Philippians 4

Philippians 4:1

The Unfathomable Riches of Christ

Ephesians 3:8. It is striking to see how Paul speaks of himself here, seen in the light of this letter. This is a letter of contrasts. First, man is pictured in his absolute corruption (Ephesians 2:1-3). Opposite to that you have seen how man has been given a marvelously exalted position in Christ. This contrast you also see in picture in the ministry of Paul. Formerly he was a persecutor of the church and therefore of the Lord. And exactly this man, who destroyed the church, received grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. That’s why he calls himself “the very least of all the saints”.

It has such a great impact on him when he thinks of the content of the message he is allowed to preach, that it causes him to call himself so. This is the attitude that suits everyone who is given a task from the Lord – and who doesn’t have that? Everything we understand of the truth should make us think less and less about ourselves.

When it is about this glorious ministry that was given to him, he compares himself with “all saints”. To them this letter indeed is addressed (Ephesians 1:1) and to them he preaches all this wonderful news. But he doesn’t put himself above them, but on the contrary, below them. Paul has this attitude all the time. When he compares himself with other apostles, he calls himself “the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9). When he compares himself with the sinners he says “among whom I am foremost [of all]” (1 Timothy 1:15). The truth which he is allowed to preach has an influence on his attitude. That we understand the truth should be a matter of our heart and then we will also see our littleness. When only knowledge counts, we will be puffed up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Paul feels his littleness when he sees the enormous scope of his ministry (“the Gentiles”) and the all surpassing content (“the unfathomable riches of Christ”). He, and no one else, receives the order to preach (literally: to evangelize) things that are so rich, that they could never be fully searched by anyone. Here also it is about the Christ again, which means: Christ together with His church.

Ephesians 3:9. Through the proclamation of such lofty things it became clear (“to bring to light”) what was hidden in God till then. About the words ‘stewardship’ and ‘mystery’, I have already said something in the study of the Ephesians 3:2-3 of this chapter, where these words also appear. By practicing his ministry, Paul fulfills his stewardship. To him God entrusted what He kept for Himself before: a mystery that only the three Persons of the Godhead knew. The moment then came that God came out with His counsels. Paul was the instrument God had chosen to make known His mystery.

The purpose of this revelation is found in Ephesians 3:10, but first one more thing of God is said, which must not be overlooked. That is the expression “God who created all things”. How can Paul refer here suddenly to the creation, while he is dealing with so many heavenly and eternal things? Sure, our feet are still on the earth, but until now this letter is about our position in heavenly places and our blessings in and with Christ, isn’t it? That is also true, but just because our feet are still in the first, old creation, we still have everything to do with it.

The will of God is that His counsels, that all relate to something totally new that has been realized outside the old creation, will be made visible in this old creation. God has created all things to be of service, as a platform, to display what was hidden in Him.

He could have taken away the old and introduce the new. He also could have placed the new next to the old. He could have transformed the old into the new. He didn’t do any of that. He uses the old to make visible the totally new, that is Christ and the church as perfectly united together.

Ephesians 3:10. And that not later, when will be fulfilled what we read in Ephesians 1 (Ephesians 1:10), but already “now”. God had revealed Himself in the past in certain ways. He did that in the creation (Romans 1:20). Yet He didn’t reveal Himself in it fully. What we see in it, is His creation wisdom. The angels have seen that wisdom and have rejoiced in it (Job 38:7). They also saw that God created men, that man enjoyed the special attention of God and that He went His ways with man. They saw it and admired how God dealt with man who became rebellious.

But now that same God showed something that first was not known. He will submit everything to a Man in future. But the Man to Whom He submits that, is new, as that Man is Christ and the church. This was hidden in God’s heart, but is being made known to the angels through the existence of the church.

The good and evil angelic powers, “the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly [places]”, have no words for what they see of wisdom, when they look at the church. This wisdom is so unique, that it exceeds all other wisdom. This wisdom is completely new and not just in a new phase of unfolding His wisdom. It is “the manifold wisdom of God”, which means a wisdom in every possible glorious aspects. And that wisdom is seen in those who form the church together, not what they are of themselves, but what God has made of them.

That God is almighty and sovereign was known by the angels. If God wanted to put man above angels, He was free to do that. But the way God does that, reveals His wisdom and that is the issue here. He does not only deal in omnipotence, but He does that in a fully righteous way and in accordance with all that He is in Himself: the perfect revelation of love and of light. When He deals like that with the church, it doesn’t mean that He is unfair against one of His other creatures or in contradiction with something that is in Him.

Angels had a higher place in the creation than men. Is it not unfair then that He now has given insignificant creatures that were disobedient to God and in addition to that brought the Creator to the cross, a place above angels that have always served Him faithfully and have never done anything against Him? No, for the work that was necessary to do that, is done by a Man, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary. There He has revealed that God is light and love.

He has shown God’s hatred against sin and His love for the sinner in all its aspects. He has restored there everything that was destroyed by the work of satan and his angels. He opened the way for God, so that He could fulfill His counsels. God rewarded Him for that by giving Him a place above everything, and there He made the church one with Him (Ephesians 1:20-23). The angels see that and recognize in this God’s manifold wisdom.

Now read Ephesians 3:8-10 again.

Reflection: Why is the church now on earth?

Philippians 4:2

The Unfathomable Riches of Christ

Ephesians 3:8. It is striking to see how Paul speaks of himself here, seen in the light of this letter. This is a letter of contrasts. First, man is pictured in his absolute corruption (Ephesians 2:1-3). Opposite to that you have seen how man has been given a marvelously exalted position in Christ. This contrast you also see in picture in the ministry of Paul. Formerly he was a persecutor of the church and therefore of the Lord. And exactly this man, who destroyed the church, received grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. That’s why he calls himself “the very least of all the saints”.

It has such a great impact on him when he thinks of the content of the message he is allowed to preach, that it causes him to call himself so. This is the attitude that suits everyone who is given a task from the Lord – and who doesn’t have that? Everything we understand of the truth should make us think less and less about ourselves.

When it is about this glorious ministry that was given to him, he compares himself with “all saints”. To them this letter indeed is addressed (Ephesians 1:1) and to them he preaches all this wonderful news. But he doesn’t put himself above them, but on the contrary, below them. Paul has this attitude all the time. When he compares himself with other apostles, he calls himself “the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9). When he compares himself with the sinners he says “among whom I am foremost [of all]” (1 Timothy 1:15). The truth which he is allowed to preach has an influence on his attitude. That we understand the truth should be a matter of our heart and then we will also see our littleness. When only knowledge counts, we will be puffed up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Paul feels his littleness when he sees the enormous scope of his ministry (“the Gentiles”) and the all surpassing content (“the unfathomable riches of Christ”). He, and no one else, receives the order to preach (literally: to evangelize) things that are so rich, that they could never be fully searched by anyone. Here also it is about the Christ again, which means: Christ together with His church.

