According to the power that works within us

Ephesians 3 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² if indeed you have heard of the administration 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 briefly. 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 mankind, 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 enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; ¹⁰ so that the multifaceted 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 become discouraged about my tribulations in your behalf, since they are your glory.

¹⁴ For this reason I bend 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 self, 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 width and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled 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 closes today’s text saying: 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. God is omnipotent, all powerful. He created the heavens and the earth and everything that is on the earth. He chooses though to work with us and through us. Psalm 115:16 says: The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth He has given to the sons of mankind. God doesn’t need our help, but He has determined to work with us and through us. He does more than we think or ask through the Holy Spirit in us. The same Holy Spirit that was hovering over the face of the earth and responded to God’s words in creation and the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwells in us. In John 14:12-14 Jesus says: “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  We can do the works that Jesus did, because in truth it is Him working through the Holy Spirit in us. He will do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.  In John 10:10 Jesus says: “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”   The abundant life that He gives us is not for our own satisfaction or pleasure. It is to do the works that He did. It is an abundance of His power and presence in our lives. For us though, as Psalm 37:4 says: Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.  When we focus on the glory of God, when we delight in His presence, His will becomes our desire and our pleasure. Jesus taught us to pray saying: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we are to be those who are the fulfillment of that prayer, bringing the abundance of God’s glory and power to the circumstances and situations in the world, not for our glory, but to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  If we fail to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we allow the thief to steal, kill and destroy.  In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

For this reason I bend 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 self, 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 width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled 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.