Intro to Ephesians 3:14-21

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/31/2019 9:06 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Eph. 3:14-21

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Eph. 3:14-21

            Message of the verses:  “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

            I have mentioned that this letter to the Ephesians has some very deep teaching in it, and as we look at these remaining verses from the third chapter you can see why I said that.  In many of Paul’s letters he will spend the first part of the letter talking about doctrine, and then in the last part of the letter will write about how to live out that doctrine.  I suppose that, at least to me, this is seen in the letter to the Romans.  Paul spends the first eleven chapters talking about doctrine, the doctrine of what God, through Jesus Christ has done for us as believers and he ends that first section with these words:  “33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:33-35).”  I think that the last couple of verses in Ephesians three can be compared with these verses in Romans 11 as Paul ends his teachings on doctrine and then will move onto the practical things that can be learned from these doctrines.  In Romans Paul begins chapter 12 with the word “therefore” which goes all the way back to the beginning of his teachings in chapter one as he states in the first two verses of Romans 12 to give yourself as a living sacrifice to the Lord in light of all that He has done for you to save you.  It is the logical thing to do.  In Ephesians 4:1 he also begins with the word “therefore” “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”  We still have these remaining verses of doctrine to look at before we get to the practical side of living out those doctrines beginning in chapter four.

            John MacArthur begins his introductory comments on this ninth chapter of his commentary on Ephesians, which he entitles “The Fullness of God” with these words: 

“It is possible to know a great deal about an automobile—to know exactly how the engine, the ignition, the transmission, and so on operate—and yet never use it to go anywhere.  It is also possible to know very little about an automobile and yet use it every day to travel hundreds of miles.  In the same way it is possible to know a great deal about the Bible—its doctrines, interpretations, moral standards, promises, warnings, and so on—and yet not live by those truths.”

            As I read on in his commentary MacArthur actually states that the practical part of the book of Ephesians, that is living out the doctrines that Paul first talks about actually begin in 3:14, so I guess I stand corrected in where it begins.  MacArthur writes “In 3:14-21 Paul gives his prayer requests on behalf of the Ephesian believers.  In sharing his requests with them, he urges them to live in the full power and effectiveness of ‘every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’ (1:3).  This second prayer in the book of Ephesians (see also 1:15-23) is a prayer for enablement.  The first prayer is for believers to know their power; the second is for them to use it.”

            There are two things that a Pastor is to do that are extremely important, and they follow how Paul writes many of his letters.  Pastors are to teach who we are in Christ and then to live out what we are in Christ.  I remember a sermon; in fact there were two similar sermons that I listened to way back around 1974.  One was entitled “Becoming what You Are.”  This message goes along exactly what Paul is teaching in this and many of his letters.  As we read and understand about who we are in Christ we then need to go out and live that kind of life, “becoming what we are.”

            In this prayer Paul pleads with the believers to respond to God’s sovereign provision, and then he pleads with God to motivate them to do it, and the reason is because God not only is the provider but He is also the initiator and motivator.  MacArthur concludes his introductory comments by writing:  “Paul calls on God to activate believers’ power so that they can become faithful children and thereby glorify their heavenly Father.

            “In this great prayer of entreaty to God and exhortation to His children, Paul prays specifically for the inner strength of the Spirit, for the indwelling of Christ in the believer’s heart, for incomprehensible love to permeate their lives, for them to have God’s own fullness, and for God’s glory thereby to be manifested and proclaimed.  Each element builds on the previous ones, making a grand progression of enablement.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I study this section of Scripture it is my desire to become what I am in Christ in order to bring glory to Him who loves me, and who saved me.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Give myself to the Lord so that I can then learn more about being humble before the Lord as Romans 12:3 talks about.

Verse that goes along with yesterday’s Quotation:  “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-13).”  I might add a quote that is found in many of Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentaries:  “The successful Christian life is a series of new beginnings.”

1/31/2019 9:48 AM