the Christ, who fell to His knees before the Father in the garden of Gethsemane, who took the cup of wrath that we could receive the cup of grace, who has reconciled us to the Father and one another, and who now dwells in our hearts, through faith by the Spirit. To God be the glory forever!

Fictional astronaut Ryan Stone was correct: we are all going to die. But you can live forever through Jesus Christ, who also gives us access to the Father in prayer right now.

Reflect and Discuss