Ephesians 3:9. Through the proclamation of such lofty things it became clear (“to bring to light”) what was hidden in God till then. About the words ‘stewardship’ and ‘mystery’, I have already said something in the study of the Ephesians 3:2-3 of this chapter, where these words also appear. By practicing his ministry, Paul fulfills his stewardship. To him God entrusted what He kept for Himself before: a mystery that only the three Persons of the Godhead knew. The moment then came that God came out with His counsels. Paul was the instrument God had chosen to make known His mystery.

The purpose of this revelation is found in Ephesians 3:10, but first one more thing of God is said, which must not be overlooked. That is the expression “God who created all things”. How can Paul refer here suddenly to the creation, while he is dealing with so many heavenly and eternal things? Sure, our feet are still on the earth, but until now this letter is about our position in heavenly places and our blessings in and with Christ, isn’t it? That is also true, but just because our feet are still in the first, old creation, we still have everything to do with it.

The will of God is that His counsels, that all relate to something totally new that has been realized outside the old creation, will be made visible in this old creation. God has created all things to be of service, as a platform, to display what was hidden in Him.

He could have taken away the old and introduce the new. He also could have placed the new next to the old. He could have transformed the old into the new. He didn’t do any of that. He uses the old to make visible the totally new, that is Christ and the church as perfectly united together.

Ephesians 3:10. And that not later, when will be fulfilled what we read in Ephesians 1 (Ephesians 1:10), but already “now”. God had revealed Himself in the past in certain ways. He did that in the creation (Romans 1:20). Yet He didn’t reveal Himself in it fully. What we see in it, is His creation wisdom. The angels have seen that wisdom and have rejoiced in it (Job 38:7). They also saw that God created men, that man enjoyed the special attention of God and that He went His ways with man. They saw it and admired how God dealt with man who became rebellious.

But now that same God showed something that first was not known. He will submit everything to a Man in future. But the Man to Whom He submits that, is new, as that Man is Christ and the church. This was hidden in God’s heart, but is being made known to the angels through the existence of the church.

The good and evil angelic powers, “the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly [places]”, have no words for what they see of wisdom, when they look at the church. This wisdom is so unique, that it exceeds all other wisdom. This wisdom is completely new and not just in a new phase of unfolding His wisdom. It is “the manifold wisdom of God”, which means a wisdom in every possible glorious aspects. And that wisdom is seen in those who form the church together, not what they are of themselves, but what God has made of them.

That God is almighty and sovereign was known by the angels. If God wanted to put man above angels, He was free to do that. But the way God does that, reveals His wisdom and that is the issue here. He does not only deal in omnipotence, but He does that in a fully righteous way and in accordance with all that He is in Himself: the perfect revelation of love and of light. When He deals like that with the church, it doesn’t mean that He is unfair against one of His other creatures or in contradiction with something that is in Him.

Angels had a higher place in the creation than men. Is it not unfair then that He now has given insignificant creatures that were disobedient to God and in addition to that brought the Creator to the cross, a place above angels that have always served Him faithfully and have never done anything against Him? No, for the work that was necessary to do that, is done by a Man, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary. There He has revealed that God is light and love.

He has shown God’s hatred against sin and His love for the sinner in all its aspects. He has restored there everything that was destroyed by the work of satan and his angels. He opened the way for God, so that He could fulfill His counsels. God rewarded Him for that by giving Him a place above everything, and there He made the church one with Him (Ephesians 1:20-23). The angels see that and recognize in this God’s manifold wisdom.

Now read Ephesians 3:8-10 again.

Reflection: Why is the church now on earth?

Philippians 4:3

Boldness and Access

Ephesians 3:11. What Paul presented in the previous verses, what was highlighted by him, was in God’s heart from eternity. I mean by that, the time before creation, that you cannot call ‘time’, for in eternity every notion of time is missing. Eternity is timeless. God stands outside and above time. We now know something as time because God has created it. That you can read in Genesis 1.

Before creation, there was already a purpose of God regarding the church. When the time started, God did not make known this “eternal purpose” right away. He hasn’t spoken about it in a prophecy anywhere or given a promise about it to people on earth. About this eternal purpose we also read in chapter 1 of this letter (Ephesians 1:4; 11). There it is about our personal blessings. Here it is about our blessings as the church, that all believers have received together.

But whatever blessing is regarded, it is never apart from the Lord Jesus. God has “carried out” this eternal purpose “in Christ Jesus our Lord”. He is the center of it. It speaks of the wonderful pleasure that God has had in His Son from eternity. That pleasure has got an extra reason through the life and death of the Son of God Who became Man (John 10:17; Matthew 3:17). Everything that God purposes and does, points at His Son.

The Son is mentioned here by His extended name: 1. He is the “Christ”, that means ‘the Anointed’, the Man of God’s pleasure, in Whom God finds His joy. 2. He is “Jesus”, the humble Man Who perfectly lived on earth to God’s glory and Who accomplished His work. 3. He is also “our Lord”, the Person to Whom we submit ourselves completely with pleasure, acknowledging His authority over our life.

He, who knows Him, heartily agrees with God’s eternal purpose to make Him the Center of the universe and eternity.

Ephesians 3:12. The foregoing is not unfolded for ‘the enlightened eyes of your heart’ (Ephesians 1:18) just to admire, how admirable everything is indeed. It invites to boldly stand in these blessings. That means that you may feel at home in the presence of the Father. Just think about what the basis is for this boldness.

Until now you could have admired the amazing counsels of God. You were impressed that God has allowed you to glimpse into the mysteries of His heart that were there from eternity, and that He also made this known to you. It is all so great that it would make you become so shy that you would not even dare to put one foot on that holy ground. But what did you indeed also see? That the Center of all those counsels of God is ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’. If you would be too timid to put your feet on those counsels, then you may think: the center of all this is our Lord, isn’t it?

Before there was time, before the angels fell into sin, before man fell into sin, He was already the Center. When sin came into the world, He came and solved the huge problem of sin. You entrusted yourself to Him. He is the One, Who came on earth for you and Who died for you, not only to redeem you from your sins, but also to give you these wonderful blessings. Of these blessings He is the Center.

Then you don’t have to feel timid to stand in those blessings and to enjoy them. You may move and express yourself freely there. “Boldness” means something like having a free conscience to say everything that is in your heart. Without any burden on your heart you may reside there and enjoy it to the fullest.

But even if you have the boldness now, it would not help you if you didn’t have access to those blessings. That is what the second part of this verse makes clear. You have “access” and even “confident access”. God took away all hindrances. The access is free. You have confidence that God loves to see you in His presence. It is not the case that He just tolerates you in His presence, but He really loves to have you with Him, as the basis is “through faith in Him”.

