The Apostle Paul is writing a
letter to this church in Ephesus. Paul is praying for them as he's
instructing them. And the last time we looked,
we stopped with verse 13. And he said, wherefore, I desire
that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. The Apostle Paul was a prisoner. He was a prisoner in Rome. But
he told them, he said, don't be dismayed. concerning the trials
and the sufferings that I've been called upon to endure for
the gospel's sake. Don't be afraid. Don't be a coward. If God has called for us to suffer
for his name's sake, and let me say this, every trial that
we go through, A believer is like everybody else, an unbeliever. We suffer just like everyone
suffers. We get sick just like everybody
gets sick. We have trials and tribulations. But the difference between a
believer suffering, and it may be that he's called upon to suffer
in particular, for the gospel that he loves and preaches. But
whether it's a trial concerning our faith, whether it's a trial
concerning the afflictions of our body, the Lord so orders
all trials that a believer goes through for His glory and for
our good. A believer looks at it differently. He knows what he's going through. This is ordered by the Lord.
He knows that. Whenever we're sick, whenever
there's problems, you know, with our families or friends or whatever,
a believer sees it for what it is. All things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called. according to his purpose. I said,
I think it was Sunday, I said this, all of these, and just
turn on the TV and it's just, you know, there's trouble, there's
trouble in this country, there's trouble everywhere, all over
the world, battles and terror. Listen, don't be dismayed. I'm not trying to make it to
be an insignificant thing. It's a heinous thing. It's evil. It's evil. But Almighty God who
rules and reigns heaven, earth, all things ordered by the Lord
according to His purpose, working together for good, turning these
things for our good. And as I said, these things and
mess and stuff that we see going on in this world, I'm telling
you, Almighty God is working these things for the salvation
of His elect, calling out His people. And you know, knowing
that, we can rest, we can be settled, and thank God that He's
in control. What Paul said, he said, wherefore
I desire that you think not of my tribulations for you, which
is your glory. It's going to work for your good. for your peace and for your comfort,
let our hearts be settled. Then in 14, he said, for this
cause, for this cause, what cause? Well, actually, going back to
verse 1 of chapter 3, Paul had made this statement in verse
1 of chapter 3, and then he expounded some things up until this verse
right here. Now he says, for this cause,
For this cause, he said in verse 1, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus
Christ for you Gentiles, in Rome, a Roman prison. But he said,
I'm not a prisoner of Rome, I'm the prisoner of the Lord Jesus
Christ, sent here by God's good pleasure. For this cause, he
said, because I'm in jail, I bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, this is where the
Lord put me. This is where I am to minister
at this time. And I bow to Him. who chose to
show mercy to me. Listen to this. 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. Paul said,
I bow my knee unto the one who put me in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Christ himself. Of whom? Of whom? By God's will to show mercy. Choosing, putting me in the surety
himself. Of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named. What are they named? Christians. That's our name. What is your
name? This is our name. We're Christians. Thankful that Almighty God would
call us out of darkness, give us a heart for Him, put us in
Him, keep us in Him, as Brother Scott said. 1 Peter 4.16, he
said, Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed,
But let him glorify God on this behalf, that God has made him
what he is, a Christian. I realize that in this day and
age, everybody claims to be a Christian. And anybody that has any association
with any kind of religion, I guess, you know, Protestant, is a Christian. But I'm going to tell you, a
Christian is one that Almighty God has caused to see and to
know something about himself. No confidence in myself, we're
going to look at that in just a second, and all confidence
in him. Salvation is of the Lord in its
inception, procurement, application. Salvation is of the Lord, saved
by the grace of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." A
Christian. So Paul says, for this cause,
because I'm placed in this jail, I bow my knees unto the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ himself, of whom Christ,
the whole family in heaven and earth, is named. Then he says
in verse 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. Now here Paul prays that the
believers, Ephesus, yes, but all believers, that we might
be strengthened inwardly in the inner man, in that new man, in
that new heart, in the seat of God's grace, that which the Lord
has imparted This strength that we have, it's been granted, that's
what he says, that he would grant you. Strength is not something
that we possess. Romans 5, 6 says, for when we
were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. So if there's any strength And
I'm going to tell you in a second what it is. He's praying that
the Lord would grant you according to the riches of His glory to
be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. This strength, it's a gift of
God because it's granted. And this granting of strength
is according, the scripture says, to the riches of his glory. I told you one time when Moses
asked the Lord, show me your glory. Show me your glory. And
that word, glory, the root word of glory is opinion. to think. And this is what Moses
asked the Lord. Show me what you think. I want
to know, Lord, would you show me your opinion? And he said
this, the Lord said this, I will have mercy on whom I'll have
mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. Then the Apostle Paul in Romans
9 said under the inspiration of God's Spirit, so then. It's
