Ephesians 3:12-21.
In the earlier part of the Third chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle has unfolded to us the great mystery concerning Christ and the church, in which are found the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the all varied wisdom of God. Though it was given to the Apostle to minister this great truth, he realised that it was not within his power to enable the saints to apprehend the truth. If this great truth is to be apprehended in power in our souls so that it practically affects our lives, there must be a right spiritual state which alone can be produced by a work of God in the inner man.
It is helpful to notice the order in which the truth is presented in the Epistle:
Firstly, the Apostle unfolds truths connected with the great Mystery that had been revealed to him (Eph. 1: to 3:11).
Secondly, he prays that there may be a right spiritual slate in the saints in order to apprehend the truth of the Mystery (Eph. 3:12-21).
Thirdly, he exhorts us to a walk worthy of the truth of the Mystery (Eph. 4 to 6:9).
Finally, he warns us as to the conflict that will be entailed by a walk in accordance with the truth of the Mystery (Eph. 6:10-20).
The great end, then, of the prayer is that a right state may be produced in believers. Without this spiritual state we shall not be able to apprehend the Mystery, walk in consistency with it, or stand firm in the conflict that a consistent walk will entail.
Though the truths of which the Apostle writes have been most graciously recovered to us in these last days, have we not to mourn the fact that we have but little responded to the truth, walked in consistency with it, or stood fast in the conflict that it entails? Why is it that we have so little valued, and responded to, this great truth? Do not the requests of this searching prayer supply the answer by suggesting that though we may have listened to the unfolding of the truth, and assented to the letter of the truth, yet we have lacked the spiritual condition that enables us to apprehend and value the truth in all its preciousness? If then we are awakened to a sense of the greatness of the truth, and desire to apprehend it in power, we shall do well to pay earnest heed to the Apostle's prayer, and in our turn pray for this needed spiritual state.
(Eph. 3:12). The Apostle prefaces his prayer by reminding us that "we have boldness of access" to the Father. By the grace of God, we have been set before the Father clear of sins and judgment, and in His favour, through the work of Christ. Thus "with confidence by the faith of Him" we have boldness in turning to the Father.
(Eph. 3:13). Seeing we have this "boldness and access," we need not faint in the presence of tribulation. However great the trials, we have One, with all love and power and wisdom, to Whom we can turn. Paul and Silas may be beaten with stripes, thrust into the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks, but they have boldness and access to the Father, and in confidence and faith they avail themselves of this liberty by praying and singing praises unto God.
(Eph. 3:14-15). Seeing that the prayer is concerned with the state of soul necessary to enter into eternal counsels, it is addressed to the Father from Whom all counsels flow (Eph. 1:3). The Apostle reminds us that the Father, to Whom he turns in prayer, is the One "of Whom every family in heaven and earth is named." In Scripture "name" sets forth the special characteristics of the person, or family, to whom the name is given. The Father, according to His eternal counsels has determined that which is to be set forth in every family of believers, whether it be the Old Testament saints and the church in heaven, or Jewish and Gentile believers on earth in the day to come. Thus in turning to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle is turning to One, Who, according to His counsels of love, has determined the special character that shall mark the church.
(Eph. 3:16). Further, the Apostle desires that the Father would act according to the riches of His glory. The great end of all God's ways with us is that there will be "glory to God in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages." In accord with the immense blessedness of this prospect, he desires that the Father would work in our souls even now to the end that we may apprehend the riches of the glory to which we are destined. To this end he desires that the Father would grant that we might be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man. We may affect people's imaginations by sensationalism, stir up their emotions by pathetic appeals, or instruct their intellects by eloquent and well-ordered discourses, but if there is to be a right moral state it can only be produced by the work of the Spirit.
Moreover, the Spirit works in connection with "the inner man" — that new man which is the result of the work of God in us, the man by which we are put in touch with unseen and eternal things. By the outward man — the body — we are in touch with the seen things of time. There are, indeed, the needs of the body — food and clothing — and the Lord can say, "Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things," and in His tender care and mercy He meets these daily and temporal needs. Nevertheless, as we pass along our way the outward man grows weaker and perishes, but by the work of the Spirit "the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16).
(Eph. 3:17). Moreover, if the Spirit works "in the inner man," it is in order "that the Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith." The Spirit conies, as the Lord tells His disciples, to take of the things of Christ and show them unto us. As we hear of the things of Christ we become attracted to Christ, and attracted to Him He becomes the object of our faith, with the result that Christ will have a dwelling place in our hearts by faith. The actual words of the prayer are, "that the Christ may dwell, through faith, in your hearts." "The Christ," not only presents Christ personally, but Christ as the One Who, according to the counsels of the Father, is the Anointed Man to be the centre of the vast universe of bliss.