You might be thinking here that it is about the faith in the Lord Jesus as your Savior. That surely has to do with it, but it goes a step further. It is about the faith in Him, in Whom God has achieved His eternal purpose, that is Christ Jesus our Lord. Sure, He is the One Who went to the cross to die there for your sins and in that way give you access to God (Romans 5:1-2). But in the letter to the Ephesians you see Him as the Center of all the counsels of God. If you have learnt to know Him like that and accepted Him through faith like that, then you can enter God’s presence in full confidence to admire Him and worship Him for everything He had in mind for the church from eternity.

That you may belong to the church, you owe to the work that Christ has accomplished on the cross. On the cross the perfect dedication to and glorification of God have reached their peak and crowning. On this basis God will achieve His plans. That you, as a member of God’s church, are involved in those plans, is a wonder of grace that is worthy of all worship.

Ephesians 3:13. Since He has paid the price to give you all this, then you should “not lose heart” at tribulations. In the previous verse your relationship with God is presented. In this verse you see how you are related to the world. To God you have boldness, access and confidence. From the world you may face tribulations. Even if you don’t understand why you have tribulations, you can accept through your confidence in Him that there is wisdom and love behind them. You trust that everything is just for your own good. To Paul that was the case.

The word “therefore” with which this verse begins, refers to the previous one and gives the reason to what he askes. God could have rescued him from his imprisonment as He liberated Peter (Acts 12:7-11), but He did not. What did the Lord do? He was with Paul, helped him and gave him insight of everything that we now have in his letters.

The imprisonment, apparently the end of his ministry, became the crown of his work, the entire fulfillment of his stewardship. The reason that Paul was imprisoned and had tribulations there, was because of the truth he brought to the Ephesians. They shouldn’t be discouraged by his imprisonment, but rather encouraged. To be related to a heavenly Christ and to live consistently according to that relationship, just creates hostility from religious people who adhere to an earthly or fleshly religion.

Paul is not busy with his own situation. He is worried that all the wonderful truths would not have effect in the lives of the believers in Ephesus, because of his imprisonment. They could have been thinking: ‘We are not willing to pay that price.’ That’s why Paul points out to them that he was imprisoned just because of the practice of his stewardship that consisted of the preaching of the ‘unfathomable riches of Christ among the Gentiles’, to which the Ephesians also belonged. The tribulations were not an addition, but they go wholly together with the preaching of the truth. To him, tribulations were the earthly counterpart of the heavenly glory.

The Christian who is aware of that will look at the tribulations that arise as a privilege and a glory because of his relation with a heavenly Lord.

Now read Ephesians 3:11-13 again.

Reflection: What are your privileges with regard to your connection with God and what is the consequence of that for your connection with the world?

Philippians 4:4

Boldness and Access

Ephesians 3:11. What Paul presented in the previous verses, what was highlighted by him, was in God’s heart from eternity. I mean by that, the time before creation, that you cannot call ‘time’, for in eternity every notion of time is missing. Eternity is timeless. God stands outside and above time. We now know something as time because God has created it. That you can read in Genesis 1.

Before creation, there was already a purpose of God regarding the church. When the time started, God did not make known this “eternal purpose” right away. He hasn’t spoken about it in a prophecy anywhere or given a promise about it to people on earth. About this eternal purpose we also read in chapter 1 of this letter (Ephesians 1:4; 11). There it is about our personal blessings. Here it is about our blessings as the church, that all believers have received together.

But whatever blessing is regarded, it is never apart from the Lord Jesus. God has “carried out” this eternal purpose “in Christ Jesus our Lord”. He is the center of it. It speaks of the wonderful pleasure that God has had in His Son from eternity. That pleasure has got an extra reason through the life and death of the Son of God Who became Man (John 10:17; Matthew 3:17). Everything that God purposes and does, points at His Son.

The Son is mentioned here by His extended name: 1. He is the “Christ”, that means ‘the Anointed’, the Man of God’s pleasure, in Whom God finds His joy. 2. He is “Jesus”, the humble Man Who perfectly lived on earth to God’s glory and Who accomplished His work. 3. He is also “our Lord”, the Person to Whom we submit ourselves completely with pleasure, acknowledging His authority over our life.

He, who knows Him, heartily agrees with God’s eternal purpose to make Him the Center of the universe and eternity.

Ephesians 3:12. The foregoing is not unfolded for ‘the enlightened eyes of your heart’ (Ephesians 1:18) just to admire, how admirable everything is indeed. It invites to boldly stand in these blessings. That means that you may feel at home in the presence of the Father. Just think about what the basis is for this boldness.

Until now you could have admired the amazing counsels of God. You were impressed that God has allowed you to glimpse into the mysteries of His heart that were there from eternity, and that He also made this known to you. It is all so great that it would make you become so shy that you would not even dare to put one foot on that holy ground. But what did you indeed also see? That the Center of all those counsels of God is ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’. If you would be too timid to put your feet on those counsels, then you may think: the center of all this is our Lord, isn’t it?

Before there was time, before the angels fell into sin, before man fell into sin, He was already the Center. When sin came into the world, He came and solved the huge problem of sin. You entrusted yourself to Him. He is the One, Who came on earth for you and Who died for you, not only to redeem you from your sins, but also to give you these wonderful blessings. Of these blessings He is the Center.

Then you don’t have to feel timid to stand in those blessings and to enjoy them. You may move and express yourself freely there. “Boldness” means something like having a free conscience to say everything that is in your heart. Without any burden on your heart you may reside there and enjoy it to the fullest.

But even if you have the boldness now, it would not help you if you didn’t have access to those blessings. That is what the second part of this verse makes clear. You have “access” and even “confident access”. God took away all hindrances. The access is free. You have confidence that God loves to see you in His presence. It is not the case that He just tolerates you in His presence, but He really loves to have you with Him, as the basis is “through faith in Him”.

You might be thinking here that it is about the faith in the Lord Jesus as your Savior. That surely has to do with it, but it goes a step further. It is about the faith in Him, in Whom God has achieved His eternal purpose, that is Christ Jesus our Lord. Sure, He is the One Who went to the cross to die there for your sins and in that way give you access to God (Romans 5:1-2). But in the letter to the Ephesians you see Him as the Center of all the counsels of God. If you have learnt to know Him like that and accepted Him through faith like that, then you can enter God’s presence in full confidence to admire Him and worship Him for everything He had in mind for the church from eternity.

That you may belong to the church, you owe to the work that Christ has accomplished on the cross. On the cross the perfect dedication to and glorification of God have reached their peak and crowning. On this basis God will achieve His plans. That you, as a member of God’s church, are involved in those plans, is a wonder of grace that is worthy of all worship.

