Become a Body Filled with God

Ephesians Study

Chapter 3

Ephesians 3:18-21 — Become a Body Filled With God

Amplified Bible:

Ephesians 3:18:  That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 

Ephesians 3:19:   [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] into all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! 

Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—

Ephesians 3:21:  To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

The last four verses of Ephesians 3 are God’s benediction and blessing over us!  These verses are amazing.  Below is what jumped off the page and spoke to my heart.  

Apprehending and Grasping the experience of God’s love — It is one thing to intellectually know that God loves you.  It is another to live in the experience of that love in its fullest…breadth, length, height and depth.  Paul gives this dimension!  Paul has experienced this.  He tries his best to explain it to us.  How do you really explain relationship that has this dimensional effect on you?  Do you know that brain science has shown that your brain lights up (energized) in a positive way when we feel happy about something.  It not only changes the brain; it changes the dimensions of your life.  This helps us understand how the imprisoned Paul could live life from love, compassion, and in complete freedom in his spirit.  I love this!

Know and experience the love of Christ — Relationship must be developed by knowing and experiencing the love of Christ.  It is sad how so many do not know this.  We spend so much time identifying with “the other” whether it be organization, person, place, cause, or thing that we can easily forget or dismiss the God of those things.  As verse 19 says, experience far surpasses mere knowledge.  Are we having experiences with God?  Are  communing with Him?  He is waiting to be recognized.  He is longing for time and communion.  It is an experience with Him that gives you an amazing story/witness.  This is what the world needs; not more man-centered thoughts about theology, doctrines, or creeds.  

Become a body filled and flooded with God Himself — What a glorious opportunity is ours.  We are the temple.  Envision being filled and flooded with God Himself.  Think about how His presence descended and filled up the most holy place of the sanctuary.  That is a visual aid for us of this very filling with God.  It is an internal dwelling that has external manifestation…others can tell that there is a difference.  How sweet is that filling and flooding of His.  The lighting up of the brain helps us not take personally the stuff of this world..be filled and flooded with God Himself.  That is so exciting!

Now to Him Whose power is at work within us   — This gives me such hope and encouragement!  His power is at WORK within me.  Not my power.  Not my work.  While I am a believer in being empowered, I know whose power it is.  The disempowering lies that we have been brought up believing to be our truths have given us a lens that sees things that are not real.  What I mean is that this lens is coloring life, events, opportunities, life experiences…everything…and we think we know what is / has happened but it is a false reality.  Another way of saying this is what John said in Revelation...he saw beyond / behind the veil.  He saw God high and lifted up.  This is the reality.  All this other stuff of life is a distraction to the real.  

As a result of perceiving life from a distorted lens, we have expectations of everything and everyone that are inappropriate and out of line with reality.  The fact that His power is at work within us calls us to come up to a higher understanding of everything.  What seems like misfortune, may not be.  In all of these things we have an opportunity to ask God to show us the situation through His eyes.  His power is at work within us!  The latest brain science shows that neurons in the brain implode (kill) themselves when we are constantly negative.  The best thing we can do for healthy brains is to be focused on that which is true and beautiful.  It takes three positive thoughts to make up for one negative thought.  Science is validating: As a man thinks so is he.  Awesome!  

Paul’s modeling, even though imprisoned, shows us the power of God who is at work within.  As we come to the end of Chapter 3 of Ephesians, I’m grateful for Paul’s modeling.  I am grateful for God whose power is at work within us.  I am grateful that even in our prisons (whatever kind we may be experiencing), that this magnificent God about whom Paul writes so passionately is not a respecter of persons.   He does for all of us what He did for Paul. Live life on purpose being filled and flooded with God Himself.  We are the temple of this most high God.