More than We Could Imagine!

" Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21

My life is reflected by this very statement, the reality that God ALWAYS does far more than I could ever comprehend, want, or imagine; and it is by this truth that I am both humbled and amazed. Through the valleys in my life I experience the most intimate love with the Father that compels me to trust and to believe that this statement, and ones like it in Scripture are true; and as He leads me back up the mountain so to speak I begin to see glimpses of His handiwork and humbly stand in awe. And it is when I get to the top of that mountain and He richly rewards, richly blesses, and grants me the wisdom to comprehend what He is doing that I am overwhelmed.

I don't think, myself included, we always realize the rich blessing in Ephesians 3, but more than that the TRUTH behind it. Look at the language here..."Now to Him who is able", when a believer follows the road of obedience/holiness through the grace of God, HE IS ABLE, through the sanctifying work of the spirit "to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us"...this power, what is it? This power is derived and explained in the previous verses 16-19 where John MacArthur explains it as "This is how to take the resource and the power and make it operative. And we said there are five sequential steps; inner strength, indwelling Christ, incomprehensible love, infinite fullness and internal power." Do you realize the incredible power you have through Him? Jesus Himself said in John 14:12, - "It's alright when I go away because when I go away you'll do greater things than I did. " John MacArhtur explains, "Not greater in quality, you could never do things greater in quality;greater in quantity is what that text is saying. We've studied it before. Greater in quantity, all around the world and over and over through the centuries has the church been able to see the power of God manifest in a far greater way quantitatively than Jesus ever did in His limited 3 year ministry in one location." That is incredible to think about, and that He would choose to use YOU and ME, not because He needed us but because He wanted to, we were the very tools He created to use for His glory and purposes (crazy!).

I like what John MacArthur says here about this passage; "He is able," that's enough, isn't it? "He is able to do--He is able to do what you ask--He is able to do what you ask or think--He is able to do all that you ask or think--He is able to do above all that you ask or think--He is able to do abundantly above all that you ask or think. And that's not all, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. Don't ever say, Lord, I don't know if You can use me in this situation. He can. Beyond your dreams, infinitely beyond. What a power is there. And as a church we should have that power. You know, I don't believe that we've even begun to see what God could do if we really got turned on. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, said Paul to the Corinthians, when you are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't ever forget it. When the church gathers together, it gathers with the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when it separates every believer goes out of here able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think, if he follows the pattern right here."

There is incredible Truth in this passage in Ephesians, it reminds me of Ephesians chapter 2 in which we are described as HIS workmanship being used for His glory and to accomplish His purposes, and why? Because He works in us to will and work for His good pleasure. We are living advertisements (As JMAC likes to put it) for Jesus Christ, the question is do we live like it? Do we use the resources we have to be powerful testimonies for Him? God himself has given us POWER , AUTHORITY, POSITION, STRENGTH, EVERYTHING we need to be His ambassadors for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now may we be faithful, may we as Paul exhorted as well in Philippians 2 to work out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing He is at work in us. We must be diligent, but always knowing it is only by HIS power and working that anything is accomplished; and we can be encouraged in knowing His plans and purposes will ALWAYS prevail and they will ALWAYS be more than we could imagine!