Now Unto Him
Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
“That is able”….this is the first thing to consider….for without His might to do….
…..our prayers are just wishes,….
…..and His promises are just words.
But He is Almighty, Omnipotent,……Able.
When we pray, we often come before His throne with the attitude that:
He probably could, if He really wanted to…..but….
…..And there always seems to be a “but”,…..in our thoughts, if not in our words.
Able to give us just enough to squeak by?
To somehow make it?
No, that is not what this verse says….able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
And His Word endureth forever.
1 Peter 1:23-25 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away;
But the Word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Endureth…..His Word endures forever.
He meant what He said,…….whether He was speaking Himself, or speaking through another….and He said what He would and could do.
He is Able.
The scriptures prove that……the fact that He saved me, proves that….
…..the fact that each day…..yes, even the terrible days (and we have all had them)….He is with me, by His Holy Spirit…guiding, correcting, encouraging me….proves that.
“exceeding abundantly above”. No where else in the scriptures, is all three of these adjectives found together….except here….
Here, where Paul is talking to us, of coming to know Christ in a more complete and powerful way….”in our hearts”.
This is not salvation, but service he is talking about.
Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by HIs Spirit in the inner man;”
Paul is talking of a “grant”….”That He would grant you,…”
This is not a gift…..but a grant.
A grant is a favor (money or materials) given for a particular purpose.
It is given to be used,…….just for that purpose.
(If a professor is given a grant to find the many uses of the bark of a certain tree…..he can not use the money for other research…..just the research he got the grant for.)
We are “granted” strength by the Holy Spirit so:
That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith (and remember, faith is essential in overcoming 1 John 5:4)
…..we may be rooted and grounded in love…..
……we may comprehend with all saints the breadth, length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ….
…….we might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
There is a lot of love spoken of here…..because there can be no real power or strength for service, with out Christ’s love filling us……
……so that our love for Him is spilling over into everything we do for Him….for others….
We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)
When Christ is abiding in our hearts in love…..that is, when His presence is not just for guidance, or correction…..but in a love relationship…..then His Will is our foundation,…
…..and it is a arm in arm walk with the Lord….heart to heart.
“Exceeding abundantly above”,……what a declaration!……”all that we ask or think”…..
God knows our needs, even before we ask….while we are thinking of how to ask,……He knows,…..and is Able.
And what is the amount of the grant, in the Spirit, God will give us, personally….
The amount that He gives us, is: “According to the power that worketh in us,”
According as we let His power work in us…..to bring us to yield to the Holy Spirit within….that much power He will grant us in our asking…..
….”the riches of His glory” is the limit…..for it is “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”…..
We can become as rich as we want in His grace and love:
We can know more of the wideness of His purpose for us,
We can know more length of peace,
We can know more depth of the scriptures,
We can know more of the heights of glory in His fellowship, here….
Now unto Him that is Able….He is able.
Will we receive the “grant” for His purpose in us? And acquire the riches of His glorious life within us, more and more….
Then let His power, by the Holy Spirit “work” within us…..molding us by His grace….into His character……giving us wideness of life….His life, in us.
Let us make room for Christ.
(“Exceeding” is a favorite term of Paul…..for he gives His testimony of God’s exceeding abundant grace in:
1 Timothy 1:12-14 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath blessed me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy,….
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
Paul talks of “…the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward…” (Ephesians 1:19);
“…the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)
Peter says “…..ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13)
“….given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:….” (2 Peter 1:4)
Jude 24 says: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,”
Exceeding means “Over, superior to, to surpass”
For Paul, and for many Christians down through the ages…..what Christ has been,…and given,….and granted them….can only be described as “exceeding”.)
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 