STUDIES IN EPHESIANS,

PART 6Dr. Ronald C. Hill, Sr. August 8, 2012 @ 7:30pm August 11, 2012 @ 9:00am

Ephesians 3:14

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

A. Now the apostle Paul picks up the thought he had begun in verse 3:1 Where Paul said he had a cause, a reason. He wanted them to come to understand the mystery of Christ and the church. Paul wanted them to see that in

A. that in the heart of God, the Jews, His chosen earthly people and the Gentiles believers in Christ are on the same level before God.

1. The cause of Paul’s prayer first of all was that the people of God would not faint because they could see how severe he was suffering because he was promoting the Gospel of Christ. The

1. Greek word for faint is “EKKAKEO” and it denotes cowardice, faint-heartedness. To be desperate to lose heart, to give up or quit.

2. Paul knew how easily some people will give up when they are confronted with trouble. Paul knew that the people of God will always win if they will simply stand in agreement

2. with the word of God no matter the circumstances they are facing.

B. Paul stated that he would bow on his knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This does not mean kneeling must always be the posture of the body when we pray. We may pray as we walk, sit, or

B. recline. It is not the position of the body rather it is the posture of the soul. Our hearts and souls must be bowed in humility and reverence before God when we approach Him in prayer.

Ephesians 3:14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 3:15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

C. Paul addressed his prayer to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Paul understood that God ruled over all in heaven and earth. He knew he was praying to the God of love, mercy and all power. Paul

C. knew he was praying to the God of all creation and that God could do anything that needed to be done. He also believed God would grant him the request.

1. We too must have that same confidence when we approach God the Father in Prayer.

Ephesians 3:16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

D. Paul prayed that his friends would receive strength out of the riches of God’s glory. Paul wanted them to receive strength from the glory of the Spirit

D. of God in the inner man. He wanted the essence of who they were to receive divine ability from and out of the riches of the Glory of God. Preachers often point

D. out that there is a difference between the expressions “out of the riches” and according to the riches. A wealthy person might give a trifling amount;

D. it would be out of his riches, but not in proportion to them. Paul asks that God will give strength according to the riches of His perfection.

1. Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints get ready for a deluge.

2. Paul asks for God to give his friends the best He had to offer. It doesn’t get any better than walking in the strength of God’s glory.

3. We too should ask God for the best He has to offer. Why should we ask for a little of so great a king?

E. Paul wanted them to receive spiritual power, not the power to perform spectacular miracles, (as important as they may be), but he wanted them to have

E. the spiritual vigor needed to be mature, stable, intelligent Christian.

1. It is the inner man that delights in the law of God.

Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

2. It is the inner man that must be renewed daily.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

3. We must have the strength daily to not only know what the word of God is saying but we must also have the spiritual strength that can come only from God to make a God decision, to obey God’s word.

F. Began to pray daily for God to give you spiritual strength to walk with Him.

1. When someone asked a tremendous favor of Napoleon it was immediately granted because, said Napoleon, “He honored me by the magnitude of his request.”

Thou art coming to a king. Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much. -John Newton

Ephesians 3:17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

G. In verse 17 Paul continues to pray for them. He now prays that Christ may dwell in your heart, by faith. Paul wanted their hearts to be directed by the

G. teaching of Christ. And he knew this could only be done through the law of faith. Paul knew that faith in the word and power of God would merit (allow) Christ to feel at home in their hearts.

1. Paul wanted them to act on the teaching of Christ from the heart. Faith is acting on the word of God from or in the inner man. Christ will always dwell and move wherever He finds a man’s heart, his inner man, trusting and acting on the word of God.

H. Paul did not pray that they be rooted and grounded in love. Paul understood that if they were to allow Christ to dwell in their hearts by faith they would then be rooted and grounded in love. “God is love”, “therefore

H. Christ is love”. Christ dwells in our hearts everything that He is, is released in our hearts. Paul stated therefore in the later part of verse 17 “that we being rooted and ground in love.”

Ephesians 3:18May be able to comprehend

with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and

depth, and height;

Ephesians 3:19And to know the love of

Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of

God.

I. Now that Christ is dwelling in your inner man, your heart, you will be able to comprehend. You will now be able to lay hold of the deeper things of God. You will be able to perceive and understand what God is doing in the earth.

I. You will see this in the Holy spirit and you will benefit greatly from what the Holy Spirit reveals to you.

Ephesians 3:18May be able to comprehend

with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and

depth, and height;

J. Paul also addresses unity in his prayer when he stated “with all saints”. Christians should aim to comprehend with all saints. We are on dangerous grounds when we have a need to know something about God

J. that no one else knows. For sure you will be led into error. We have to be careful when we began to see and hear things that no one else is hearing and seeing that cannot be substantiated by the word of God.

Ephesians 3:19And to know the love of

Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of

God.

K. In verse 19 we find two statements that would appear to the casual observer to be in contradiction.

1. Paul first says “to know the love of Christ”, then he says that this love passeth knowledge. The first “know” has to do with knowing through experience. The bible says that “Adam knew Eve”. This is to

1. say he had a physical experience with her. We can know the love of God; we can experience the love of God. But no man can know the love of God in terms of understanding it.

2. Paul continues to unfold the benefits of allowing Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith. We will be filled with all the fullness of God. The fullness of God represents all that God is.

Ephesians 3:20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Ephesians 3:21Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

L. The prayer closes with a soul inspiring doxology. Paul describes him as a God that can perform superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think. We can’t conceive of something to ask

L. God for and he couldn’t do it. God can perform infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams.

Ephesians 3:21Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

M. In verse 21 Paul simply says we should give God praise and glory in His church. We should worship and praise Him because what he has done for the church will last forever and ever and there will be no end.

THE ENDBible Study Notes available online at www.loveandunity.org under Media Dept. tab