Just last week we looked at this phrase briefly, from verse one. However, since it wasn’t our primary focus, we come back to it now, only in verse 14, following Paul’s parenthesis which encompassed verses 2 through 13.
I’ll begin by refreshing your memory concerning his reference. When Paul says, “For this reason”, the reason for which he is going to do what he does next, is what he knows and has taught us in chapter 2.
We were dead in trespasses and sins. But no longer. God has made us alive in Christ.
We were strangers and aliens, without hope and without God in the world. But no longer. He has broken down the dividing wall, killed the hostility, made both Jew and Gentile into one new man in Christ, and given us access to the Father.
He has established us as citizens of heaven and members of God’s household, and he now tells us that we are being built up as a holy temple of God; a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
These are not things to which we might attain if we live right. They are not things that will be in the future. This is Christ’s own work, and it is a finished work in that Salvation is purchased and nothing more need be done. But His work continues, in that every time someone comes to the Lord in saving faith and receives new life from above, he or she becomes a ‘stone’ in this great edifice called the Church... and God continues to build His house.
So in light of these truths, Paul sees it as very important that we understand them, and that we receive proper revelation and instruction as to how we fit in, and the greatness of Him who is Head over all things to the church.
For this reason,
PAUL PRAYS
It is important for us to note first of all, that he is a prisoner. We discussed this at length last week. He is in Rome’s chains, and unable to go about freely. He can’t visit Ephesus, he can’t go on any more missionary journeys.
But he can pray. They can’t stop him from doing that outside of killing his body.
People, what binds you? The cares of this life? An addiction? A habit? An illness or a chronic physical condition that saps your strength or in some way paralyses you physically? You can pray. If you can hear (or read this) and understand me now, you can pray. And through prayer you can accomplish more than the strongest, healthiest most vibrant man or woman alive who does not pray.
“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much”, said James (5:16), and the prayers of the saints throughout history have proven that statement millions upon millions of times.
You may not be able to go anywhere. You may not have the money or the time or even the inclination to travel around the world and do the work of the Kingdom in various places. But in the quiet of your room with the door locked, you can touch God for men in every corner of the globe, in any circumstance, overcoming any enemy, unhindered by time or space. Prayer is a powerful tool for the Master builder, and a powerful weapon in the hands of the Captain of our salvation.
Paul knew that, and he bowed the knee before the Father for the Ephesians; and this is the power of prayer, Christian... Paul’s prayer even touches you, 2000 years later.
TO THE FATHER
First I want you to notice that he prays to the Father.
Now, I’m not going to make some big case here for what Person of the Trinity we should pray to. When Peter was sinking in the turbulent sea, he yelled, “Lord, save me!” That was a prayer. He was praying to Jesus. In fact, the Bible ends with a prayer to Jesus. (Rev 22:20)
I tried to think of some instance in the New Testament where a believer prayed directly to the Holy Spirit, and I could not come up with one. Having come from a Pentecostal background, I have often heard people pray to the Holy Spirit, inviting Him to ‘come’ and to ‘fill’ and to ‘heal’, etc. I can’t say I’ve ever heard a non-Pentecostal believer pray this way, although I admit that many people pray, who I do not ever hear firsthand. I can only say that I haven’t run across any Biblical example of anyone addressing the Holy Spirit personally in prayer, or exhorting us to do so. However when we do pray, it is through the Holy Spirit. It is in the Holy Spirit of God, or it is not prayer.
I heard someone on the radio some time back, making his case that we are in error when we pray to Jesus, because we’re supposed to pray to the Father, as Jesus always did, and we pray to the Father ‘in the name’ of Jesus.
As it became apparent that he had said all he had to say on the subject and was just going to belabor the point, I remembered someone saying, “When the horse is dead, dismount” and I turned off the radio.
I do think there is a point to be made from Paul’s direct reference to praying to the Father here, but I do not think that point is that we should only pray to God the Father, being careful never to slip up and pray to the Son. After all, remember that God is three in One, and we can make no theological distinctions; He is, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So when we pray to God, we pray to the Triune God-Head.
