What Does Ephesians 3:20 Mean?

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,

Ephesians 3:20(NASB)

Verse of the Day

For three glorious chapters, Paul has been outlining the riches of God's grace towards His people, explaining our privileged position in Christ and reminding us of the love of God which passes all human understanding, before he implores us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called, to the praise and glory of God the Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

He has been expounding the length and breadth and depth and height of the good news of God's grace towards us, and the over-abounding riches we already have in Christ, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection. And Paul's heart-desire and earnest prayer is that we understand the riches of His grace towards us and that we stand firm in the faith, grow in grace, trust in the Lord with all our heart, and become rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

And so Paul draws this inspiring and exhilarating section of His letter to the Ephesians to a climatic close with a doxology of praise proclaiming God's goodness and grace. Paul desires that we KNOW that God is able: that God is able to do: that God is able to do what we think: that He is able to do what we ask and think: that He is able to do all that we ask of think: that He is able to do above all that we ask or think: that God is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think. Paul in this inspiring and exhilarating doxology of praise wants us to KNOW that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think! - which is to transform us from being fallen sinners into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The superabundant blessings that God gives to all who simply trust in the divine Person and atoning work of Lord Jesus Christ are ours "according to the power that works within us." That inner power is not of ourselves but the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit - for He is continuously working in the inner man (that new life in Christ that we received at salvation), in order to transform us from glory to glory into the person and character that befits a spiritual man, a child of God, a joint-heir with Christ, and a citizen of heaven.

The Power that works within us is the Holy Spirit Who teaches, guides, rebukes, and correct us. He is forming and transforming, fashioning and refining our inner man. He is guiding and directing us, teaching and training us, and the more that we yield to Him, the more exceedingly abundantly will be the inner transformation into the image and likeness of Christ - until we can say with Paul: "The life that I live in this flesh is not I, but Christ that lives in me."

"Now to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think. Thank You that I have the power of the Holy Spirit working in my inner man. I pray that I would willingly yield to Your child-training and transforming work in my life and that I am ever open to Your chastening rod and Your guiding hand. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.

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