Power for the Mystery

One day I was eavesdropping in the conversation of two young men. They were debating over who, between Trump and the Russian president Putin is the most powerful. They went through various arguments to make their case, respectively. The one even countered by saying that Trump must be more powerful. Because he has more military power. Nevertheless, even though these two disagreed on who is more powerful. It is safe to assume they both meant the same thing when they used the word ‘power’. Meaning to say that, if the two presidents should ever square off, whether personally, in a debate, the way they govern or even in war. The one’s power will be shown to be more superior over the other. As South Africans we also have a distorted view of power. And it is especially visible in our politicians, who are known to abuse power. So today, we come to exactly this thought in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. That God would grant them power. 1. Power out God’s own nature. 2. Power in the believer’s nature. And 3. Power to grasp the person of Christ’s nature.

Notice how Paul prays for power in verse 16.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. God the Father has a wealth of limitless power for the church and believer. Then again in verses 17-18. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And this wealth of limitless power is complete. It is wide, long, high, and deep. And in verse 20. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. The church and believer also have an overflow of power. In other words, God’s power is unique in that it is limitless in wealth, complete in variety, and abundant in overflow. But the question is why would Paul at this point push strongly after the idea of divine power?

It is clear from the context that the answer is. That the mystery of Christ will take more than mere human will and effort. In verse 1-6 we saw. The mystery starts with one apostle. Who receives revelation, grace, as a sovereign pick. To make Christ known as Lord to the Gentiles. In verse 7-9, we saw Paul is send as God’s sovereign choice, less than the least of all God’s people. To make more servants in the church. Who can proclaim the mystery of Christ. In verse 10-13, we saw the church called to preach. Not only to others, but to angels too.

So when Paul gets to verses 14-21. For him, only power will do to execute God’s mission. So he does not only tell them of their great need of God’s power for his mission. But he prays that God grants them divine power for the mystery-mission. Notice verse 14, For this reason I kneel before the Father. Verse 16, I pray. And verse 17 again, I pray. Paul humbly submits himself in prayer for the Ephesian church to receive God’s power for his mission. This is the second time Paul prays for them for power. The first time was in chapter 1:17-19, I keep asking…that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe. So now he prays, not only that they will know the power of God as the church on mission. But also that they will receive power to do the mystery-mission. In other words, God’s church is moved to do his work. Not by human will, effort, intellect, or morality. But the work is done by the church and the believer, only in divine power.

Unfortunately, for many people. The biblical understanding of power is either a neglected topic, or for those who do think about it, it is an abused topic and practice. For some people their understanding of power is that it is a force that overtakes you. And you become mindless, unreasonable, and reckless. Almost to say that, the person who is overtaken by the power loses control. And the power does what it wants. And others believe the more of these experiences the church can have, the more powerful they will be.

But pay attention to Paul’s thinking. For Paul, power is God’s riches and the believer’s inner strength to know and love Christ Jesus.

Look at verse 14 and 16. Paul says that God’s power is given out of his abundance of riches. Because he is the Father of the living and the dead. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. God does not withhold his riches from any of his children. Both those who are still alive and those who are dead experiences the power of God. The dead experienced it before they died. And the living while they are alive. This is what Paul means by, every family in heaven and on earth. God’s power is available to every believer over their lifetime. They derived their Christian name in this way. In other words, there ought to be no Christian who is unfamiliar with the power of God. Because the way you became a believer was by the power of God in the gospel. And the way you remain a believer is also by God’s power. This is to say that, you family-membership in God is his power at work in you, saving you and preserving you to stay saved.

_________________________________

Now notice the first thing Paul says. He says that, God’s power comes out of God’s own nature. Paul says in verse 16, Out of his glorious riches. God by his very nature has a limitless and bottomless well of power. Paul says in chapter 1:18-19, that this power is resurrection-power. That same power that raised Christ from the dead. Within the believer and church is the riches of God’s power. And it is the same power that belonged to Christ in his resurrection. It is a power that brings life and newness. Before God’s power raised new life in you. You were dead and under the power of the devil. And poor in spirituality and religion. But now there is a wealth of God’s power in you.

