So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...

Ephesians 3 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Paul’s Stewardship

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; ³ that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. ⁴ By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; ⁶ to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ⁷ of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. ⁸ To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; ¹⁰ so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. ¹³ Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

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

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

Paul says: “I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.” Throughout his ministry Paul often spoke of the difficulties he faced for the sake of his ministry. Before his conversion Paul was a Pharisee, a member of the religious elite among the Jews. The Pharisees also lived among the upper class of Jews often obtaining wealth, power and possessions through their position. After Paul had his encounter with Christ he no longer valued the power and possessions associated with worldly leadership and accomplishment. He gloried in his sacrifice and service to his Lord, his Savior.

Many today who are critical of the church and it’s leaders point to the lifestyle, the accumulation of wealth and possessions of leaders and judge them as hypocrites. It certainly is fair to say there have been many, who like the religious elite in Paul’s day, have misused their position for their own gain. Yet isn’t it more hypocritical of the world to judge people in ministry by the car they drive or the house they live in. If someone is successful in business or entertainment we look at those things as a measure of their success. Why then,  is a successful minister automatically criticized if he lives comfortably, regardless of the fruit of the ministry or service to people. God is not opposed to the accumulation of wealth or possessions. There are many accounts of those who followed God closely becoming wealthy as they lived for and served God. The lives of Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, and David are just a few examples of those who accumulated great wealth and power as they followed God’s call.

In truth the world will also criticize and mock the servant or minister of Christ who gives up everything to minister to the poor and needy, whether here in this country or in another land. Certainly the world does not esteem missionaries and those who minister to the homeless as great and successful in our culture. This hypocrisy of the world’s judgment is not new. Jesus says:

“John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”

It really is not the lifestyle, the possessing of wealth or the lack of wealth that the world criticizes in believers, who minister for Christ. Jesus says:

 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. ²⁵ But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ “ (John 15:18-25)

Again, certainly many in the church have given the world reason to criticize them. But Jesus was hated without cause. As a believer and follower of Christ it will not be possible to please the world. Each one of us should learn to be satisfied with whatever situation and circumstance we are in. We do well if we can, like Paul say:           I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹² I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. ¹³ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)    

All things through Christ and all things for Christ, may that be all that the world can judge in us.

 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,  to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.