Ephesians 3:14-21, Prayer for God’s Fullness (2)

We are continuing to consider Paul’s prayer request in this prayer.

·       Paul first prays for strength in the inner man, v16.  This work of the Holy Spirit is not complicated.  He is praying that the inner man will grow and mature, moving from spiritual infancy to what Hebrews 5:14 refers to as “full age.”  Paul writes this from prison.  He knows living the Christian life faithfully requires strength.  So, he prays for this.  But what does that mean?

·       The result of this inner strength is that Christ dwells in our heart, v17a.  The word dwell has the idea of truly being at home.  This is what it means to grow spiritually.  It’s not that Christ is more comfortable with the believer; it is that the believer is more comfortable with Christ reigning in his life. 

·       Paul’s language indicates they were already “rooted and grounded in love.”  The life of a Christian has its beginnings in the most powerful demonstrate of love in all of history: the cross of Jesus Christ.  It is God who loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10).  By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16).  Thus, we are rooted and grounded in love.  Furthermore, Jesus loved His disciples to the end (John 13:1), a love which moved Him to send the Holy Spirit to help them in His absence; as He said, I will not leave you orphans (John 14:15-18).

Again, there is one request: that God would, by His Spirit, strengthen them in the inner man.  As this happens, Christ dwells more deeply in the heart of the believer, having been rooted and grounded in love.   

What resources does Paul mention that make it possible for the need to be met?

There are two great encouragements associated with this request.  The second is that what Paul is requesting is in the realm of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  He is our “Helper” who can strengthen us on the inside.  Inner strength is far more important to the believer than physical strength, a fact made obvious by the many who have born a strong testimony for Christ while they were tortured and killed for their faith.  The Holy Spirit is able to help us in this.  The first encouragement to our faith is that Paul asks God to do this according to the riches of His glory.  These “riches” are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints mentioned in the previous prayer in Ephesians (1:18).  There is enough “strength” for the inner man of every believer because God has an abundance of His strength to spare. 

The request has been made.  But the reason for and effect of that request is still to come.  As Scripture says (Isa. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9): Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.  This prayer leads to an amazing conclusion.