Sermon Notes: Ephesians 3:14-21, Part 4 – Paul Prays… For Glory

 

These are the notes of a sermon preached by Andy Evans on the morning of the 30 January 2011. Click here to stream or download the sermon audio.

Ephesians 3:14–21

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1. INTRODUCTION – THE GLORY OF GOD

a. His Glory Displayed

As we reach the end of the first half of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, we note that chapters 1 through to 3 are underpinned by three great assumptions,

i. God

This first assumption is so utterly obvious that it is difficult to know where to begin. The Bible begins with the simple and succinct assertion that,

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God…

There is no explanation as to how this can be so; there is no debate and there is no argument. In the beginning, God…

All of Paul’s preaching, ministry and writing is grounded upon the assumption that there is a God and that he makes himself known. And so Paul begins this letter with the stark statement,

Ephesians 1:2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, like the writer of Genesis, assumes that it is unnecessary to explain, debate and justify the existence of God. Paul assumes the existence of God and he assumes that his readers assume the existence of God.  Indeed, even on the mission field when proclaiming the gospel to unbelievers, Paul begins with the same basic assumption: God is. Consider, therefore, Paul’s evangelistic strategy as demonstrated in his address before the Areopagus in Athens,

Acts 17:23

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

We see then that the issue in Athens is not unbelief, but rather misdirected and misplaced belief. It is not that this people do not believe in God, rather, they have placed their trust in the wrong god(s).

As we read the New Testament, we find this same dynamic everywhere; in Lystra, Derby, Corinth, Rome and, yes, Ephesus. Moreover, as we read the Scriptures, other than a couple of passages in the Old Testament and a single passage in the New Testament, where the translation and interpretation is debated, atheism (in the sense of a denial of the existence of God) is left unaddressed (Psalm 10:4, 14:1, 53:1 and Hebrews 11:6).[1] Paul assumes the existence of God because people, generally, assume the existence of God.

And this is not so very different from our culture and society. Despite the best efforts of the New Atheists, Theism refuses to die. When sharing the gospel with colleagues, friends and family, we more often find that there is an acceptance of the possibility that there is a god out there. The great challenge in evangelism is in persuading people that this supposed god is, in actual fact, the God of the Bible and that this God has revealed himself in history and in and through Christ Jesus, the God-Man. Moreover, we persuade people that this God makes demands upon his creatures. We are commanded to repent, love and obey.

And so too, as we walk the streets of Westwood, we encounter an excess of spirituality misplaced and misdirected towards idols and false and petty gods.  Our task is to show people the true God, the God of the Bible.

Which leads us to Paul’s second assumption.

ii. The Glory of God

Paul assumes that God is and that this God who is, is altogether glorious; indeed, Paul addresses this God, in prayer, as the ‘Father of Glory’ (Ephesians 1:17). This address is, of course, unsurprising as Paul has just spent the preceding verses magnifying the glory of God as displayed in salvation. Paul understands, and wants us to see, that that our salvation is evidence of this truth that this God is, indeed, glorious,

Ephesians 1:11–12

In him we have obtained an inheritance […] that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

And,

Ephesians 1:13–14

¹³ In him you also […] [you] were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

You and I were saved that he might be glorified. Moreover, our salvation is present and persuasive evidence that he is indeed glorious.

So too, in the passage we have been considering over the past few weeks, we see evidence of this same glory. Paul prays,

Ephesians 3:16

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being

All of which leads us to the great theme of this letter.

iii. The Glory of the Grace of God

This sermon series is entitled, ‘His Glorious Grace’, because the two great themes of this letter are the glory and the grace of God. Moreover, these two aspects of his nature and character intersect most gloriously. Consider,

Ephesians 1:4–6

…In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace…

God is.

God is glorious.

God displays his glory in his acts of salvation. We are saved that we might display his glory.

But Paul goes further, God is (he exists), he is glorious and, moreover, he chooses to emphasise a particular aspect of his glory, namely, his grace.

Again, Paul is pointing towards the glory of God in salvation. God is at work from before the foundation of the world saving a people for himself. The reason for this saving activity is that God is intent upon displaying his glory. But salvation is not the cold calculating machinations of an unfeeling, egotistical deity. No, God acts from the overflow of his great love (Ephesians 1:6 and 2:4) and, in  so doing, his grace appears as it is, most glorious.

All of this gives us great confidence in our faith. We know, therefore, that God exists, that he is powerful and that he is gracious. How? Because we see evidence of his work in human history, in our lives and the lives of fellow believers; we have seen, received and experienced his grace and can testify to his goodness.

This God who is, is powerful and kind, and those of us who believe have experienced and are beneficiaries of his power and grace.

b. His Abundant Power

This is, of course, the theological framework which underpins the prayer with which Paul concludes the first half of his Epistle to the Church in Ephesus (Ephesians 3:14-21); a prayer which is one of the great prayers of Scripture. Paul has already prayed that believers would receive power, through Christ indwelling in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and he has prayed that we would experience the love of Christ as a transformational and present reality in our lives.

Paul now proceeds to show us the big picture.

Paul begins with an assertion regarding the nature and character of God,

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think

Paul reminds us that this God, the Father of Glory, is able to do more than we ask and more than we think. Indeed, the Greek word, hyperekperissou, here translated ‘far more abundantly’, is an unusual and unusually strong word that, translated literally, would read, superabundantly, or, even, hyper-abundantly (were this a real word).[2]

Paul’s intention is clear. This God is able to do superabundantly more than Paul has asked for. This God is able and willing to pour out every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. This includes supernatural power (akin to the great power which raised Christ Jesus from the dead, Ephesians 2:19-20); the filling of the Holy Spirit, by which Christ Jesus indwells in the lives of believers; and a supernatural comprehension of the love of Christ towards believers, a love so expansive and powerful that it literally and dramatically transforms lives.

Paul prays for all of this and, yet, he knows (and wants us to know) that God is able to do ‘far more abundantly’, indeed, superabundantly, more.

And the promise of this is greater still when we reflect upon the life of the Apostle Paul. Did God accomplish great things through Paul? Absolutely. Did God use Paul to heal the sick, raise the dead and transform entire geographical regions with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Yes. And did Paul have an unusually clear comprehension of the eternal plan and cosmic purposes of God as realised in Christ Jesus?  And did Paul pray big prayers? Absolutely, indeed, this prayer is evidence of this.

Paul saw God do things of which we can only dream, many examples of which are recorded in the New Testament for our encouragement and edification. Paul witnessed the power of God at work to a breathtaking and astounding degree. Paul now assures us that God can do ‘far more abundantly’, indeed, superabundantly, than all of this. Given all that Paul witnessed and experience, consider the extent of his dreams and ambitions for the gospel of God. Paul is assured (and assures us) that God is able to do more, far more, superabundantly more, than Paul is even able to imagine.

And if this is true of Paul, how much more with regards to you and I.

God is bigger than our prayers and our petitions. God is bigger than our imaginations.

There are two reasons why it is important that we grasp hold of this truth.

i. Philosophical Necessity

Firstly, this is a philosophical necessity.

The Bible assures us that God is infinite in respect of his person, character and power whereas human beings are limited and finite. He is the Creator, we are his creatures. He is eternal, where as we came into being at a particular moment in time (in which he formed us in our mother’s womb, Psalm 139:13). This is why it makes sense that Paul prays that God would be glorified throughout all generations. Forever and ever.

He is infinite and we are not. He is eternal and we are not. He is glorious and we are not.

Given these weighty truths God must, by necessity, be greater than our imaginations. If we were able to envisage or imagine something which God is incapable of doing (with respect to his power), this would, by necessity, diminish his glory. Suddenly we would have to reevaluate the appropriateness of terms like, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient…

But God is infinitely glorious and it is not possible for any human mind to plumb the depths or span the bounds of his glory. God cannot, no, will not, be limited by the creature.

He is greater, infinitely greater, than his creation. He is bigger, yes, infinitely bigger, than our imagination.

ii. Practical Necessity

Pastorally, this is exceedingly important; because God is limitless, with respect to his glory and grace, his capacity to love, act and intervene is also limitless. This provides great comfort for those of us who are his. We will never encounter a situation in which he is unable to intervene and triumph and, when we cry out to him in our moments of desperation and dire need, we are assured that he is able to do far more abundantly, indeed, superabundantly, more than all we ask or think.

This gives us great encouragement to pray. We know that he is powerful and able to intervene decisively. We know he is compassionate and draws near to us in our time of need.

We are assured, he is able to do more. Far more…

2. GLORY IN THE CHURCH

a. The Glory in Me

Given this assurance that God is able to do more, far more abundantly, even superabundantly more, than we can ask and think, the explanatory clause which follows is perhaps a little surprising,

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

Paul assures us that God is able to do ‘far more abundantly than all we ask or think’ and then shows us the means by which God intends and is able to do more,

Ephesians 3:20

…according to the power at work within us

This is astonishing. Paul reminds us that God is able to accomplish astonishing, glorious and miraculous feats, but not simply in some abstract, distant way, but through and in the lives of believers.

This is astonishing, but this should not surprise us given all that has gone before. Paul has already prayed,

Ephesians 1:18–20

…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places

Moreover, in the verses preceding this morning’s text, Paul prays,

Ephesians 3:16

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being

Paul wants us to see the glory of God in salvation. More specifically, Paul wants us to see the power of God at work, and the glory of God displayed, in our own lives.

Salvation is a miraculous and glorious thing. We were spiritually dead and yet God raised us to new life with the same, awesome resurrection displayed when he raised Christ Jesus from the dead and exalted him to the very highest place.

And Paul prays that we would continue to experience this same supernatural life-transforming power that we might be transformed from one degree of glory to another and that we might come to reflect the glory of Christ Jesus to this dark and depraved world. Indeed, Paul envisages that outcome of this imbuement of power in the following terms,

Ephesians 3:17

…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

And the indwelling Christ changes everything. You and I have experienced and witnessed the truth of this. Men and women released from begetting sin. Men and women transformed. Men and women growing increasingly in Christian maturity.

This is the outcome of Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith. Moreover, this is the outworking of the power for which Paul prays in verse 16.

We are assured that our faith is not in vain because this God, the Creator of the universe, is able to do ‘far more abundantly than all we ask or think’. Moreover, this assurance is grounded in the truth that he exerts and displays this awesome power in you and I.

Indeed, this promise is for believers everywhere and at every time. This promise is for you and I.

We are the evidence that God can do more. Far more. Superabundantly more.

We are the evidence because we have seen, and continue to see, God’s resurrection power at work in our lives.

b. The Glory in We

But Paul wants us to see the big picture.

Christianity is not a solo event. Paul wants us to see the glory of God at work in and towards you and I and Paul wants us to see the glory of God at work in the church of Christ. Paul prays,

Ephesians 3:21

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus…

This is an unusual and, potentially, provocative verse (indeed, this is the only New Testament passage in which the term ‘church’ and the phrase ‘in Christ Jesus’ occur).[3] It is important that we avoid any misunderstanding here. Paul is not presenting the church as an equivalent to or being somehow equal with Christ Jesus. Rather, Paul is seeking to define the church in relation to Christ or, more properly, in relation to what it means to be in Christ.

As we have previously considered, the phrase, ‘in Christ’ on some thirteen occasions (fourteen occasions if we include the phrase, ‘in Jesus’, at Ephesians 4:21). On each occasion, Paul uses this phrase to precisely define what it means to be a believer in Christ. Christianity is not merely an commitment to a particular  creed, theological or philosophical system or a set of beliefs. Rather true biblical Christianity is defined in relation to Christ Jesus. This makes sense of this prayer. Paul wants us to move beyond knowing about Jesus, he wants us to know him and Paul wants us to move beyond an understanding of grace and, instead, wants us to experience this love as a present reality within our lives. This is why Paul prays that believers,

Ephesians 3:18-19

¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ…

This is what it means to be in Christ Jesus: that we have been rescued from the world, resurrected from the dead and we now live for him (and in him) and he lives within us. If this is true of individual believers, how much more so, with regards to the church?

