A Place Of Grace
3-1-26
  • There’s a cherished moment in history when King Louis 14th of France was attending a sumptuous banquet. The hall was filled with nobility, all more than a little intimidated by the king's stature. Suddenly, a small figure dashed in — the king's son! Ignoring the opulence around him, the boy climbed into his father’s lap, and the king grinned, immediately forgetting the grandiose event in favor of fatherhood.
    Our passage today will remind us that the KING OF KINGS is great… yet even in all His splendor and power… He delights in our approach to Him as His beloved children!
    Understanding the theology of chapter 1 how we are adopted into His family is such an amazing thing
    Our belief and understanding of this should change how we approach God almighty
    Consider how we closed last week with Ephesians 3:12
    Ephesians 3:12 NLT
    Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

    There is a Familial approach

    Because… what we are discussing today is only “BECAUSE” of what Christ did and our faith in Him
    Boldly & Confidently:
    Indicates that there would be hesitation by some, yet there is a distinct privilege presented
    This indicates that there is a welcomeness, a standing invitation
    The Old Testament believer could only come to God through a sacrifice, and even then through a priest
    Now… as Children of God IN CHRIST… we come boldly and confidently
    Ephesians 3:14-15 Paul is once again compelled to pray…
    Ephesians 3:14–15 NLT
    When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

    Father & Creator

    All This… Paul is thinking through all he has written (Chap 1-3) so far, the wonderful blessing of being one IN CHRIST!
    We because we are adopted into His family… we go to God as “Father”
    Intimate, loving, caring… arms open running to our Father!
    YET… Paul here as he begins to pray for his readers, draws thier attention to God the Father’s POWER!
    He reminds his readers in his prayer that he is going to the One who created
    Every one in heaven or on earth derives thier origin to Him
    Every family every angelic being, every created thing
    POWER… what we ask of God will never be too difficult!
    I love how even here we are reminded that “EVERYTHING” was made by Him
    With the reminder of the POWER of the One he is praying to… we too should recognize this power and come with a reverence and awe of this awesome God we come to
    Can I just make a NOTE HERE: Paul here falls to his knees… I believe this is a humble reverent way to approach God, yet I would state here that God is far more concerned that we do the act of prayer more than He is concerned with our posture… (Stand, sit, lay down, bow… whatever it is JUST PRAY!)
    Ephesians 3:16 is such a beautiful way to pray for another brother or sister IN CHRIST!!!
    Ephesians 3:16 NLT
    I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

    Tapping Into God’s Resources!

    When you and I pray to God… we are addressing One who has glorious and unlimited RESOURCES!!!
    Sometimes we fail to go to Him due to thinking we can do it, or don’t bother Him
    But notice it is unlimited!!!
    What should you ask for from One with UNLIMITED resources???
    Something you can’t get from ANYONE or ANYWHERE else!
    Paul in his prayer for them will actually ask for FOUR THINGS:
    1-Strengthened through the Spirit (Their human psychological need)
    2-they would be rooted and grounded in love (Their human Emotional needs)
    3-they would comprehend Christ’s love (The Mental need of mankind)
    4-they would be filled fully with God (Their Spiritual need)
    Paul ask for thier inner strength, that it would be powerful!
    Powerful inner strength NOT from self, NOT from a personal confidence
    You and I are not able to have this in and of ourselves…
    This strength Paul ask fro them comes from the indwelling of the very Spirit of God!
    Paul wants them to understand and he is asking that they would go beyond how they “FEEL” to recognizing the reality that God Almighty indwells them! Talk about a psychological shift in thinking!
    Ephesians 3:17 with this understanding Paul this would impact them in the emotional area of our lives and hearts… “SO THAT” (NASB)
    Ephesians 3:17 NLT
    Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