Ephesians 3:13. Since He has paid the price to give you all this, then you should “not lose heart” at tribulations. In the previous verse your relationship with God is presented. In this verse you see how you are related to the world. To God you have boldness, access and confidence. From the world you may face tribulations. Even if you don’t understand why you have tribulations, you can accept through your confidence in Him that there is wisdom and love behind them. You trust that everything is just for your own good. To Paul that was the case.

The word “therefore” with which this verse begins, refers to the previous one and gives the reason to what he askes. God could have rescued him from his imprisonment as He liberated Peter (Acts 12:7-11), but He did not. What did the Lord do? He was with Paul, helped him and gave him insight of everything that we now have in his letters.

The imprisonment, apparently the end of his ministry, became the crown of his work, the entire fulfillment of his stewardship. The reason that Paul was imprisoned and had tribulations there, was because of the truth he brought to the Ephesians. They shouldn’t be discouraged by his imprisonment, but rather encouraged. To be related to a heavenly Christ and to live consistently according to that relationship, just creates hostility from religious people who adhere to an earthly or fleshly religion.

Paul is not busy with his own situation. He is worried that all the wonderful truths would not have effect in the lives of the believers in Ephesus, because of his imprisonment. They could have been thinking: ‘We are not willing to pay that price.’ That’s why Paul points out to them that he was imprisoned just because of the practice of his stewardship that consisted of the preaching of the ‘unfathomable riches of Christ among the Gentiles’, to which the Ephesians also belonged. The tribulations were not an addition, but they go wholly together with the preaching of the truth. To him, tribulations were the earthly counterpart of the heavenly glory.

The Christian who is aware of that will look at the tribulations that arise as a privilege and a glory because of his relation with a heavenly Lord.

Now read Ephesians 3:11-13 again.

Reflection: What are your privileges with regard to your connection with God and what is the consequence of that for your connection with the world?

Philippians 4:5

Boldness and Access

Ephesians 3:11. What Paul presented in the previous verses, what was highlighted by him, was in God’s heart from eternity. I mean by that, the time before creation, that you cannot call ‘time’, for in eternity every notion of time is missing. Eternity is timeless. God stands outside and above time. We now know something as time because God has created it. That you can read in Genesis 1.

Before creation, there was already a purpose of God regarding the church. When the time started, God did not make known this “eternal purpose” right away. He hasn’t spoken about it in a prophecy anywhere or given a promise about it to people on earth. About this eternal purpose we also read in chapter 1 of this letter (Ephesians 1:4; 11). There it is about our personal blessings. Here it is about our blessings as the church, that all believers have received together.

But whatever blessing is regarded, it is never apart from the Lord Jesus. God has “carried out” this eternal purpose “in Christ Jesus our Lord”. He is the center of it. It speaks of the wonderful pleasure that God has had in His Son from eternity. That pleasure has got an extra reason through the life and death of the Son of God Who became Man (John 10:17; Matthew 3:17). Everything that God purposes and does, points at His Son.

The Son is mentioned here by His extended name: 1. He is the “Christ”, that means ‘the Anointed’, the Man of God’s pleasure, in Whom God finds His joy. 2. He is “Jesus”, the humble Man Who perfectly lived on earth to God’s glory and Who accomplished His work. 3. He is also “our Lord”, the Person to Whom we submit ourselves completely with pleasure, acknowledging His authority over our life.

He, who knows Him, heartily agrees with God’s eternal purpose to make Him the Center of the universe and eternity.

Ephesians 3:12. The foregoing is not unfolded for ‘the enlightened eyes of your heart’ (Ephesians 1:18) just to admire, how admirable everything is indeed. It invites to boldly stand in these blessings. That means that you may feel at home in the presence of the Father. Just think about what the basis is for this boldness.

Until now you could have admired the amazing counsels of God. You were impressed that God has allowed you to glimpse into the mysteries of His heart that were there from eternity, and that He also made this known to you. It is all so great that it would make you become so shy that you would not even dare to put one foot on that holy ground. But what did you indeed also see? That the Center of all those counsels of God is ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’. If you would be too timid to put your feet on those counsels, then you may think: the center of all this is our Lord, isn’t it?

Before there was time, before the angels fell into sin, before man fell into sin, He was already the Center. When sin came into the world, He came and solved the huge problem of sin. You entrusted yourself to Him. He is the One, Who came on earth for you and Who died for you, not only to redeem you from your sins, but also to give you these wonderful blessings. Of these blessings He is the Center.

Then you don’t have to feel timid to stand in those blessings and to enjoy them. You may move and express yourself freely there. “Boldness” means something like having a free conscience to say everything that is in your heart. Without any burden on your heart you may reside there and enjoy it to the fullest.

But even if you have the boldness now, it would not help you if you didn’t have access to those blessings. That is what the second part of this verse makes clear. You have “access” and even “confident access”. God took away all hindrances. The access is free. You have confidence that God loves to see you in His presence. It is not the case that He just tolerates you in His presence, but He really loves to have you with Him, as the basis is “through faith in Him”.

You might be thinking here that it is about the faith in the Lord Jesus as your Savior. That surely has to do with it, but it goes a step further. It is about the faith in Him, in Whom God has achieved His eternal purpose, that is Christ Jesus our Lord. Sure, He is the One Who went to the cross to die there for your sins and in that way give you access to God (Romans 5:1-2). But in the letter to the Ephesians you see Him as the Center of all the counsels of God. If you have learnt to know Him like that and accepted Him through faith like that, then you can enter God’s presence in full confidence to admire Him and worship Him for everything He had in mind for the church from eternity.

That you may belong to the church, you owe to the work that Christ has accomplished on the cross. On the cross the perfect dedication to and glorification of God have reached their peak and crowning. On this basis God will achieve His plans. That you, as a member of God’s church, are involved in those plans, is a wonder of grace that is worthy of all worship.

Ephesians 3:13. Since He has paid the price to give you all this, then you should “not lose heart” at tribulations. In the previous verse your relationship with God is presented. In this verse you see how you are related to the world. To God you have boldness, access and confidence. From the world you may face tribulations. Even if you don’t understand why you have tribulations, you can accept through your confidence in Him that there is wisdom and love behind them. You trust that everything is just for your own good. To Paul that was the case.

The word “therefore” with which this verse begins, refers to the previous one and gives the reason to what he askes. God could have rescued him from his imprisonment as He liberated Peter (Acts 12:7-11), but He did not. What did the Lord do? He was with Paul, helped him and gave him insight of everything that we now have in his letters.

The imprisonment, apparently the end of his ministry, became the crown of his work, the entire fulfillment of his stewardship. The reason that Paul was imprisoned and had tribulations there, was because of the truth he brought to the Ephesians. They shouldn’t be discouraged by his imprisonment, but rather encouraged. To be related to a heavenly Christ and to live consistently according to that relationship, just creates hostility from religious people who adhere to an earthly or fleshly religion.

