Paul continues talking today about the awesome grace he received from the Lord. He has never forgotten who he used to be and, no matter what he may endure for the sake of the gospel, he is grateful. Later in our passage he will write one of my favorite Bible verses, a verse that reminds that God's awesome and unimaginable power is available to us.
"I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for pages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Ephesians 3:7-9) Paul knows it was nothing but grace that saved him on the road to Damascus and made him into an apostle. It's nothing but grace that makes any of us into anything. Because he once persecuted the church, Paul counts himself lower than all the other apostles and teachers. I think even if he had not persecuted the church he would have esteemed himself lower than others, for he instructs us in Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Paul isn't telling us to have low self-esteem but is telling us not to be prideful about ourselves or to think more of ourselves than we think of others. After all, we didn't save or change ourselves. It was the grace of God that saved us and changed us.
Yesterday Paul spoke of the "mystery" of Christ. In ages past the prophets received visions and revelations about the Promised One but did not know how to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. They didn't know how God was going to offer salvation to mankind through grace. They didn't understand how or why God was going to bring the Gentiles into His family. But now this plan has been made clear at just the right time and in just the right way. "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory." (Ephesians 3:10-13) I think not even the angels of heaven understood God's salvation plan until they saw it unfold before their very eyes, but now the plan's beauty and wisdom have been revealed to all creatures, both earthly and heavenly.
Paul began Chapter 3 yesterday by mentioning he was a prisoner. He's writing this letter from Rome where he's awaiting trial and he said that he was in prison because of the Gentiles (or more precisely because he was preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, for the gospel is what brought persecution against him). He doesn't want the Gentiles to feel in any way responsible for his troubles. God called him to do this work, he is fulfilling his calling, and he is honored to suffer on behalf of the Gentiles and for the sake of the gospel. He is thankful for the Gentiles, and at this moment he is so overwhelmed by his love for these people that he can't help breaking into a fervent prayer on their behalf. "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that your, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)
As far as I know, the first time I ever read the following passage was during the summer of 1993. I hadn't been a Christian for a full year yet and I was reading through the New Testament as I sought the will of God in a particular situation. I wasn't sure how this situation was going to go or what I needed to do about it. Through this verse God assured me that He was in control and was going to work it all out in just the right way. I was to be still and watch what He was going to do. "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21) I recall exactly where I was when I read this passage and I remember exactly the worries and hopes I had in my heart on that day. I needed to know God was able to do more than I could ever ask or imagine. He did do more than I asked or imagined regarding that particular situation and regarding so many others since.
I don't think I'd be wrong in saying we have all been guilty of thinking too small. Our God is so much bigger and so much more powerful than our human brains can fathom. He is able to do greater things for us than have ever entered our minds. Since we have such a big God, we ought to think big. We ought to come to Him with the "freedom and confidence" Paul speaks of in verse 12 to ask big things of our big God. There is nothing God can't do. He may not say "yes" to every request if saying "yes" doesn't fit into His plan for our lives, but it would be terrible if the reason we don't receive our request is this: "You have not because you ask not." (James 4:2b) More grace and more help are available to us than we know. Let's not miss out on any of it. Let's go before our Father and ask big things of Him.
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