I think the important thing for us to take note of, is that because of Jesus, we can pray to the Father. Remember chapter 2 verse 18? “...for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father”.
There it is. The three Persons of the Trinity, all mentioned in one verse; and all in reference to prayer. By His atoning work Christ provided our access to the Throne, and we enter and remain there by the Holy Spirit of God. This is very significant, because it has never happened before.
Throughout the gospel record, we see Jesus referring to “My Father”, but when addressing the disciples and their relationship to God He does not use that familiar term. But after His resurrection He does say to them, “Your Father” (Jn 20:17), and therein is the significance of what Paul has said to us here. Because of the atoning work of Christ on the cross, we can pray to our Father in Heaven; indeed, we stand in His very presence, as adopted children, heirs and joint-heirs with the Son. (Romans 8:15-17) So Paul bows his knee to the Father, and Praise His name forever, so can we.
FATHER OF EVERY FAMILY
Next I’d like for you to take a moment and consider what this term, ’Father’, entails.
See that Paul says, “...from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name”.
Just to be sure I stayed on the right path, I looked up the word, “family”. That’s exactly what the Greek word there means. Family. I don’t like to do this often since I am not a student of the Biblical languages, but for the purpose of clarity I want you to see the similarity between the word “Father” in verse 14, and the word “family” in verse 15.
The Greek word Paul uses in verse 14 is “Pater”. Obviously, from which we get the word ’paternal’. The word he uses in verse 15, for ’family’, is ’Patria’, and its root word is ’pater’.
So here is the distinction I feel it is important for us to make today.
When we use the word ’family’, we generally give it a much broader definition than what I see in Ephesians 3:15. We live in a society with an ever-increasing percentage of what we call, ’blended families’. Men and women marrying, who have children from previous marriages or relationships; family units made up of adults and adopted children, and so on. It’s not always a conscious thing, but when we talk about families generally, we’re thinking about groups of people who live in the same house together.
But the definition I see intrinsic to these terms here in Ephesians, is very specific and allows no room for the broader definition.
Before I bring this home, let’s talk just for a moment about what kind of families are being discussed, since Paul says ’every family in heaven and on earth’.
On earth, this would cover every family unit in the home, and also every group of people in a region whose lives are intricately intertwined by circumstances and local distinctives.
Expanding out from there, it would also address specific cultures and tribes, then nations, then more broadly, the ‘family of mankind’ itself.
Going to heaven, we think about the orders of angels that are mentioned in a systematic study of scriptures. The Seraphim, the Cherubim, the various orders of angels according, not only to rank, but to duty, can be thought of as tribes, or family units in that sense.
So here is the point. Every group or tribe or culture, every nation of people, every rank and order of heavenly beings, derives its identity, its very existence, directly from one ‘Pater’. One Father. The Father of Glory.
The most useless, the most futile, the most absurd presumption men can make, is to think that they are independent from God, denying Him as their source of being, their Maker, their Father.
Every family in heaven and on the earth directly derives its name, its identity, its beginning and its continuance from this Father, to whom Paul and any wise man or woman bows the knee.
In essence, where on the one hand we can say, as we have said, that through Christ we are now privileged to stand, by His Spirit, in the presence of the Father and have access to Him, on the other hand, we are duty-bound as creatures whose very genesis is this heavenly Father, to bow before Him, acknowledge His ’Paternal’ role, and pay Him homage as such.
It is sin that has blinded men to this truth; sin that has turned them away in futility; sin that separates them from their Father and from each other; and it is only the shed blood of Christ that can and does bring them (us), not only into right standing before Him, but brings us back into personal relationship to Him, patria to Pater. Family to Father.
THE FATHER’S AMPLE SUPPLY
Following this line of thought, that every group and tribe and family of both heaven and earth traces its genesis back to God as Father of all, Paul knows that the original source of all life and existence is certainly the most logical place to go with his requests.