Paul is not busy with his own situation. He is worried that all the wonderful truths would not have effect in the lives of the believers in Ephesus, because of his imprisonment. They could have been thinking: ‘We are not willing to pay that price.’ That’s why Paul points out to them that he was imprisoned just because of the practice of his stewardship that consisted of the preaching of the ‘unfathomable riches of Christ among the Gentiles’, to which the Ephesians also belonged. The tribulations were not an addition, but they go wholly together with the preaching of the truth. To him, tribulations were the earthly counterpart of the heavenly glory.

The Christian who is aware of that will look at the tribulations that arise as a privilege and a glory because of his relation with a heavenly Lord.

Now read Ephesians 3:11-13 again.

Reflection: What are your privileges with regard to your connection with God and what is the consequence of that for your connection with the world?

Philippians 4:6

Second Prayer (I)

Ephesians 3:14. The great truths that Paul has been able to present till here also fill his own heart. Overwhelmed by all that he received from God, he falls on his knees before “the Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 he already went into prayer to God. There he focused on “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:17). I already clarified the distinction between ‘the God of’ and ‘the Father of’ in the study of chapter 1:3.

In chapter 1 Paul prays that the Ephesians would also learn to understand and enjoy the riches that he has described. He surely could write to them that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but he didn’t have the ability to make them capable of making those blessings their own and also to enjoy them. ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ’ had to make them capable for that. That’s why he lifts up his eyes to Him and asks if He will grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened’.

The blessings Paul speaks about there are the possession of every believer individually. It’s wonderful to see how Paul commits himself to make them aware of these blessings and that they enjoy them. For him, it is about getting a message across and then moving on. He wants what he has passed on, to ‘arrive’ in the hearts of the believers.

Although it is hard to understand some things, he is doesn’t adjust his message. Adjusting the message is quite often the tendency in professing Christianity today. The message becomes a product that is being adjusted to the desires of the ‘client’. But when Paul preaches the Word, he does that as it is given to him and simultaneously he asks his Sender, in Whose Name he preaches, if He will grant that the Word that has been preached, will also be understood. This example should be followed by every preacher.

Paul was certainly aware of the needs of his ‘audience’. He knew that he could not write the contents of the letter to the Ephesians to the believers in Corinth for example. They were not ready to receive this message yet because they were carnal. That he could tell the Ephesians about the tremendous blessings – to the individual believer and to the church – doesn’t mean that they were able to understand all this on their own. It is not a matter of intellectual ability, a great intellect, but of the heart. When it is understood with the heart, it will have its effect in life. It is Paul’s desire that this happens and he prays for that, both in chapter 1 and in chapter 3.

The motive for his prayer here is what he said in the previous part. The essence of that is the “unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). This is what he means by “for this reason”. It is his desire that the believers will also understand the blessings they have received collectively, as the church, besides their personal blessings. The blessings of the church are perhaps even greater than those of the individual believers.

An example may clarify this. You can throw a large number of stones in a heap; you can also build a house out of those stones. In both cases you have the same number of stones, but when a house is built of it, that stack of stones has an enormous added value.

That is also the case with the church. All who know the Lord Jesus are living stones, because they have Him as their life. But they represent more. Together they are the house of God, that is the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5). The same goes for the church as a body. Every believer is a member of that body. They are not members who each live for themselves. Together they are the body of Christ. Of that body He is the Head. Paul just told about the wonderful blessings that are connected to it.

Here also he is aware of his incapacity to make them capable to take the blessings into their heart and to enjoy them. For that he starts to pray. He is now praying to ‘the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ because the following part is about the Lord Jesus, Who, as the eternal Son, is the Center of all God’s purposes. In chapter 1 he wanted the believers to be aware of all that God had done for them through Christ. Now he desires that the believers will be aware of what the Father works in them through His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:15. The glory of the Father is great. It reflects from all families that finally will fill the heavens and the earth. All those families are named after Him because they come forth from Him. He is the ‘Originator’ of them. He gave them all a place in His plans.

These families can be families of angels and all kinds of families of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Not that all families call Him Father. That is only applicable to those who became His children by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are brought to that intimate relationship. The Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. That’s why He also – in a way – is the Head of those various families. The church, however, is directly related to Him. All who belong to it are the family of God in a special way. That will be expressed in the most wonderful way when we soon enter the Father’s house to dwell there forever with the Father and the Son (John 14:1-3).

Ephesians 3:16. Here Paul is asking the Father to work in accordance with His glory in the believers “through His Spirit”. They have the Spirit as a guarantee (Ephesians 1:13). It is also only possible through the Spirit “to be strengthened with power … in the inner man”. Something must happen in the believer and not only with or for him.

By “the inner man” are meant the mind and the sense of man, his considerations, everything that is not visible (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:11). What Paul desires, is that the Spirit of the Father gets the opportunity to fill up that whole ‘area’ with His power. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you and I would pray that for each other? And what a consequence it would have!

Ephesians 3:17. “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Oh, may that happen to us, yes, to each child of God. Paul desires that Christ will continuously be the predominating Center of your deepest emotions and affections. That is only possible “through faith” which means that this place is given to Him in full confidence. Through faith you focus on Him with all that is in you.

Also in your life He is the Center, as He eternally was and is and will be to the Father. Then Christ is not ‘just visiting’ you, a temporary Guest, but He can ‘dwell’ there, which also means that He finds rest there. About this ‘dwelling’ the Lord makes a wonderful remark in John 14 (John 14:23).

Inseparably linked with this, is “love”, which is the true embedding of the previous. God is love. His love is the origin of all His counsels. He, who has his roots in the Divine love (“rooted”), extracts from there the juices for life; he has this love as the foundation for his life (“grounded”), and is capable of enjoying all the glories that Paul has summarized. In the following verses we will have a further look at that.

Now read Ephesians 3:14-17 again.

Reflection: How can it be realized that Christ dwells in your heart through faith?

Philippians 4:7

Second Prayer (I)

Ephesians 3:14. The great truths that Paul has been able to present till here also fill his own heart. Overwhelmed by all that he received from God, he falls on his knees before “the Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 he already went into prayer to God. There he focused on “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:17). I already clarified the distinction between ‘the God of’ and ‘the Father of’ in the study of chapter 1:3.

In chapter 1 Paul prays that the Ephesians would also learn to understand and enjoy the riches that he has described. He surely could write to them that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but he didn’t have the ability to make them capable of making those blessings their own and also to enjoy them. ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ’ had to make them capable for that. That’s why he lifts up his eyes to Him and asks if He will grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened’.

The blessings Paul speaks about there are the possession of every believer individually. It’s wonderful to see how Paul commits himself to make them aware of these blessings and that they enjoy them. For him, it is about getting a message across and then moving on. He wants what he has passed on, to ‘arrive’ in the hearts of the believers.

