Praise & Glory

I didn’t know what to expect when my husband told me his company wanted us to move to Dubai to work in their new office. I looked forward to more free time for quilting, sewing gifts for nieces and nephews, scrapbooking, and beginning to pursue Biblical counseling. I expected it to be hot. I expected a different culture or mixture of cultures. I didn’t know what to expect in the way of ministry. I was leaving behind leading youth group with my husband, co-teaching women’s Bible study, and volunteering as church secretary. I didn’t expect all those things in Dubai.

I didn’t come close to asking, thinking, or imagining what God would actually do during our time in Dubai. Two other couples from my husband’s company also moved to Dubai. I began discipling the two wives. One (I’ll call her Joy) came from a Christian background, but had wandered from God during her college years and married an unbeliever (I’ll call him Ray). Joy began to grow in Christ, and Ray was open to conversations about God and the Bible. They became like family to us.

When their time in Dubai ended, we helped them look for solid Bible-teaching churches in California. They began attending right away. Ray came to saving faith. The two of them served in different church ministries. Ray and Joy even did several mission trips. God did so far beyond what we ever asked, thought, or imagined, but He wasn’t done.

Joy got breast cancer. Throughout chemo and radiation, she remained joyful. She never wavered in her faith. She testified to God’s goodness. At the end of treatment, it seemed that the cancer was gone, but it returned after a few months. She died shortly after. God was still working. Roy continued testifying to God’s goodness and faithfulness even in his grief and raising three young children alone. Their oldest child has been bold in his faith and reads his Bible every day. Countless people were pointed to God through Joy’s battle with cancer, her death, the Gospel shared at her memorial, and her family’s testimony in grief.

The past several weeks, as we’ve looked at Paul’s prayer that closes out the first half of his letter to the Ephesian church, we’ve studied Paul’s petition for the Ephesian believer’s to be strengthened in their inner being, to comprehend the infinite love of Christ, and be filled with the fullness of God. This week we will work through Paul’s closing, a doxology of praise to the great God to whom he prayed.

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.^[1]

Ephesians 3:14-21 (emphasis added)

Paul’s doxology builds as it progresses, displaying the greatness of God. Let’s look at the progression before delving into the specifics.

“God can do

• All we ask

• All we ask or think of asking

• More than all we can ask or think of asking

• More abundantly than all we can ask or think

• Far more abundantly than all we can ask or think”^[2]

“Now to him who is able” – The Greek word carries the idea of having the power necessary to accomplish something. Now to Him who is powerful, almighty, omnipotent. Paul petitioned God for BIG things (vs 16-19) because he knew to Whom he prayed – our immense, infinite God with whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). God is omnipotent and willing to exercise His power for our good.

What is God powerful enough to do? Far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. Paul used what is known as a super-superlative. The Greek adjective is rare and conveys that what God can do is utterly beyond all measure. Because God is infinite, there is no limit to His power. There is no imaginable higher comparison.

God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think. God and His ways are incomprehensible to us. Our finite minds can’t begin to comprehend all that God can do. Paul petitioned God for big things, but even those big petitions didn’t come close to what God is able to do. Most of our petitions are far too small because our view of God is far too small.

God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. This power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, seated Him at the right hand of the Father far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named (vs 1:20-21). It is the same power that enabled Paul in ministry (1 Corinthians 2:4; 2 Corinthians 6:3-7). It is the power of the Holy Spirt that all believers have the moment we are saved because the Holy Spirit indwells us (vs 16-17; Acts 1:8).

This power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. The Greek word energeō means to put forth power, to be effectual. The Holy Spirit’s power isn’t just residing inside us, feet up so-to-speak, but it is powerfully, effectually at work in us. Can you grasp even a wee bit how amazing this is?

To Him, to our almighty, infinite, great God be glory! God is glorious, so when we give Him glory, we are giving Him praise for who He is and what He has done (“God is…” and “God does…” truths). It is true that whatever we do should be done for God’s glory. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism affirms from Scripture, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We also specifically give God glory in our praise and worship of Him. This might be through singing, prayer, or sharing “God is…” and “God does…” truths with others.

God is to be glorified in the church. He is glorified through believing Jews and Gentiles together as the church (vs 2:11-22), which testifies to God’s manifold wisdom (vs 3:10). God is glorified as the church proclaims His excellencies (1 Peter 2:9). God is glorified when His communicable attributes are displayed in the church, when believers join together in singing praise to God, praying to God, and hearing God’s Word expounded. R.C. Sproul stated that glorifying God is the mission of the church.

God is glorified in Christ Jesus. One commentator related this to the close connection between Christ as the head of the church and the church as the body of Christ. The glories are inseparable. Luke recorded Peter, John, and James seeing Jesus’ glory on the mountain (Luke 9:32). At the beginning of his gospel, John wrote: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). May the church and the believers in it always proclaim the glory of Jesus.

How long should we praise and glorify God? Paul answers: “throughout all generations, forever and ever.” We understand this as for all of eternity. If you have ever read the book of Revelation, you likely noted worship, more worship, continual worship. One day, continual praise for our almighty, infinite, great God, who is more than able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, will be on our lips and in our hearts. To this, Paul ends his prayer with amen, strongly affirming let it be so.

Reflection

1.    Are your petitions small because your view of God is small? Do you take time to praise God for who He is and what He has done before you ask Him to act? How would it change your petitions if your awe of God increased?

2.    How have you seen God do far more abundantly than all you asked or thought? Have you shared this with someone else? That is one way you can glorify God.

3.    How will the way Paul prayed impact how you pray? What will you change in the way you pray for others?

4.    Write out your own prayer based on what you have learned from Paul’s second prayer.

5. Listen to or read the lyrics for Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Amen", a fitting end to Chapter 3.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOEo6epUQjQ

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 3:14–21.

^[2] Ferguson, Sinclair. Let’s Study Ephesians. Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2015.