EPHESIANS: The Source of Strength

EPHESIANS Number 36:

Ephesians 3:13 “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”

This verse closes out Paul’s lengthy parenthetical comment. It is a bit difficult, and the Greek syntax allows for three potential ways of understanding Paul’s meaning. The best of these, which fits well with his urging them to remain strong despite the difficulties Paul is facing, has a parallel in Philippians 1:27–30.

The passage reads, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

So, their standing fast (not fainting) is their glory because like the Philippians it evidences their salvation. They are demonstrating that Holy Spirit is the dynamo energizing them.

Ephesians 3:14-15 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,”

We who believe are all His family.

Interestingly, Paul purposely mentioned those who are in heaven. He can’t be referring to angels, or so-called “heavenly beings”. They are not included in the family of God. Rather he is talking about those who have passed through the veil before us.

We should take great comfort in this just as we can take comfort in the end of Job’s story. You may remember that at the end of the last chapter of Job, God restores to Job double what he had before. This restoration included seven sons and three daughters, which is the same number Job had before the calamity struck him. In this, we see that when God restores to him double, the ten children Job had before are included because although they have relocated, they still exist.

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;”.

This is paralleled in Ephesians 6:10 (KJV) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

In Ephesians 3:16 Paul teaches us that it is God who grants us to be strengthened. He does it according to the riches of His glory. Note that His work in this is not out of His riches as thought they could be reduced by expenditure. It is, rather, according to these riches. The riches of His glory are unending and to supply us with strength does not diminish them in the minutest degree.

Father strengthens us by His Spirit. His Spirit is in our inner being. It is this dynamic to which I am pointing us when I speak of God being the dynamo energizing our Lives. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. It is He who is at work in us both to desire and to do the good and godly things Father designed us to do. This is how we can be strong in the Lord. It is by the power of His might as Paul shows us in his own life in Colossians 1:29 “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”