Two Essential Requests (Ephesians 3:14-21)

There is this single young man walking down the beach and comes across an old bottle. He picks it up, pulls out the cork and out pops a genie. 

The genie says, "Thank you for freeing me from the bottle. I normally grant three wishes. But because of the current global economic crisis I can grant you only two wishes.”

The man says, "Good enough! I always dreamed of this and I know exactly what I want. First, I want one billion pesos in my bank account." Poof! There is a flash of light and a deposit slip for one billion pesos on his bank account appears in his hand.

He continues, "Next, I want to be in an island resort alone with the best woman in the world.” Poof! There is a flash of light and lo and behold he finds himself in an exclusive island resort and by his side Mother Teresa.”

We know there are no genies in a bottle. But we do have a generous heavenly Father to whom we can pray and from whom we can ask for what we need.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians pleads before God. In verse 14 we read, For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father…

Here Paul falls on his knees. This posture demonstrates Paul’s intense desire for his request to be answered by God.

If you are to ask God for two things what would they be? Paul had two requests to God that we would do well to seriously consider.

The first essential request each should have is…

TO BE STRENGTHENED IN THE INNER BEING

Paul writes,

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. (Eph. 3:16-17a NIV )

People nowadays give much attention to the externals. We care very much about how we appear or look before other people.

Some people work very hard and spend millions of pesos to be elected or appointed in positions of power. Some men spend considerable time and money working out in a gym to have killer chest, a six-pack abs, and big biceps.

Some women, on the other hand, spend time and money to look outwardly beautiful. According to a report by research specialists Market Tracking International the cosmetics market has been among the most dynamic sectors during the past decade, valued at almost US$100B.[1]

Now if you think only the women are vain, listen to this. According to Cosmetics International male cosmetic products are the fastest growing sector in cosmetics & toiletries.[2]

Unfortunately, we do not spend as much time, effort and resources to develop the beauty and strength of the inner person. We may look beautiful outwardly but feel ugly inwardly. We may appear strong and powerful on the outside but are weak and vulnerable inside.

And so, we hear of people in positions power who are too weak to resist the lure of money. We hear of people who seem to be in full control of their life but in secret are losing control of themselves.  We hear of people who look outwardly OK but who are crumbling within and have unhealthy self-image.

A person strong in his or her inner being can cope with the crisis and tragedies in life, and resist life’s greatest temptations. Where does one get the inner strength for all of those?

According to Paul it is caused by the indwelling of the Spirit of God. To Paul, the indwelling of the Spirit is synonymous to the indwelling of Christ. To be indwelt by the Spirit is to be indwelt by Christ.

Paul in his letter to the Philippians wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

Carl Jung, a Swiss Psychiatrist  and one of the great figures that revolutionized modern psychology, recommended spirituality as a cure for alcoholism.

Jung once treated a patient from chronic alcoholism. After working with the patient for some time and achieving no significant progress, Jung told the man that his alcoholic condition was near to hopeless, save only the possibility of a spiritual experience. Jung noted that occasionally such experiences had been known to bring recovery from alcoholism and other forms of addiction where all else had failed.

This became the basis of the Alcoholics Anonymous’ (AA) highly effective “Twelve Step Program”. Steps 1-3 and 11 of the 12 step recovery program are as follows:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.

2.  Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3.   Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God…

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God… praying only for knowledge of His Will for us and the power to carry that out.

AA’s program has been found to be effective also in addressing drug, gambling and nicotine addictions as well as debt and depression problems.

The Lord, indeed, is our strength. May we allow Christ to live freely and comfortably in our lives as His dwelling place. Let us allow Him to take complete charge of our life and experience being strengthened in our inner being.

The second essential request each should have is…

TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST

The Apostle Paul writes,

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, 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. (Eph. 3:17b-19)

Paul’s prayer is for Christians to grasp the breadth, depth, length and height of Christ’s love.

In whatever spiritual direction we look we can see God’s love.

We see…the Breadth of Christ’s love: it is wide enough to encompass all humankind

The Length of Christ’s Love: it is long enough to last for eternity.

The Depth of Christ’s Love: it is deep enough to reach the most despicable sinner

The Height of Christ’s Love: it is high enough to take us to where God is.

In the words of John McArthur,

God’s love can reach any person in any sin and it stretches from eternity past to eternity future. It takes us into the very presence of God and sits us on His throne. [3]

Who would love those who betray him, hit him and say all manner of lies against him? Jesus Christ did. Who would selflessly give himself in death as a ransom for the sins of those who offended and violated him? Jesus Christ did. Who would take those who murder his own Son and adopt them as his own children?

God did.

This kind of love, in the words of the apostle Paul,“surpasses knowledge.” It is humanly incomprehensible and impossible. On our own, we cannot love in like manner.

We can only have such love when we allow Christ or his Spirit to freely work His own love through us. “The fruit of the Spirit is love…” (Gal. 5:22)

When we allow Christ to settle down in our lives He begins to display His own love in us and through us. When he freely indwells our hearts we become rooted and grounded in love.

And this love is available to every Christian because Christ is available to every Christian. Paul prays that we will be able to grasp it “together with all the saints.”

Love is not only for the even tempered or naturally pleasant and agreeable Christian. Nor is it for the pastors or a special class of Christians. It is for every Christian – all the saints.  What is incomprehensible to the world is to be normal living for the child of God.

Is there someone you know who is hard to show love to? Pray that you will grasp Christ’s forgiving love for you and for that person.

[1] http://www.allbusiness.com/economy-economic-indicators/economic-conditions-recession/8731255-1.html

[2] http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/8725225-1.html

[3] John McArthur, Ephesians, The McArthur New Testament Commentaries, p. 110