Although it is hard to understand some things, he is doesn’t adjust his message. Adjusting the message is quite often the tendency in professing Christianity today. The message becomes a product that is being adjusted to the desires of the ‘client’. But when Paul preaches the Word, he does that as it is given to him and simultaneously he asks his Sender, in Whose Name he preaches, if He will grant that the Word that has been preached, will also be understood. This example should be followed by every preacher.

Paul was certainly aware of the needs of his ‘audience’. He knew that he could not write the contents of the letter to the Ephesians to the believers in Corinth for example. They were not ready to receive this message yet because they were carnal. That he could tell the Ephesians about the tremendous blessings – to the individual believer and to the church – doesn’t mean that they were able to understand all this on their own. It is not a matter of intellectual ability, a great intellect, but of the heart. When it is understood with the heart, it will have its effect in life. It is Paul’s desire that this happens and he prays for that, both in chapter 1 and in chapter 3.

The motive for his prayer here is what he said in the previous part. The essence of that is the “unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). This is what he means by “for this reason”. It is his desire that the believers will also understand the blessings they have received collectively, as the church, besides their personal blessings. The blessings of the church are perhaps even greater than those of the individual believers.

An example may clarify this. You can throw a large number of stones in a heap; you can also build a house out of those stones. In both cases you have the same number of stones, but when a house is built of it, that stack of stones has an enormous added value.

That is also the case with the church. All who know the Lord Jesus are living stones, because they have Him as their life. But they represent more. Together they are the house of God, that is the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5). The same goes for the church as a body. Every believer is a member of that body. They are not members who each live for themselves. Together they are the body of Christ. Of that body He is the Head. Paul just told about the wonderful blessings that are connected to it.

Here also he is aware of his incapacity to make them capable to take the blessings into their heart and to enjoy them. For that he starts to pray. He is now praying to ‘the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ because the following part is about the Lord Jesus, Who, as the eternal Son, is the Center of all God’s purposes. In chapter 1 he wanted the believers to be aware of all that God had done for them through Christ. Now he desires that the believers will be aware of what the Father works in them through His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:15. The glory of the Father is great. It reflects from all families that finally will fill the heavens and the earth. All those families are named after Him because they come forth from Him. He is the ‘Originator’ of them. He gave them all a place in His plans.

These families can be families of angels and all kinds of families of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Not that all families call Him Father. That is only applicable to those who became His children by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are brought to that intimate relationship. The Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. That’s why He also – in a way – is the Head of those various families. The church, however, is directly related to Him. All who belong to it are the family of God in a special way. That will be expressed in the most wonderful way when we soon enter the Father’s house to dwell there forever with the Father and the Son (John 14:1-3).

Ephesians 3:16. Here Paul is asking the Father to work in accordance with His glory in the believers “through His Spirit”. They have the Spirit as a guarantee (Ephesians 1:13). It is also only possible through the Spirit “to be strengthened with power … in the inner man”. Something must happen in the believer and not only with or for him.

By “the inner man” are meant the mind and the sense of man, his considerations, everything that is not visible (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:11). What Paul desires, is that the Spirit of the Father gets the opportunity to fill up that whole ‘area’ with His power. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you and I would pray that for each other? And what a consequence it would have!

Ephesians 3:17. “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Oh, may that happen to us, yes, to each child of God. Paul desires that Christ will continuously be the predominating Center of your deepest emotions and affections. That is only possible “through faith” which means that this place is given to Him in full confidence. Through faith you focus on Him with all that is in you.

Also in your life He is the Center, as He eternally was and is and will be to the Father. Then Christ is not ‘just visiting’ you, a temporary Guest, but He can ‘dwell’ there, which also means that He finds rest there. About this ‘dwelling’ the Lord makes a wonderful remark in John 14 (John 14:23).

Inseparably linked with this, is “love”, which is the true embedding of the previous. God is love. His love is the origin of all His counsels. He, who has his roots in the Divine love (“rooted”), extracts from there the juices for life; he has this love as the foundation for his life (“grounded”), and is capable of enjoying all the glories that Paul has summarized. In the following verses we will have a further look at that.

Now read Ephesians 3:14-17 again.

Reflection: How can it be realized that Christ dwells in your heart through faith?

Philippians 4:8

Second Prayer (I)

Ephesians 3:14. The great truths that Paul has been able to present till here also fill his own heart. Overwhelmed by all that he received from God, he falls on his knees before “the Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 he already went into prayer to God. There he focused on “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:17). I already clarified the distinction between ‘the God of’ and ‘the Father of’ in the study of chapter 1:3.

In chapter 1 Paul prays that the Ephesians would also learn to understand and enjoy the riches that he has described. He surely could write to them that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but he didn’t have the ability to make them capable of making those blessings their own and also to enjoy them. ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ’ had to make them capable for that. That’s why he lifts up his eyes to Him and asks if He will grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened’.

The blessings Paul speaks about there are the possession of every believer individually. It’s wonderful to see how Paul commits himself to make them aware of these blessings and that they enjoy them. For him, it is about getting a message across and then moving on. He wants what he has passed on, to ‘arrive’ in the hearts of the believers.

Although it is hard to understand some things, he is doesn’t adjust his message. Adjusting the message is quite often the tendency in professing Christianity today. The message becomes a product that is being adjusted to the desires of the ‘client’. But when Paul preaches the Word, he does that as it is given to him and simultaneously he asks his Sender, in Whose Name he preaches, if He will grant that the Word that has been preached, will also be understood. This example should be followed by every preacher.

Paul was certainly aware of the needs of his ‘audience’. He knew that he could not write the contents of the letter to the Ephesians to the believers in Corinth for example. They were not ready to receive this message yet because they were carnal. That he could tell the Ephesians about the tremendous blessings – to the individual believer and to the church – doesn’t mean that they were able to understand all this on their own. It is not a matter of intellectual ability, a great intellect, but of the heart. When it is understood with the heart, it will have its effect in life. It is Paul’s desire that this happens and he prays for that, both in chapter 1 and in chapter 3.

The motive for his prayer here is what he said in the previous part. The essence of that is the “unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). This is what he means by “for this reason”. It is his desire that the believers will also understand the blessings they have received collectively, as the church, besides their personal blessings. The blessings of the church are perhaps even greater than those of the individual believers.

An example may clarify this. You can throw a large number of stones in a heap; you can also build a house out of those stones. In both cases you have the same number of stones, but when a house is built of it, that stack of stones has an enormous added value.

That is also the case with the church. All who know the Lord Jesus are living stones, because they have Him as their life. But they represent more. Together they are the house of God, that is the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5). The same goes for the church as a body. Every believer is a member of that body. They are not members who each live for themselves. Together they are the body of Christ. Of that body He is the Head. Paul just told about the wonderful blessings that are connected to it.