not of him that willeth or of him that runneth. What is it? But it is of God who showeth
mercy. So glory, the glory of God is
that Almighty God does as He will in the army of heaven and
among the inhabitants of the earth. That no man stays His
hand. His glory is that He's God. He's God. God Almighty. And Paul said, I pray, in verse
16, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory according to the riches of his
opinion, according to the riches of his will, and his desire,
his purpose, strengthened to the riches of his glory to be
strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. Now, this strength that we're
granted What is it? What is it? Well, I think it's
actually twofold. Let me tell you what the first
part of it is. It is a glorious revelation to
God's people. Here's the first point of strength. It is to realize that we're totally
impotent. Number one, here's true strength. 2 Corinthians 12.10 says, therefore
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake, for when I
am weak, then am I strong. when I am made to see that I
am totally impotent. And my strength is also in knowing
that he is almighty. Listen to Psalm 28 7. The Lord
is my strength. We would say, Lord, give me strength. The psalmist says that our strength
is the Lord. The Lord is my strength and my
shield. My heart trusteth in Him and
I'm helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth,
and with my song will I praise him. So strength, true strength,
is realizing that I'm impotent. When I realize that I cannot,
where else can I go? Lord, Peter asked, I mean, the
Lord asked the disciples, you know, when all the disciples
were leaving and they walked no more with them, and the Lord
said, will you go away also? Peter said, Lord, where are we
going to go? You have the words of eternal life. We're sure. You're the Christ. You're God. You're God. In human flesh, you're
the Christ. The Lord is our strength. So
true strength is knowing that I have nothing to contribute. I cannot guide myself. I do not
know what I can do. I can only trust Him. I look
to Him alone, the Lord who is my salvation. He's my sustenance. How am I going to keep myself?
His strength. He said, I'll never leave you. Oh Lord, help me to believe that.
I want to believe that. I do believe it. Lord, help me
to believe it. That He would grant you according
to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by
His Spirit. The Holy Spirit who teaches,
the Comforter, who brings all these things to your memory. the things that the Lord has
said, strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. And then he said in verse 17,
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. that ye being
rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height."
What a thought. Now, I can only say with assuredness
what the Lord has said. I cannot perceive the magnitude
of it, but I can say that Almighty God has declared. Paul says,
I'm praying that the Lord will grant you according to the riches
of His glory to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the
inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. David, where is your God? Our God is in the heavens. We believe that. We know that. What's he doing, David? He's
doing whatsoever he pleases. I believe that. I believe that. I'll tell you what else I believe.
I believe that he is seated right now He is seated at the right hand
of the majesty on high. I believe that. I believe that right now, the
one who was ever before the Father, the one that was brought up with
Him, the one who was ever His delight, I believe that God Almighty
who was made flesh right now in this assembly, two or three
gathered together in my name. He said, I'm in the midst of
you. There's a special gathering together. And the Lord
is in the presence of his people. I believe that. And I'll tell
you what else I believe. that Christ dwells in the heart
of his people by faith. They know it. They know it. He dwells. The one who came into
this world, who walked this earth for 33 plus years, who established righteousness
for his people. Righteousness that they're robed
in. Obedience, righteousness, holiness
that he earned as the God-man. The one who hung upon the cross
made sin. The one who died buried, rose
again, third day, ascended into heaven. The very one who the
apostles watched, the angel said this, he's coming back, just
like you see, he's coming back, that he dwells by faith in your heart. Now there is a
special, It is by faith, He's there. And I've read that and
I've looked at it and I thought, He's there. He dwells in our
heart, Christ in you. The hope of glory. Thinking, how I need to be reminded
of His presence. Have the very thought right now
that Christ would indwell his people by faith. Not a casual visitor. Dwells
affectionately. He said, I've loved you with
an everlasting love. He speaks to his bride in Song
of Solomon. He said, you've ravished me with
one of your eyes. He said, I love you. I love you. The one who died for his people
dwells in them. And we believe him. We believe
him. He says that Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded
in love, firmly grounded in love for Him. Lord, I believe you
help mine unbelief. Lord, I love you who first loved
me. Rooted and grounded in love,
love for Him, for His Word, for His people. That you may be able to comprehend
with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height. Now I know this, I know that
in this life, with this little finite mind, I know that I will
not, no one in this world is going to completely comprehend. But with the light that we have,
we do comprehend some things. He has given us some instruction
and with this new mind that I know we see through a glass darkly,
But we see, we see. And the Apostle says that you
may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breath. Breath of what? Of His love. It's into the next verse. And
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. What is the
breath of the love of Christ? Well I
tell you, I know this, it reaches to all his people 2,000 years
ago, plus he laid down his life for the sheep. That's not where his love started.
