Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians 3:14-21

This has been called the boldest prayer ever prayed. This picks up from where Paul interrupted himself back in verse one. Verses 14-19 are one complex sentence, and for those who love to diagram sentences, this would be a worthy challenge. In short, Paul prays that Christians would be strengthened so that Christ may dwell in their hearts and that they would comprehend the length, breadth, and depth of what Paul purposely omitted saying. We can’t say definitely what he was referring to. He also prays that disciples would know the love of Christ and that they may be filled with the fullness of God. Or to simplify it more and paraphrase it slightly, “I pray that He would grant you to be strengthened so that Christ may dwell in your hearts so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Clearly in this devotion we cannot fully deal with such a sentence, but we can look at it and apply the key themes.

First, in that cultural context, it was thought that the pagan god lived in the temple. The pagan Ephesians believed that their goddess lived in the temple dedicated to her in that city. But there is no structure or building that is the temple of the one true God. Rather, the temple of God is the church, the people. It is important to note that the “your” in verse 17 is plural. Paul is not talking about Christ dwelling in the individual hearts of believers but the collective hearts of all the people of the church. There are no Lone Ranger Christians.

The second key point Paul makes is that the goal of every believer is to be “filled up” to the fullness of God. If a person is a Christian, then their goal is to be like their heavenly Father. Our goal is to be filled with their character and the holiness of God. To accept sin as a given or to tolerate sin in our life is counter to God’s expressed purpose for us. For a person to say, “I know that is what God wants, but I want and will choose something else,” is to defy God. To say, “That is not what God means” is to presume you know more than the Scriptures; you aren’t that smart. God‘s purpose for us is to be like Him; to neglect that purpose or pursue anything else is foolish.

In the context of this conversation about holy maturity, Paul explodes into praise in verses 19–21. These verses are about spiritual maturity and holiness; let us not cheapen them to try to make them about our agenda or pet projects. These verses are not about a great big ministry, a big house, a new car, or some of our enterprises. It is about God‘s work in us to develop in us holiness.

“Lord, be at work in my will so that I conform to Yours. AMEN”