Here also he is aware of his incapacity to make them capable to take the blessings into their heart and to enjoy them. For that he starts to pray. He is now praying to ‘the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ because the following part is about the Lord Jesus, Who, as the eternal Son, is the Center of all God’s purposes. In chapter 1 he wanted the believers to be aware of all that God had done for them through Christ. Now he desires that the believers will be aware of what the Father works in them through His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:15. The glory of the Father is great. It reflects from all families that finally will fill the heavens and the earth. All those families are named after Him because they come forth from Him. He is the ‘Originator’ of them. He gave them all a place in His plans.

These families can be families of angels and all kinds of families of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Not that all families call Him Father. That is only applicable to those who became His children by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are brought to that intimate relationship. The Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. That’s why He also – in a way – is the Head of those various families. The church, however, is directly related to Him. All who belong to it are the family of God in a special way. That will be expressed in the most wonderful way when we soon enter the Father’s house to dwell there forever with the Father and the Son (John 14:1-3).

Ephesians 3:16. Here Paul is asking the Father to work in accordance with His glory in the believers “through His Spirit”. They have the Spirit as a guarantee (Ephesians 1:13). It is also only possible through the Spirit “to be strengthened with power … in the inner man”. Something must happen in the believer and not only with or for him.

By “the inner man” are meant the mind and the sense of man, his considerations, everything that is not visible (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:11). What Paul desires, is that the Spirit of the Father gets the opportunity to fill up that whole ‘area’ with His power. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you and I would pray that for each other? And what a consequence it would have!

Ephesians 3:17. “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Oh, may that happen to us, yes, to each child of God. Paul desires that Christ will continuously be the predominating Center of your deepest emotions and affections. That is only possible “through faith” which means that this place is given to Him in full confidence. Through faith you focus on Him with all that is in you.

Also in your life He is the Center, as He eternally was and is and will be to the Father. Then Christ is not ‘just visiting’ you, a temporary Guest, but He can ‘dwell’ there, which also means that He finds rest there. About this ‘dwelling’ the Lord makes a wonderful remark in John 14 (John 14:23).

Inseparably linked with this, is “love”, which is the true embedding of the previous. God is love. His love is the origin of all His counsels. He, who has his roots in the Divine love (“rooted”), extracts from there the juices for life; he has this love as the foundation for his life (“grounded”), and is capable of enjoying all the glories that Paul has summarized. In the following verses we will have a further look at that.

Now read Ephesians 3:14-17 again.

Reflection: How can it be realized that Christ dwells in your heart through faith?

Philippians 4:9

Second Prayer (I)

Ephesians 3:14. The great truths that Paul has been able to present till here also fill his own heart. Overwhelmed by all that he received from God, he falls on his knees before “the Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 he already went into prayer to God. There he focused on “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:17). I already clarified the distinction between ‘the God of’ and ‘the Father of’ in the study of chapter 1:3.

In chapter 1 Paul prays that the Ephesians would also learn to understand and enjoy the riches that he has described. He surely could write to them that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but he didn’t have the ability to make them capable of making those blessings their own and also to enjoy them. ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ’ had to make them capable for that. That’s why he lifts up his eyes to Him and asks if He will grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened’.

The blessings Paul speaks about there are the possession of every believer individually. It’s wonderful to see how Paul commits himself to make them aware of these blessings and that they enjoy them. For him, it is about getting a message across and then moving on. He wants what he has passed on, to ‘arrive’ in the hearts of the believers.

Although it is hard to understand some things, he is doesn’t adjust his message. Adjusting the message is quite often the tendency in professing Christianity today. The message becomes a product that is being adjusted to the desires of the ‘client’. But when Paul preaches the Word, he does that as it is given to him and simultaneously he asks his Sender, in Whose Name he preaches, if He will grant that the Word that has been preached, will also be understood. This example should be followed by every preacher.

Paul was certainly aware of the needs of his ‘audience’. He knew that he could not write the contents of the letter to the Ephesians to the believers in Corinth for example. They were not ready to receive this message yet because they were carnal. That he could tell the Ephesians about the tremendous blessings – to the individual believer and to the church – doesn’t mean that they were able to understand all this on their own. It is not a matter of intellectual ability, a great intellect, but of the heart. When it is understood with the heart, it will have its effect in life. It is Paul’s desire that this happens and he prays for that, both in chapter 1 and in chapter 3.

The motive for his prayer here is what he said in the previous part. The essence of that is the “unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). This is what he means by “for this reason”. It is his desire that the believers will also understand the blessings they have received collectively, as the church, besides their personal blessings. The blessings of the church are perhaps even greater than those of the individual believers.

An example may clarify this. You can throw a large number of stones in a heap; you can also build a house out of those stones. In both cases you have the same number of stones, but when a house is built of it, that stack of stones has an enormous added value.

That is also the case with the church. All who know the Lord Jesus are living stones, because they have Him as their life. But they represent more. Together they are the house of God, that is the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5). The same goes for the church as a body. Every believer is a member of that body. They are not members who each live for themselves. Together they are the body of Christ. Of that body He is the Head. Paul just told about the wonderful blessings that are connected to it.

Here also he is aware of his incapacity to make them capable to take the blessings into their heart and to enjoy them. For that he starts to pray. He is now praying to ‘the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ because the following part is about the Lord Jesus, Who, as the eternal Son, is the Center of all God’s purposes. In chapter 1 he wanted the believers to be aware of all that God had done for them through Christ. Now he desires that the believers will be aware of what the Father works in them through His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:15. The glory of the Father is great. It reflects from all families that finally will fill the heavens and the earth. All those families are named after Him because they come forth from Him. He is the ‘Originator’ of them. He gave them all a place in His plans.

These families can be families of angels and all kinds of families of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Not that all families call Him Father. That is only applicable to those who became His children by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are brought to that intimate relationship. The Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. That’s why He also – in a way – is the Head of those various families. The church, however, is directly related to Him. All who belong to it are the family of God in a special way. That will be expressed in the most wonderful way when we soon enter the Father’s house to dwell there forever with the Father and the Son (John 14:1-3).

Ephesians 3:16. Here Paul is asking the Father to work in accordance with His glory in the believers “through His Spirit”. They have the Spirit as a guarantee (Ephesians 1:13). It is also only possible through the Spirit “to be strengthened with power … in the inner man”. Something must happen in the believer and not only with or for him.

By “the inner man” are meant the mind and the sense of man, his considerations, everything that is not visible (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:11). What Paul desires, is that the Spirit of the Father gets the opportunity to fill up that whole ‘area’ with His power. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you and I would pray that for each other? And what a consequence it would have!

Ephesians 3:17. “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Oh, may that happen to us, yes, to each child of God. Paul desires that Christ will continuously be the predominating Center of your deepest emotions and affections. That is only possible “through faith” which means that this place is given to Him in full confidence. Through faith you focus on Him with all that is in you.

