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. Ephesians 3:16-17a NIV
The Context and Focus:
As at the time Paul was writing this letter to the church in Ephesus, the Gentiles were seen as inferior, and also outside the scope of the plan of salvation at the time. In fact, the Jews saw the plan as being primarily for them first and even Jesus, at the start of his earthly ministry, ministered first to the lost house of Israel. Thank God that was not where the story stopped. The Jews were ministered to, but the plan of salvation was for the whole world, and at the right time, as was appointed by God Himself, he raised up people who became the channels for the whole world, including the Gentiles, to hear the message of salvation. One of such channels was the man Paul, who wrote this letter. Reading through the chapter from which today's verses are taken shows the mind of God, and his amazing love for all people. No matter how bad the past could have been, or how tough the present is, there is no way to accurately predict the future God has in plan for us, except to know that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. There is no way my mortal mind can fully comprehend all that God has in store. I can only strive to live from day to day, in the confidence that God has the best in store for me, and nothing can happen to me by accident.
The Message:
This was the insight Paul had, that made him write the words of today's verses. Check out all that Paul referred to: God's glorious riches, strengthen with power, His Spirit, and Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith. Time and space will not permit a full discussion of all the above, but a few highlights will suffice. No demand on earth can exhaust the resources of heaven. No man can outgive God, because all we own and hold in the first place were all given to us by God. If all roughly 8 billion people in the world all ask God for the same thing, God can grant us. That is how powerful God is. He is the All-Sufficient One, who owns the heaven and the earth, and all that are in them. This is also proof of power, where God is able to control and distribute resources as He pleases. He sets up one, and brings down another. The same God who elevated Joseph from the prison in one night and made him second in command in Egypt the next night is the same God who sent Nebuchadnezzar from the palace to the prison of insanity in an instant. When the time was right by God, the same king was restored. As mighty as this God is, imagine that He wants to live inside me. He wants to give me the fullness of His Spirit, so I can live like Him, and end up with Him in glory.
The Conclusion:
This is probably the greatest work of God in the lives of men: a mighty and immortal God, coming down to live in the hearts of mortal men, so He can lead them to immortality. With the gift of salvation comes everything else. Salvation opens the door to all other benefits and blessings that are described in the verses above. When the Holy Spirit lives in a man, there is no limit to what that man can achieve. When the Holy Spirit comes into the life of a man, there is empowerment for great exploits. When Christ dwells in a man's heart, you cannot ignore his power, presence and peace. The inner presence of God leads to outer impact. The bible refers to creation eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God. It is not a wonder that Paul prayed the way He did. He had experienced this personally, and the world knew his impact. It is still the same God at work in these times and seasons, where the world is hungry for change and direction. Only those who know Jesus, who is the WAY, know the way to the purpose of God for the world. How can I lead men to God, if I do not even know the Lord? May my life be the living, breathing expression of God's grace and power, so that men can be drawn to God, and his power will be known in all the earth. God's time of favour is here.
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