He laid down his life because he loved them. He said, I've
loved you with an everlasting love. That goes back farther
than my mind can even comprehend. Everlasting. I can't even think
everlasting. If there was some starting point,
I might be able to comprehend something of that, but I can't
comprehend everlasting. He said, I've always loved you. Before there was anything but
God, He said, I loved you. I can't grasp eternity, but I
know this, according to His Word, His love for His people never
started. And coming this side of the cross,
that breath of His love that reaches even to this moment,
for all of His elect, That blood that is effectual, He who ever
liveth, that we may comprehend with all the saints what is the
breath, the length. This is the only thing that I
can say concerning the length. It'll never end. It's just tied
right in there with the breath. and the length. He doesn't make
it a secret. He tells his people. He said,
I love you, and his spirit bears witness to our heart through
his word, teaching us, comprehending the breadth and the length and
the depth. How deep does his love go? I'll
tell you, he reached to the most fallen, depraved, rebellious
sinner. Martin Luther said, if we ever
got a glimpse of our depravity, we'd go insane seeing what we
really are. We don't realize what we are.
Paul the Apostle, under the inspiration of God's Spirit, spoke of, O
wretched man that I am, We don't realize how wretched we are.
But I'll tell you this, the depth of the love of God reached down
in those everlasting arms and brought us from the mire of our
depravity. That's what he was made and lifted
us up. Creatures who were wrathful toward
him even while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and the height
of his love By his will and by his power. I'll tell you how
how high his love is He gonna bring us to God It don't get any higher than
that he gonna bring us to God I He said, I and the children that
you gave me, we're all here. We're all here. No vacancies. Bring us to the
Lord. And how high, how high is it?
How high is that love? He said, I'm going to present
you faultless. No blame, no spot, no such thing. How high? How high? Seated with Him. Seated with Him. If God Almighty didn't tell us
that, that would be blasphemous to say that, wouldn't it? But
it's not. Seated with Him. Ever with Him. ever in His presence. Oh, the height of His love. And then 19, to know the love
of Christ, which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with
all the fullness of God. What a blessing. To know the
love of Christ, that is, to have a sense of it, to have an experience
of it. I cannot comprehend it. I know that. But it's as though
even now, just maybe for a moment, we might just get a glimpse,
like those three that were on the Mount of Transfiguration. and his garments, his face shone
brighter than the noonday sun. Just a glimpse that we might
know something of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
unsearchable, unsearchable, not able to search it out. to have
a sense of that love of Christ who has ever stood as the surety. I'll answer. I'll answer. I will redeem them. I will ever live as their intercessor. Never began to be the intercessor. Always Oh, how our love for Him pales
to nothingness. We love Him, but in our estimation
of it, how embarrassed we are. We consider He who loved us. And then Paul says that, he said
that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now, going back to verse 17,
he said that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. And
then when he says in verse 19, the latter part, that you might
be filled with all the fullness of God, Christ is the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Look at Colossians 1.19. Colossians 1.19. God Almighty, the Son, was made flesh. He is the Messiah. He's the Christ. Christ is God-man. He's God-man. Deity, humanity. It pleased the Father that in
him should all fullness. What fullness? The fullness of
the Godhead. The fullness of God bodily. Verse 17 says, Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith. Verse 19, that you might be filled
with all the fullness of God. All the blessedness of knowing
God's mercy that would grant us His glorious presence. Verse 20, now unto him that is
able to do exceedingly, to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in
us. Paul is encouraging us to praise
and to magnify the Lord that we cannot comprehend. Praise
and bless Him In all of our being, we would
never come up to what he's worth in our praise. But he said to
him who is able to do exceeding abundantly everything that he
wills, in the salvation and preservation of his people, he who is able to do above everything or anything
that we ask or think. I don't know what to ask for.
I don't know what to think. I don't know, but He does. And
my God is going to supply all your need according to His riches
and glory by Christ Jesus. And I say, Lord, Thank you. And thank you is not enough,
but thank you. In all things give thanks. This
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Unto him
that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, We have no idea, Pat, what he's
doing. But I can tell you this. It's
going to be for his glory. It's going to be for our good.
I know that. Unto him that's worthy, worthy
to be praised and honored. Paul finishes, and he says in
verse 21, unto him be glory. In the church, by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end, so be it. So be it. Let us, as the redeemed
bride of Christ, the church, through the mediator himself,
the way to God the Father, give glory, glory unto him throughout
all ages, world without end. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things that
God's prepared for those that love him. By the grace of God, one day
real soon, we're going to see him as he is. And I tell you what, when we
see Him, Carl, we're going to know Him. We're going to know
Him. We're going to know Him. And we're going to look at Him,
look on Him. Job says with these eyes, I'm going to see God. I'm going to see God. And I'm going to look on Him
who was pierced for me. And I'm going to know Him. Listen
to this, as I'm known, I mean, we just relate what God
has said. We say these things are too high
for us. These things that the world would
say, well, that's just simple understanding. Well, not for
me. I thank God for it. I thank the Lord for it. But
I love setting forth the Lord that I can't understand, magnifying
and praising His name because He's God, God Almighty. Lord bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake.