The love of Christ

Part 2 - Rooted and Grounded in Love

Ephesians 3v12-18

4^th December 2015

Last week, we started to look at Ephesians 3v12-21, where Paul prays for us that we might truly grasp the love of Christ. We began by studying what he says just before he prays that prayer:

Ephesians 3v12-13
In him [Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Some of us are, like Paul, suffering so that we can encourage others. If you're faithfully serving God and his people despite mental, emotional or physical pain, they you're an inspiration to others. And I pray that everybody in that situation can find the same contentment that Paul found.

Paul's great sufferings should not discourage us. One the contrary, if Paul can live a victorious Christian life despite his sufferings, then we can live a victorious Christian life despite ours! And if God allows our leaders to suffer so we can understand the Good News, then we are important to God! And since Christ suffered to pay for our sins, we know that's true!

I try not to use too many exclamation marks, but these things are important and they're wonderful.

Paul now beings to pray. The first part of prayer is this:

Ephesians 3v14-17
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, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Paul prays for his Christian friends for this reason - so that they might not be discouraged but might keep going. Yes, Paul was suffering. Yes, the day may come, and perhaps had come, when they suffered too. But he prayed that they would not be discouraged. And right now, I pray for you, who take the time to read this blog each week, and you who only come to this site occasionally, that no matter what you hear about other Christians suffering, no matter what you suffer yourself, you never become discouraged but always keep on serving God.

Paul kneels before the Father - a physical posture reflecting his inner attitude of humility before God - to pray that they might be strengthened with power in [their] inner being. In this prayer, at least, he didn't pray that their suffering would end. He prayed for them to receive inner power. The truth is, whatever suffering we're going though will end but, until we die, they'll always be other suffering. The most important thing is that we go on trusting God, believing in Jesus, and serving His kingdom. You may have heard a suffering Christian say that he's "doing well over the circumstances". To do that, we need inner power.

I know that, for some, Christian healing will result in miraculous changes to their physical bodies. And I praise God for every one of them. But I also know that, for others, Christian healing will result in a change in their inner being, enabling them to cope, and to live victoriously, despite continuing physical problems. And I know that I can't usually predict who will receive which type of healing. And I'm getting closer to accepting that the second sort of healing - the inner power - can sometimes be more valuable than the physical healing, although both would be nice, of course.

Paul prays that "Christ may dwell in [our] hearts by faith", that in every moment, our thoughts are focussed on our Saviour, and on His love - that we're conscious of His presence and His grace all the time.

Paul continues

Ephesians 3v17b-18
And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded 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

"Rooted" applies to plants and trees, and "grounded" applies to buildings. I suppose Paul mentions both to encourage you, whatever your preferred metaphor is. You might see yourself as a tree, putting its roots deeper and deeper into Christ. You might think of yourself as a building with deep, firm foundations, built upon the rock. Either way, Paul is saying that we need a deep, deep, connection with Christ's love. Christ's love can be - and should be - the source of our strength and health. It can be - and should be - the basis on which our whole lives, our whole self-image, our whole being, is founded.

And I pray that it will be.