The inner man is strengthened, not that we may perform miracles that may make a show before the world, or that we may become great preachers in the eyes of others, but that the Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. As natural men self is the great object of our hearts, and everything is pursued that would gratify and exalt self. But the effect of the work of the Spirit in our hearts is to strengthen the inner man against every intrusion of the flesh, every temptation of the world, and every snare of the devil, so that self may be set aside and Christ have the supreme place in our hearts, and thus the One Who is the centre of the Father's counsels may become the centre of our thoughts and affections. Christ dwelling in our hearts would lead to our being "rooted and founded in love" (N. Tn.). The root is that from which the plant draws its nourishment; the foundation is that upon which we build. All the blessing of which the Apostle speaks is traced up to the heart of God — "His great love wherewith He loved us" (Eph. 2:4). Moreover we do well to be "founded in love," building not on our love to God and to Christ, but on divine love to us. "We love Him because He first loved us." It is ever God's way to teach through the affections. Spiritual apprehension depends not upon human intelligence, but comes through divinely wrought affection in the soul.
Thus, in this first portion of the prayer, we see the great desire of the Apostle is that there might be a right spiritual state in the saints. It is wonderful to see that every Divine Person is engaged in order to produce this spiritual state. Thus the Apostle seeks that the Father should act according to the riches of His glory; that the Spirit should strengthen us in the inner man; and that the Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith.
In the second portion of the prayer we learn that this right spiritual state, for which the Apostle prays, has in view a threefold object:
(Eph. 3:18). Firstly, that we may be fully able to apprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height. Do not these words refer to the counsels of God as to this great mystery concerning Christ and the Church, of which the Apostle has been speaking? The breadth of His counsels will embrace all saints of every family. Amongst these families the Church has a special place of privilege and blessing. The length reaches from eternity, when the Church was counseled, to eternity yet to come, when it will be for the everlasting glory of God by Christ Jesus. The depth of this counsel was measured by Christ when, according to "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" He descended into the depth of our ruin and need. The height of His counsel brings us into the glory with Christ on high.
Secondly, the Apostle prays for a right spiritual state in order that we may know the love of Christ that passeth knowing. The love of the Father purposed us for blessing, and the love of Christ has made it possible for these purposes to be fulfilled. It is true that we can neither grasp the counsels of God in all their extent, nor the love of Christ which passeth knowing. Nevertheless, we can in measure apprehend the counsels and know the love. "To know the love of Christ" is more than knowing through the statements of God's word that Christ loves us. It is an experimental knowledge — the realised enjoyment of the love — this the Apostle desires that we may know. How wonderful that the Christ, Who is the centre of the vast scene of glory in all its breadth, length, depth and height, can be known in a personal and intimate way by each one of us as the One that loves us and has given Himself for us! Christ desires that we should know His love, for He ever appreciates the response to His love that attaches us to Himself. In a pre-eminent degree the Apostle John knew the love of Christ, for five times he describes himself as the disciple that Jesus loved, and in all the nearness that the knowledge of His love gives, he could confide in the Lord and rest his head upon His bosom. The appreciation of the love of Christ by Mary and the Apostle John, brought these disciples nearer to the Lord than the activity of Martha and the zeal of Peter.
Thirdly, the apprehension of the counsels of God and the appreciation of the love of Christ, leads to the third great result of a right spiritual state — that we "might be filled with all the fulness of God." Does not the fulness of God speak of all that God is in His moral attributes, His holiness, His love, and His grace. A vessel could be filled with water, but no vessel could hold the ocean. So our little vessels cannot take in all the fulness of God, but it is possible for the fulness of God to fill our little vessels. Thus the beautiful character of God, as He has been pleased to reveal Himself, should fill the saints, and be seen in the saints.
(Eph. 3:20). Having made known his requests, the Apostle expresses His confidence in God by commending us to God — the One who is able to give an abundant answer to our prayers "above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." It will be noticed that in the prayer of the First chapter the Apostle desires that we may know "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward." Doubtless, in all our circumstances, and trials, it is our joy to know that the power of God is toward us and for us: nevertheless, here, the Apostle speaks of the power of God that works in us to produce a right spiritual state.
In other prayers, the Apostle prays that we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work (Col. 1:9-10). Again he desires the prayers of the saints that utterance may be given to make known the mystery of the Gospel (Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3). But in this great prayer he is not concerned with the walk or service of the saints, but rather with a right spiritual state that is the true preparation for all walk and service. Alas we may be very careful to do nothing in our walk that would lower us in the eyes of others, and very diligent in outward service that might exalt us in the esteem of our brethren, and yet careless as to the inward state of soul that is only known to God.
(Eph. 3:21). The Apostle closes his prayer with a beautiful ascription of praise to God. Thus the great end in view is, not simply our blessing, however greatly we shall be blessed, but God's eternal glory. The church, though formed in time, belongs to eternity. Counseled in eternity, before time began, it will be for the glory of God through eternal ages yet to come. Furthermore we shall never forget that all the glory of God in the church is secured "by Christ Jesus." The glory of God in the church, was counseled by the Father, secured by the work of Christ for us, and made good by the work of the Spirit in us.
H. Smith.