BENEDICTION

BENEDICTION!

Eph 3:14-21

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

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;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

           A benediction is, according to Merriam-Webster, “the invocation of a blessing especially at the close of a public worship service.” This benediction is at the close of chapter three but Paul continued on for an additional three chapters! If we analyze these eight verses we discover Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.

           I bow my knees! Paul’s posture in prayer is formal and humble. His prayer is offered to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit. The posture in prayer is not as important as the purpose. It is essential that God knows our heart.

           There are four requests in Paul’s benediction and they build upon one another. The first request is for strength in the inner man. The Greek word krataioo means “to increase in vigor!” This refers not only to ability but attitude. Paul wanted his audience to be both able and energetic. The strength of the inner man is the strength of resolve.

           The second request is for depth. Three strong words are used by Paul. They are “dwell, rooted and grounded.” To dwell means to “inhabit permanently” or to settle down and feel at home. To be “rooted” means “to become stable;” and the word “grounded” means “to consolidate” or to bring all these things into one cohesive unit. Paul wanted them to become rock solid in faith and in love.

           The third request is for comprehension; the ability to grasp all the various aspects of the love of God. He wanted them to understand; to seize and possess its width, length, depth and height. Paul goes on in the next verse to say that the love of Christ surpasses knowledge and yet this is his request. How many Christians are satisfied with a casual friendship with Jesus instead of a full relationship?

           It is this fullness that Paul finally asks for. The Greek pleroma means “repletion.” It is the maximum that can be contained within the container provided. The idea is overflowing abundance. Paul wanted the Ephesians to be filled with the fullness of God because He is able to do much more than we ask of Him and much more than we think is possible.

           As you leave your place of worship today, why not let God out of your box! Give God the liberty to roam freely throughout your life unrestricted by your rebellion and lack of faith. He is able to function beyond your wildest dreams.

Dear Lord, it is a fearful thing to walk your high places without handrails, yet I give you permission to be God in my life today. AMEN