More so, this power is ongoing and ever-present. Paul says in verse 16, Through his Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes God’s power effective, by revealing truth in Scripture, thereby convicting and encouraging believers. So the riches of God’s power is the resurrection-power of Christ. And also the continuous work of the Holy Spirit. This is to say, the third Person of the Trinity makes God’s power real in you. And as real as he made it in the Person of Christ. Jesus says in Acts 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses. Paul says in Colossians 1:9-11, We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might. God by his Spirit does not only reject carnal efforts of power. But he replaces human efforts with Holy Spirit-power. All to say that, the nature of God’s power is rich in that. It bears the presence of the triune God; the Father, Son, and Spirit.

____________________________________

Notice the second point Paul makes. The effects of God’s power in the believer’s nature. Paul says in verse 16, so that he may strengthen you. The believer’s strength comes from God’s power. Paul says in chapter 6:10, Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Notice here in verse 16 again, where? In your inner being. This means that, God’s power by its effectiveness in strengthening the believer, works from the inside-out. In the believer’s inner-being. In other words, there are no strong people without strong inner strength. The outside reveals the inside. Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13. Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. God works his power in the believer. So that the believer can workout their salvation using that power, called strength. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. God’s glorious riches of power strengthens the inner person, making it new gradually. This process starts at the believer’s conversion. And continues all through their Christian life. In fact, the longer you have been a Christian. The stronger you ought to be. The more power God grants you the stronger and newer you grow. And Paul understood it this way. That biblical and Christian power is an internal spiritual strength. And not an outward physical display.

Many believers still get this wrong. They think that to show that they have power or strength. It has to do with external accomplishments. They decorate themselves with things they imagine will project power and strength. Men tend to pursue it by being robust, loud, obnoxious, and seeking to conquer their goals by force. Women, on the other hand, tend to seek it by being attractive and being desired. Yet, Peter says to both in 1 Peter 3:3,7. Wives, our beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self. And husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner. As in, be gentle because she’s physically and emotionally more vulnerable. This is real divine power and strength. An inner tenacity for God, truth, and his mystery-mission. John Owen says that, power in the form of inner-strength is the readiness to choose Christ over all others. To choose obedience over sin. And to choose holiness over evil.

________________________________

Notice Paul’s third thought on power. Power in the nature of the person of Christ. Look at verse 17. Paul says that the reality of the divine power within the believer. That comes limitless from the father’s glorious riches. Is the way Christ dwells comfortably within the believer – through faith. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Christ dwells in the believer since their salvation. And more so, on the basis of God’s continuous power in them. Christ dwells within them more intensely as they grow. This means their awareness of Jesus’ presence within them grows. Paul says, by faith, meaning, your trust in him increases as part of your strength. As Paul says further in verse 17, being rooted and established in love…for him. In other words, God’s power, as the internal strength and newness of the believer. Means to love, cherish and enjoy the person of Christ himself. This is to say that, you love the cross, you cherish the resurrection, and you enjoy his ascension and his ruling in glory.

This is to say that, God’s power is more than just a feeling of inner spiritual strength. It is a strength and trust in the reality of Jesus in the believer. This is what distinguishes the Christian from any other religion. Inner strength, as in Buddhism, or Hinduism, or even some charismatic practices. For the Christian is not merely an inner spiritual feeling or consciousness. But inner strength produced by the divine power of God is loving communion with Jesus the Son of God. Christ dwells in your hearts by his Spirit. In John 14:23, Jesus says, Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  This means that, in whom the power of God is at work. There Christ feels at home – dwelling in them. God’s power is the means to practice spiritual hospitality to Christ. This is to say that, it is not so much whether you feel strengthened internally. But it is more whether the strength happening in your inner person is consistent with the person of Christ. Because power of abstract strength. And the power of God, for Christ’s dwelling, is not compatible. The believer and the Buddhist monk feel power and strength for different reasons. The monk feels strength for strength sake. And the believer feels strength for Christ sake. In other words, coming across strong goes hand-in-hand with projecting Christ.

So who is the strongest person you know? Is it Trump, Putin? Perhaps it is yourself, basing your answer on external material and superficial things? If it is any of the above. Your understanding of power is ungodly and unbiblical. But if you think of power as a person who showcases great internal strength, and as a display of Christ in them. Then, you not only understand true power. But you probably have true power.