So the Christian might know that we serve an awesome God who is not limited in His power, Paul wrote:
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Take a moment and think about that statement! We serve a God who is limitless, who is able to and does great things for His people!
Friend, I want to emphasize the apostle’s words to you. He did not write about “Him who is able to do all that we ask of think.” God’s ability and work on our behalf is not bound by our limited earthly perspective. Praise God! We have an infinite and supreme God who is concerned for our well being, not only in the here and now, but for eternity. He’s able to see what we do not, and can do things beyond our ability to fathom or inquire about.
Paul could have simply said that God is able to do “above all that we ask or think,” but he didn’t. He emphatically told us God is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” We don’t even have the capacity to fully understand what that means! How could we? It is exceedingly abundantly above what we might ask or think! Yes, we’re aware of things that God is doing for us – the Bible draws focuses on His benevolent care for us (Matthew 5:45; 6:30, 33; Mark 10:30; etc.), and on His eternal plan to save us (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20). And yet Paul reveals here that our understanding of what God does and has done for us is lacking. It seems that our inability to know the goodness of God extended to us is not just a wee bit, but exceedingly abundantly lacking.
In the immediate context, the apostle speaks of a few of the great things that God has done for us, things that did not come from the mind of man but by the will of God. I do not believe it is an overstatement to say that men in general tend to view those different from themselves with an uneasiness that often leads to racial prejudice. This is not from the mind of God, but from the narrow and divisive mind of man. Jewish culture of the 1st century AD is a prime example of this. In the Jewish perspective, a Samaritan was no better than a dog. Even Peter, an apostle of Christ was caught by this strict view of the world. Even after God revealed it to him (Acts 10:10-16), Peter still struggled with it (Galatians 2:11-13).
The context of Ephesians 3 speaks of the fellowship of the mystery which has been revealed – that the Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews (Ephesians 3:5-9). In fact, Paul tells us that this bringing together of all who will come to faith in Christ, regardless of race is “the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10) which is displayed to the heavenly principalities by means of the church, where all are one in Christ Jesus and called according to His name (Ephesians 3:14-15). The Lord’s church spans all cultures – let us never divide by our culture!
As we continue to look at Ephesians 3, notice a few more great things which God has for us, things which originate with Him, for they are above what we would ask or think, if the Lord had not revealed them to us. Paul’s prayer for these brethren is that they may be
…strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man… (Ephesians 3:16)
What God calls strength and what we customarily perceive as strength are very different. Most think of brute force as strength. Indeed it is, but even the greatest weight lifter will find a plateau which he will not be able to surpass. A time will come when his body wears down and his strength will diminish.
Others focus on scholastic might. A news story from a few nights ago showed an autistic man who is absolutely brilliant. He is able to speak fluently in at least 8 languages! The documentary revealed that he learned Icelandic in just a week! Amazing! But, in the process of time, his mental faculties will begin to fade.
The strength which God offers us in Christ Jesus is not found in muscles and ligaments; it will now show itself in academic success. By His Spirit, God desires to give us strength in the inner man – that is, in our soul. It is a strength that can grow, even in poor health, even if we were a straight “C” student. It is a strength based in faith in the Son of God. The more we study the Bible, the more we hear sermons preached and live their message out in our lives, the more we sing praises to God, the more we pray to our Father in heaven, the more we meditate on the good things we have from God, the greater our strength will be. Relying upon the strength which God supplies in the inner man, we will be able to overcome, regardless the circumstances of life. We can see in the life of Paul, even in the most dire of situations (Philippi prison, Acts 16:25; stoned and left for dead, Acts 14:19; facing death in Rome, 2 Timothy 4:6), his faith sustained him. It will do the same for us!
Finally, consider the love of Christ. He desires we
…be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height… (Ephesians 3:18)
He wants us to know the dimensions of the love of Christ for us. But he continues in the next verse
…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
He wants us to know the extent of Christ’s love, but then tells us it is beyond knowledge. What’s the point? What can we know about the bounds of a love that is described as above our knowledge? That is the very thing to learn. The love of God is greater than we can fathom. To give us insight into His love for us, Jesus died for us. No greater love exists among men, and yet the implication is that this is just a small display of the great love which God has for us! Praise God!!
Links: YouVersion | GROW magazine
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