Remember that he has begun this section of his letter saying, “For this reason”. God has already proven Himself to be the source of all blessing; of life and regeneration from the dead; of the One who finds the lost and brings him into relationship with Himself; who makes all men united in Him through faith in the shed blood of His only Son.
So as the source and supply of all that is good and needed, He is logically the One to return to for continued blessing and nurture. But more, much more than that, as the One who was offended and rebelled against, but in His boundless grace and infinite mercy provided a way of redemption, then He is the One we may have confidence to go to, knowing that all good things will flow out of this unconditional love.
In these last days the family unit has been so devastated by sin, that there are actually entire books written, in-depth studies done, on the detriments to family life and psychological damage done to children due to the break up of homes, often following much violence and hateful words and acts.
There are so many in our culture and our world, and even some, I know, here in our church, who have a great deal of difficulty equating the word ‘Father’ with love and stability and nurture and blessing.
Even in earlier sermons in this series I have had to address this problem, and I do it again here, because if possible for you (and I ask the Lord to help you in this ), I want you to try to lay aside for the moment all of the negative pictures and emotions that the title of “father” may bring to your mind because of your own past or another’s.
I want you to think only of God, our heavenly Father and what has been revealed to us about Him in these chapters of Ephesians. If you can do that, then I would like for you to see today, that if an earthly father was like God, this is what home life would be like:
The father would perfectly supply all that is needed, anticipating the needs of his children and granting to them exactly what they need, not a moment too soon, or a moment too late.
He would require certain behaviors of them, of course, for their own good, and as their ultimate example and teacher he would guide them into a lifestyle and a personal discipline that would develop them into strong, mature, thoughtful and gracious adults who would be a benefit to their families and to society in general.
He would be such an example of love and compassion, that his children would never wonder if he is in a good mood, or if his mind might be too distracted by business or finance for them to disturb him at the moment. They would always know that in his thinking, nothing comes before his children, and that at any moment, without prior notice or asking for an appointment, or testing the waters of his mood or methods, they could come confidently to him and make their request known, and anything they ask that is for their ultimate good and not contrary to his wisdom or nature would be granted.
This is the kind of Father to whom one prays, “...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory...”
This is the kind of Father that for the child who knows Him and is close to His heart, there can be a confident approach, with no apprehension or fear, to boldly ask without holding back, because he knows that his Father is rich beyond any human measure, and that those riches flow from grace.
This is the kind of Father that Paul bowed his knees to in making his request for these Ephesian believers, and of course we understand, in praying by the Holy Spirit Paul was really making this request for all in the church, and all who would come after; including us.
So let’s spend the rest of our time today looking closely at the essence of his prayer for us, and then later we’ll focus more on the specifics of this prayer.
In essence, Paul is asking for spiritual things.
I feel this is the most important aspect of this prayer for us to see today, as it is the foundation for what comes in the following verses, up to the end of this chapter.
The characteristic of Paul’s prayer, and from what I can see, all prayers recorded for us in the New Testament, is that it is spiritual.
I see promises that God will supply all the needs of His children.
“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” Phil 4:19
I see promises that God will protect His children from their enemy, and keep them through tribulation.
“...In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world”
John 16:33
I see promises that God will preserve us to Himself, and that nothing can take us out of His hand.
“...for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” II Tim. 1:12
“I am convinced that...(nothing)...shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38,39
In Matthew 6, Jesus is telling those who would follow Him that they should not be apprehensive about their basic needs; where they will get food or how they will be clothed. He is promising that their Heavenly Father will supply their needs, and exhorts then in verse 33,
“But seek first His Kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”
Paul is adhering to this principle taught in Matthew 6:33, when he prays this prayer for us. And I’d like to ask you today to take a closer look at your own prayers; your own priorities in prayer.
Do we not spend a great deal of time when we pray, asking God to provide that which He has already assured us He would provide?