    Firmly Rooted

    This making His home is not speaking to the initial indwelling of the Spirit at salvation… rather it is referring that Christ would “be at home” (Is Christ comfortable dwelling in your life?)
    The more we trust Him the deeper the roots grow
    Roots are crucial in the producing of fruits… and HERE WE SEE that the ROOTS THAT ARE DEEP indicated grounded!!!
    A grounded individual is: steady, unshaken, stable
    Not swayed by emotions and the ups and downs of life
    Notice too… that what he prays they are rooted into!
    In Christ and His love… there is an intimate hold of our God in our lives that keeps us steady!
    This love we are rooted in brings strength and stability to the believers walk…
    This love is unconditional, always there to ANCHOR YOU!
    God does desire the deep intimate and even emotional relationship with us… have you prayed for others in this church, other believers to have this deep rooted relationship with God?
    Ephesians 3:18 Paul prays for thier mental understanding…
    Ephesians 3:18 NLT
    And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.

    Understanding

    I find it amazing to observe so many believers living thier lives unaware of all they have in Christ!
    Paul ask first they have the “power to understand”… the enemy will suppress this, hide this, and fight like mad to keep us from knowing all that comes with our salvation!!!
    One of the pieces of armor in Chap 6 is the “Helmet of Salvation”
    it is God who gives us the ability to know and understand
    He gives us the ability to change how we think and approach this life…
    This is why Paul states that “all God’s people should know this”
    Paul is praying we UNDERSTAND Christ’s LOVE TOWARD US now… that we can begin to fathom His love, kind of like trying to begin to fathom the expanse of the the galaxies and vastness of the universe…
    In light of this prayer Paul is praying and thinking of Christ work of unifying mankind to His family I wonder if Paul thought of the cross of Calvary...Christ Love:
    Broad enough to cover anyone!
    Long enough to go through and beyond any barrier!
    High enough to take us up to glory with Him!
    Deep enough to reach any need, any hurts, and any sin we may have!
    If you and I begin to understand this in a greater way than what Paul closes asking for his readers will follow in our lives naturally…
    Ephesians 3:19 is Paul’s prayer for our deepest spiritual need after salvation…
    Ephesians 3:19 NLT
    May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

    Fully Filled With Christ

    Paul states that even though Christ’s love is unconditional and that we can experience it… it is too great to fully understand and comprehend… but as we do:
    There is a completeness that occurs “Then you will be”
    The more you and I comprehend this (as we should) the more we empty ourselves of self…
    The more we step aside in our lives the more room God has to work!
    We overflow with His love, His knowledge, and His strength!
    We become fully filled!
    In this process we are conformed more and more to the image of Christ!
    This side of Heaven we will never fully reach the full image of Christ… but we should strive to shed all that does not reflect His image in our life that we may more and more be conformed to His image! What a powerful way to live!
    Ephesians 3:20-21 closes this prayer of Paul’s for the church in Ephesus…
    Ephesians 3:20–21 NLT
    Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

    God Gets The Glory

    The work in us that God is doing is not so we boast… it is so we praise Him!
    Today as we close I want to pray for this church, this group of believers as your pastor and as we leave from here I want you to commit to praying in these ways for other brothers and sisters in Christ this week… Let’s Pray:
    Heavenly Father, as your child I come before you this morning boldly asking for some request on behalf of these people, these sheep you have entrusted. I come with a confidence into your presence knowing You can do all things. I ask trusting in Your power to work as our Creator.
    Father with Your unlimited resources would you strengthen the inner person of those here. Life is difficult but you are strong and give Your strength. God would you keep each one of those here who know you grounded and rooted in your love, and God I pray that there would be and understanding of the true vastness of of your love.
    God you are great, your love is unfathomable, yet give them the ability to know you and your love greater and deeper. God as they grow, as I grow, as we… experience this love we have IN CHRIST God I ask that we would let go of ourselves and that you would find our hearts a more comfortable place to dwell. God do the work of making us into the image of your Son Jesus Christ fully.
    To You we give glory and honor and praise. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen

      • Ephesians 3:12NIV2011

      • Ephesians 3:14–15NIV2011

      • Ephesians 3:16NIV2011

      • Ephesians 3:17NIV2011

      • Ephesians 3:18NIV2011

      • Ephesians 3:19NIV2011

      • Ephesians 3:20–21NIV2011

    A Place Of Grace
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