Even when “For this reason”
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
(Ephesians 3: 14-19 NASB)
from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name,
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
- “For this reason”—Do we know ‘what reason’ the apostle Paul denoted as he wrote this letter to the believers living in the sinful city Ephesus?
- “For this reason”—Do we know ‘what reason’ caused the once-persecutor-of-the-church-Saul-now-child-of-God-Paul to bow down on his knees and pray?
- “For this reason”—Do we know why Paul prayed for these believers to receive strength from the Holy Spirit?
- “For this reason”—Do we know why Paul desired that through their faith in Jesus, that Christ would dwell within the hearts of the people & that love would hold them steady?
- “For this reason”—Do we understand what all the saints of God are able to comprehend about the Father’s love?
- “For this reason”—Do we know beyond ‘head knowledge’ how Jesus loved?
For all these reasons—Do we really know what it means to be ‘filled with God’?
Today, I would like to quote the words of two great individuals, one real & one fiction—
1st—Actor John Walton from the TV show The Waltons said about the love of God: “I don’t understand God’s Love, but I believe it.”
2nd—Missionary Mother Teresa who gave her lifetime to serve the people of India said this about our faithfulness: “God has not called me to be successful; He called me to be faithful.”
We are people who enjoy reaping the rewards for our labor, and usually, we do. We work throughout the week, and usually we receive a fair wage for our labor. Then, there are those times when we ‘love out loud,’ and then we are able to see how those who were helped are able to get back on their feet. Nevertheless, there are still those situations when we give & give & give & . . . but never see the results for our labor. In fact, we may go to our graves and never know. However, think about heaven; see the best scene you can imagine about eternal paradise. Even though we are not informed about exactly what we will do for all eternity, the Bible does inform us about what we will do ‘in the meantime,’ if we die and are transported to heaven BEFORE THE DAY JESUS RETURNS. We are told with certainty just exactly what we will be doing, (as the saints already there are doing). Just to be clear, let’s read this truth of God’s Word together.
The author of The Letter to the Hebrews wrote—
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 12: 1-2 NASB)
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
- Even when we cannot see the results, let us love others as God loves us.
- Even when we cannot see the results, let us share our testimony with the lost.
- Even when we cannot see the results, let us be led by the Holy Spirit.
- Even when we cannot see the results, let us be the hands & the feet of Jesus, our Savior.
- Even when we are frustrated, exhausted, and cannot control the outcome, let us leave the results to God.
- Even when we struggle with our own sins, let us keep our eyes on Jesus.
- Even when we become so fatigued from this world’s ‘rat race’ of life, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, . . .”
Even when we don’t totally understand the way God loves, let us still believe.
Even when we see results, see success this side of heaven, let us remain faithful.
Even when strangers and foreigners are sent to us to minister to—
like Abraham &
like Rahab &
like Martha and her sister Mary &
like Zacchaeus &
like the “certain man” who owned the upper room, you know the “cloud of witnesses surrounding us”
Even then, let us do as Jesus commands us to do—love God first & foremost, and love others as ourselves.
& yes, even “For this reason,” too—
Even when life is hard, let us—
“be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
(Ephesians 3: 16b-19 NASB)
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you,
being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”