Given the rich ecclesiology presented throughout this letter, we should be unsurprised that Paul presents, and calls us to, a high view of the church of Christ. Paul wants us to understand that the church is the fruit of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross in which he takes men and women who are in enmity towards God and towards one another and forms a new people who are characterised by peace, love and incredible unity,

Ephesians 2:14–16

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

This is just one of many reasons why it is difficult to be the church on your own in your bedroom or sat in a pub with a couple of mates who happen to be Christians. The church is much more than that. We are, in fact,

Ephesians 2:19–22

…fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Moreover, later Paul will describe the church as being the very Bride of Christ,

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Paul calls believers to have a high view of the Church of Christ. But the Church of Christ only exists in relation to Christ himself and any glory that the church might experience, witness or display originates from him and terminates with him.

c. His Hands and His Feet

The outcome of this is breathtaking. Paul has, in part, already addressed this earlier in this chapter. Consider,

Ephesians 3:8–10

⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

You and I were saved, the church was formed and continues to exists, so that through us ‘the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places’.

We are then the canvas upon which God chooses to display his power, his glorious grace and his manifold wisdom to not only unbelievers, but to the very heavenly beings. We are the vessels in and through whom God chooses to display his glory for the glory of King Jesus.

We are the hands and feet of Christ. We are the people that God uses to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel of Christ Jesus. We are the locus of his great glory on this earth. As one commentator succinctly puts it,

…the honour of Jesus is in the hands of the church…[4]

This is a weighty responsibility and would be utter folly were it not for his power and the revelation of his love transforming us, energising and equipping us for Christian service.

3. FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST

a. His Glory: the End of All things

And the end of all of this is the glory of God displayed and made manifest in Christ Jesus. God’s purposes are intended to bring Jesus maximum glory now, in and through the church.

But there is more. Paul prays that God would be glorified ‘in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’ (Ephesians 3:21). Paul envisages glory now (in the church of his day), glory now (in the church of our day) and glory then, throughout eternity as the saints gather around his throne and praise him and enjoy him for all eternity.

And this should shape the way that we think, that we might think as Paul prays. D.A. Carson reminds us,

‘It is possible to ask for good things for bad reasons. We may desire the power of God so to operate in our lives that we may become more holy; we may ask for power to grasp the limitless dimensions of the love of God – and yet distort these good requests by envisaging their fulfillment within a framework in which the entire universe revolves around our improvement. The root of sin is the kind of self-centredness that wants to usurp God’s place. How tragic then if our prayers for good things leave us still thinking of ourselves first, still thinking of God’s will primarily in terms of its immediate effect on ourselves, still longing for blessings simply so that we will be blessed.[5]

Yes, Paul prays for our good. He prays for strength, power and that we might know him more. We are great beneficiaries of both Paul’s prayer and the grace of God. And yet, we are not the end of either of these things. Paul prays for us, yes, but he prays primarily that God would be glorified. Paul’s priority is as God’s priority, that King Jesus would be glorified for all eternity.

And this must be so. He is greater than our requests and must, therefore, be elevated above our needs. He is greater than our imaginings and must, therefore, be given precedence about our wants, desires and, yes, even our dreams.

b. Our Praise of His Glory

And Paul’s prayer reflects this profound truth. Paul’s prayer begins with petition, but ends in praise. Indeed, theologians label verse 20 and 21 as ‘doxology’. This word, doxology, originates from the Greek word, doxa, which is most often translated ‘glory’ (as in verse 21).

In the Old Testament, the notion of glory (described, in the New Testament, by the word doxa), is most often associated with the brightness and radiance of God’s presence. To give God glory, therefore, is not to add something to him, but is rather an acknowledgement of his brilliance, splendour and power.[6] When we ‘give glory’ to God, we are affirming things which are true of him (usually in respect of his power, sovereignty and activity in this world).

Paul prays for big things and, in so doing, he is reminded and then responds to the truth of the bigness and the glory of God.

Paul prays and then his prayer become praise.

And we too are called to join with Paul in his doxology. This is the intention behind the word, Amen. Amen is a signal of our assent. That we are in agreement with Paul. That his prayer and his praise is our prayer and our praise.

And so we join with him and say Amen.

Be glorified, Lord God, in your church.

Be glorified, King Jesus, in every generation.

Forever and ever.

Amen.