Now I certainly cannot fault anyone for praying for a sick friend, or certainly, their own sickness. Nor would I admonish you to stop praying for a job if you need one, or for guidance in career choices, or any of the other potentially life-affecting issues that come our way. I do believe God wants us to seek His wisdom in the ordering of our daily lives.
What I’m saying to you today, is that I think we have come to a very shallow spiritual plane for the most part in our modern church, when we take what we call ‘prayer requests’, and listen to several people bemoan their present circumstances and the circumstances of loved ones, and then bow our heads together and ask God to heal all our owies... but neglect our spiritual welfare, and fail to tap into this which He has made available to us... “...the riches of His glory...”
Remember please, that Paul is writing to them from prison. You should also know that Christians in Ephesus at this time were undergoing persecutions, and those persecutions would only grow worse.
With that fresh in mind, note that Paul does not ask for his own deliverance or theirs, from the tribulations of this life. He knew that Jesus had said very matter-of-factly that they would suffer in this world. Paul asks for no comfort of the flesh, nor for relief from discomforts of the flesh.
He prays, according to the riches of the Father’s glory, that they would be strengthened in the inner man. And why? Why is this his primary request?
Because the inner man is what will go on forever with God. It is the inner man to whom God relates, and with whom He is concerned.
This inner man, this spiritual man, is what the unsaved person does not have. He has only his outer self; his flesh, and must contend with and be concerned with only that, because that is all he has, until he comes to Christ in repentance and faith and is born from above.
But the Christian has the inner man which wars against the flesh, and indeed, will outlive the flesh. So Paul’s concern, as always, is not with that which will pass away, but that which is eternal.
Listen:
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
II Cor. 4:16-18
We’ll talk some more next week, about the relationship of our inner man, with the indwelling Christ.
In closing today though, simply note if you will, that Paul has said that he prays, “For this reason”.
We are brought to life from spiritual death. We are made to stand, redeemed and justified, in the presence of the Father of Glory, through the shed blood and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In Him and by His Spirit now, we are of the household of the faith, and we are, each and all, being built up into a holy dwelling of God in the Spirit.
People, the things of the flesh, the cares of this life, should pale to insignificance in light of the realities God has brought about in us by His mercy and grace.
I would like for you to find a time and place of quiet this week, and prayerfully consider with me how different our Christianity would be; how much more powerful in the Spirit our lives and our walk would be; when we come to a place of praying first for our spiritual needs and the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in the church.
That God the Father, would, according to the riches of His glory, grant that we ~ contrary to and in spite of all of the circumstances of the world and the flesh ~ be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.
Do you see the connection that this phrase, “For this reason” makes?
God has made us a spiritual house, and for this reason, Paul prays that we become a spiritual people in our thinking and in our focus. Strengthened in the inner man, despite the conditions or circumstances of the flesh.
A spiritual dwelling place of God, being strengthened and built up, not in the flesh, but in the spirit...the part of us that will live ‘to remember the galaxies as an ancient tale’. *
A brief mind-picture in parting. Have you ever seen a large cat in a small cage? Have you perhaps been to a zoo, not a large, big-city zoo, but a small one, that has Lions or Snow Leopards or Tigers in a relatively small enclosure; and although their muscles ripple and their every movement is graceful and agile, they move sluggishly when at all, and when they do they simply pace back and forth, limited and without purpose?
That is how I see the Christian who has not understood who he is in Christ, or the riches of the Father’s glory, ready to be lavished upon him for the asking.
That is how I see the church in general, in a culture that focuses on the programs and rituals and success by the world’s measurements and standards.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that He will grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;...”
I pray for the cage door to be opened, as He reveals to us the spiritual truths in store for us in these coming verses. I pray for you and for me, and for our church and for the church in general in these final days of earth, that we would go bounding forth in the liberty and the strength and the power of His Holy Spirit, as He causes us to more fully comprehend and appropriate to our lives, all that is available to us through the riches of His glory. (* a C. S. Lewis quote)
