We continued with the series ‘Battles & Blessings’ this morning, looking at some of the blessings Paul outlines in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul reminds us that these blessings come from God’s ‘glorious riches’, reminding us to focus on who God is rather than on the circumstances and problems which so often overwhelm us.
The Blessing of Strength
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that God ‘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) There are different kinds of strength (compare the physique of a sprinter like Usain Bolt with the wiry strength and stamina needed by a long-distance runner like Mo Farah, for example), but God wants to give us the strength to endure.
So often we can be like Elijah after the famous victory on Mount Carmel: discouraged, afraid, disheartened and ready to give up (see 1 Kings 19:1-18). God’s strength in us enables us to carry on (Gal 6:10, Ps 62:11-12, Is 40:31).
The Blessing of Christ’s Presence
Paul prays that the Ephesians will have strength and power ‘so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.’ (Eph 3:17) Ultimately, God’s presence in us is the energising force that gives us life. Paul, when writing to the Corinthians about the resurrection, says, ‘The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.’ (1 Cor 15:45) Jesus gives life to us. His presence within us by His Spirit gives us the power and the strength we need to face whatever life hurls at us, so that we can learn, like Paul, to be content whatever the circumstances (see Phil 4:11-13). We receive this blessing by faith, for there is often no visible sign of God’s presence (‘we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ (2 Cor 4:7)), but we live by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7) God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5), so even if we face rejection from parents, spouses, family and friends (see Ps 27:10, 2 Sam 6:20-22, Ps 55:13-14, 1 Sam 30:6), we can lean on the promise of His presence with us and in us.
The Blessing of God’s Love
The third blessing available to us is the power to grasp something of God’s love, even though Paul admits this is a love that actually ‘surpasses knowledge.’ (Eph 3:17-19).There is nothing more important in life than learning to live in the fulness of God’s love. God is love. (1 Jn 4:8) There is no greater blessing than knowing we are loved with a love that is faithful, constant, never-ending and unfailing. Paul wants us to be rooted and established in love, because he knows that storms come and rock us. We need solid foundations, good roots, like a tree that can’t be uprooted even in a hurricane. The battles of life have a way of knocking us over and leaving us unsure about what God is really like and if His love really is as strong and dependable as we believe. It’s easy to believe in God’s love when the sun is shining and everything is going our way, but it can be truly difficult to believe God’s love is deep and high and long and wide when we are in the darkness. John says, ‘And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.’ (1 John 4:16) This is the truth we have to hold onto when the hurricanes and storms of life come and leave us feeling lost and bewildered. God’s love is limitless, perfect and never-ending.