Friday, 12 June 2020 Ephesians 3:1-21
“…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:19[NIV]
Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is just the beginning of the Christian journey – we need to grow daily in our walk with Him. Are we living a self-satisfied life, not desirous of growing? Paul’s earnest prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 guides us on how, through the riches of God’s glory, we can grow in our Christian life.
Strengthening of the Inner Man (Eph 3:16): The inner man is the spirit of a person and for a believer, its the regenerated inner being, in contrast to the old self (2 Cor. 4:16, 1 Peter 3:4). The source of his strength is not his own willpower, but the strength derived from the presence of the Spirit of God. Only by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit can our inner being be renewed daily.
Indwelling of Christ through Faith (Eph 3:17a): Faith is believing even when we do not see it. It is by faith, that Christ takes permanent residence in our hearts. Jesus answered, “If a person loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” [John 14:23] It should be our prayer that God will increase our faith that we may experience Him living in us every moment.
Rooted in Love(Eph 3:17b): The words ‘rooted’ and ‘grounded’ give the imagery of a strong tree having its roots deep in the soil, that won’t sway in the fiercest storm. Our love should be both vertical and horizontal – towards God and one another. This deep-rooted love is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit and the dwelling of Christ in us. Otherwise, our love is only superficial and can be blown away by the slightest wind of trouble
Comprehending God’s Love (Eph 3:18): Have we thought of the width, length, height and depth of God’s love? When rooted in love, we are able to understand God’s infinite love for us. It is the love that extends to all mankind (John 3:16), the love that gave His only Son for us (1 John 4:9), the love for a lost mankind that held Jesus on the cross (John 15:13), the love that gives us the privilege to be seated in the heavenly realms with Him (Eph. 2:6). To understand the dimensions of God’s love, we must come to the cross. The cross points in four ways, essentially in every direction because: > God’s love is wide enough to include every person. > God’s love is long enough to last through all eternity. > God’s love is deep enough to reach the worst sinner. > God’s love is high enough to take us to heaven. (David Guzik Commentary)
Filled in the Fullness of God (Eph 3:19): When we experience the love of Christ in our lives, we grow to be filled with ‘the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself.’ [AMP] Every Christian, through the indwelling Godhead in him must strive to be Christ-like and reflect Him in his life (Colossians 2:9-10). When we mature in the fullness of God, we labor together as the body of Christ, bringing glory to our Father in Heaven in all that we do.
The Christian life is a daily process of growing in the Lord – growing in the strength of the Holy Spirit and in faith in Christ. When we feel weak, all we have to do is humble ourselves in prayer and He, "who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Ephesians 3:20) will strengthen and guide us in our Christian walk.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, may I be strengthened in the inner man and grow in You that I may reflect You in my life. Amen.
Listen: ‘How deep the Father’s love for us’
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