Published by permission. 20 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, Luke 24:32 32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn . Proud member The Amplified Bible translates the first part of verse 19 as "[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]". that he may grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person. Some translations and commentaries suggest that the strengthening of our inner beings is so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; while others suggest that "Christ dwelling in our hearts" is actually the second prayer that Paul makes for the Ephesians. What Makes Covenant Theology So Important? Be with them and in them. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spiritnot a brute strength but a glorious inner strengththat Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. 18And I pray that you and all Gods holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christs lovehow wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Gods love surpasses knowledge so I know we cant completely understand it on this earth, but I pray every day to better understand how wide and long and high and deep is His love. More to Life: A Study for Women. He emphasizes that this is something that all believers -- Paul uses the word "saints" here to refer to all followers of Jesus -- might gain this knowledge. Our lack of fullness of God is because we cannot let God fully take control of our lives until we are convinced that He is trustworthy. Our needs are met by His love. His petitions for them are four fold: first, that God would strengthen them with power through His Spirit, so that they would have what it takes (the power) to trust Him and live pure and holy lives; second, that as they trust Christ He would dwell in their heartsthat He would feel at home within them; thirdly, that their roots would go down deep into Gods love and that they would feel and understand how good and great and full His love is, that is, that they would experience it for themselves; and fourth, consequently, that they would be filled up with God. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what, the width and length and depth and height. If the law of Christ is written in our hearts, and the love of Christ is shed abroad there, then Christ dwells there. youll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christs love. He has given them a new spiritual life (Eph. And why not? God's love for me (and you!) The punch line comes in the final verse of this passage, so please hang in there with the comments on the earlier verses, because the wait is well worth it. 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love Oh my goodness, I LOVE this imagery. Incredible Riches of God's Glory. 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. An error occurred while accessing favorites. I pray that I may be filled to the fullness of Christ, day by day, as I saturate myself in Your Word and seek only to do those things that are pleasing in Your sight and in line with Your will for my life. Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete), California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Because I know that I am loved deeply by a God who is trustworthy, all-seeing, and who has a good plan for my life. Ephesians 3:16-19 is one of my favorite prayers in the Bible. 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth. Perhaps this parable simply means that if the foundation we have built upon does not lead to the kind of fruit that lasts, He gets rid of that poor foundation, and lays a new one. Paul begins his prayer for the Ephesians -- and for us -- asking the Lord for us to be strengthened on the inside. In Eph 3:1, he declares himself a prisoner of Christ, for the sake of the Ephesians; and which was no objection to his being an ambassador of Christ, and an apostle of his, seeing he had a commission from him to dispense the word of his grace, Eph 3:2, of which, his knowledge in the mystery of Christ, he had by revelation, was an evident proof, Eph 3:3, which might easily be understood by what he had written in the former part of his epistle, Eph 3:4, and was such as had not been given to the saints in former times, as it was to him, and others, now, Eph 3:5, particularly the knowledge of the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospel, Eph 3:6, of which Gospel to the Gentiles he was made a minister, through the gift of grace, and the energy of divine power, Eph 3:7, of which high honour he was unworthy, being, in his own esteem, the meanest of all the people of God; and the grace and favour was the greater, inasmuch as it was the unsearchable riches of Christ he was sent to publish, and that among the Gentiles, Eph 3:8, and to give men light into a mysterious affair, which from eternity had been hid, and kept a secret in the heart of God, the Creator of all things, Eph 3:9, but was now committed to him with this view, not only to be made known to the church, but by that to the heavenly principalities and powers, even that wise scheme of things which displays the manifold wisdom of God, and was formed according to an eternal purpose in Christ, Eph 3:10,11, through whom a way of access is opened to God, with boldness, faith, and confidence, as the Gospel declares, Eph 3:12. He begins by pointing out that when we came to faith in Jesus (i.e., when we were "rooted and established"), it was in love and because of love. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, youll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christs love. The word "know" here is suggesting that we "personally know at the heart level". The dimensions of Christ's love for the Church have been described as vast as a mighty ocean without shores, and as lofty as the highest mountain without a summit. Ephesians 3: 16- 19 . Sorry, an error was encountered while loading the book. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I know that some faith traditions emphasize evangelism and converting people to faith as the main or only fruit. If that foundation is not laid, or if we move the "house" of our faith off this foundation, we find that the house will eventually crumble. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. When our need is great, we can be drawn more deeply to Jesus. I pray that he may strengthen you so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. All rights reserved worldwide. And I pray that you, being rooted(E) and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lords holy people,(F) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(G) is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(H)that you may be filled(I) to the measure of all the fullness of God. This truth is so profound that it can only scratch the surface of our spiritual understanding. Beginning in verse 14, Paul turned his heart toward the Lord to pray for the believers in Ephesus. Read the Bible, discover plans, and seek God every day. Once I have grasped a good part of the message in a passage for myself I can then begin to try to write out what I am learning. But Paul's prayer here takes us back to the primacy of God's love for us. I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. I love the thought of having these words in my home as a visual reminder to pray and as a reminder of God's love! As we continue reading verse 19, we see that the amazing secret to being filled with God to overflowing (i.e., with "the fullness of God", as the NIV says) is simply this: we become aware of the depth of His love for us. Shouldn't we be able to at least be responsible for rousing our faith? Copy. Truthfully, it describes almost all of us, at least at times. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of Gods love, 19and to know the Messiahs love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. We can day by day be filled with the fullness of God. Second, we need to cooperate with God in this, at least in agreeing that God's Word is true. . Once I was discussing a newly planted tree with a landscaper. 19You will know Christs love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. The breadth shows its extent to all nations and ranks; the length, that it continues from everlasting to everlasting; the depth, its saving those who are sunk into the depths of sin and misery; the height, its raising them up to heavenly happiness and glory. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Ephesians 3:16-19 The Message 14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you. But this is a mystery that staggers the understanding and surpasses human knowledge, and in which we stand in awe and wonderment. It is also on a 16-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of this season. All rights reserved. 16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. An error occurred while marking the devotional as read. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. It tells us the secret of how to be filled with "all the fullness of God". that God sees and will meet all of my needs, even when on the surface the situation looks anything but good. of God's great love for us as demonstrated in sending His own Son to be the sacrifice for our sins undergirds everything. 17I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. It certainly sounds pretty good, whatever it is! 3 i got the inside story on this from god himself, as i just wrote you in brief. When I pray for my children, I often pray the words of these verses. Often that involves years of frustration on our parts, and possibly some pain, as when Saul was blinded by God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), because there was no gentler way for God to override Saul's preconceived ideas about what the Kingdom of God looked like. 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