Also in your life He is the Center, as He eternally was and is and will be to the Father. Then Christ is not ‘just visiting’ you, a temporary Guest, but He can ‘dwell’ there, which also means that He finds rest there. About this ‘dwelling’ the Lord makes a wonderful remark in John 14 (John 14:23).

Inseparably linked with this, is “love”, which is the true embedding of the previous. God is love. His love is the origin of all His counsels. He, who has his roots in the Divine love (“rooted”), extracts from there the juices for life; he has this love as the foundation for his life (“grounded”), and is capable of enjoying all the glories that Paul has summarized. In the following verses we will have a further look at that.

Now read Ephesians 3:14-17 again.

Reflection: How can it be realized that Christ dwells in your heart through faith?

Philippians 4:10

Second Prayer (II)

Ephesians 3:18. The word “may” indicates a desire, which is connected to what is previously said. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He also drew the atmosphere of this dwelling by pointing at being rooted and grounded in love. When faith and love work this way, then believers can “comprehend” and “know” the things that follow.

This is an important principle for Bible study. Intelligence is not the main thing, but the fact that the Center of God’s counsels lives in our hearts. Bible study without having Christ as the Center, and without it being embedded with love, results in knowledge that makes a person puffed up with pride. That’s why this prayer is so important. Being ‘capable’ is not a question of intelligence, a certain rational capacity, but a spiritual capacity to comprehend the following things. These things have to do with all the counsels of God that especially have been brought forward in chapter 1.

In this second prayer Paul connects those counsels in a very special way with Christ Who is the Center of them. If you want to understand this, you cannot act on your own. You will need “all the saints”. That is also logical. The manifoldness of all those counsels and the boundlessness of Christ’s love are only to be known by pondering over together and sharing these things with each other. In order to have a most complete picture of God’s counsels and of the love of Christ, each saint is necessary. How could you or I, limited creatures as we are, be able to understand such glory?

The glory of God’s counsels and of Christ as the Center of it, have an incalculable outreach: 1. Try to think about the “breadth” of it. That includes all the saints from the day of Pentecost until the rapture of the church. 2. Then the “length” of it – that is from eternity to eternity. 3. Just look up, in the “height”. There you see Christ, above all principalities and powers, and His church united with Him. 4. Just look down, in the “depth”. In those depths you were lying, lost in your sins. But Christ went deeper, picked you up and placed you and me and all who belong to the church in the height, in the Father’s house, to the heart of the Father.

Ephesians 3:19. Christ did that all, driven by a perfect love for His Father, for the church and for each member of the church separately (cf. Exodus 21:5). Above all, His love shines in His work on the cross.

It is a profound desire of Paul that we learn to know this love better and better. At the same time he says that it is actually impossible to know that love. How could that eternal, Divine love be fully encompassed by the heart of a man? Is that discouraging? No, it is challenging! Who would not want to penetrate into a love that can never be fully fathomed?

I will clarify this by the following and often used example. A child stands at the ocean with his small bucket. He scoops water in it and says: ‘Hey look, I have the ocean in my bucket.’ This will be the desire of every heart that knows Him, in Whom that perfect love of God has become visible, to be filled with that love completely.

The result is that “you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”. As it is said, it is not possible for a creature to be filled with the whole fullness of God. If we, however, stretch ourselves to know the love of Christ more and more, we will grow more and more in that direction. Then we are back at the beginning. After all, it all began with all the fullness of God, right? Through Christ we have all received of that fullness, and grace upon grace (John 1:16). In Christ that fullness appeared on earth: “For it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:19).

To ‘be filled with all the fullness of God’ – that is the ultimate goal of Paul’s prayer – therefore means that we are fully focused on Christ, and that our hearts and lives are full of Him. You can sense that there is no lower goal. At the same time you might also sense how hard it is to realize that in the world we live. There are so many things around you that want your attention and of which you sometimes have to give attention to.

Ephesians 3:20. That’s why the content of this verse is such a great encouragement. In any case it is a wonderful verse. You can apply it to every practical situation, but the main purpose is that you understand the context in which this verse is used. Then you get the true meaning that is above the application to our daily needs. You will desire that the content of this prayer will become true in your life.

It will be clear that it is all about that and not about something that only happens in heaven. There we don’t need prayers anymore. No, on earth this prayer is truly necessary. On earth you are aware of your shortcomings and you doubt sometimes if you will succeed. In this way your eyes are being focused on Him Who is able to realize it in your life. Then you will pray for that. Again you look up, to Him Who is capable of answering your prayer.

Sometimes you don’t even pray and you only think how wonderful it would be if your life would be filled with Christ and His love. Then you look up again. Then you see Him, Who knows your thinking and Who is able to fulfill your desires.

It is already amazing to look up to Him Who knows your praying and thinking and replies to it, but it goes much further. He “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”. Everything is exceedingly abundant and goes beyond whatever a man can pray or think. That suits completely to the way in which God is presented in this letter, namely as the Source of all blessing. God doesn’t give sparsely. When He gives of His fullness, there is no limit. In praying for and thinking about God’s counsels, you sink in it.

When Paul arrives at this point, he no longer addresses the believers alone. He involves himself in it and says “we”. He also senses that he is dependent on “the power that works within us” for the realization of that. By that he points back to the beginning of his prayer, Ephesians 3:16. The Spirit of the Father can work that the things you pray for and about which you think, can be fully effective in your life.

Ephesians 3:21. This glory of God has been fully unfolded by Paul. That glory has become visible in God’s counsel in respect to the church, while Christ is the Center of it. Overseeing all this, only one thing is left and that is to praise the Father of glory and say to Him that He is worthy to receive all glory.

What is visible to only a few and is shown by just a few today will be seen through all eternity. All generations of all ages will worship and adore that glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.

Paul closes this praise, this special prayer with a suitable “amen”. He confirms the content by that: so it is.

Now read Ephesians 3:18-21 again.

Reflection: Pray that you may learn to know the love of Christ as it is presented in this prayer.

Philippians 4:11

Second Prayer (II)

Ephesians 3:18. The word “may” indicates a desire, which is connected to what is previously said. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He also drew the atmosphere of this dwelling by pointing at being rooted and grounded in love. When faith and love work this way, then believers can “comprehend” and “know” the things that follow.

This is an important principle for Bible study. Intelligence is not the main thing, but the fact that the Center of God’s counsels lives in our hearts. Bible study without having Christ as the Center, and without it being embedded with love, results in knowledge that makes a person puffed up with pride. That’s why this prayer is so important. Being ‘capable’ is not a question of intelligence, a certain rational capacity, but a spiritual capacity to comprehend the following things. These things have to do with all the counsels of God that especially have been brought forward in chapter 1.

In this second prayer Paul connects those counsels in a very special way with Christ Who is the Center of them. If you want to understand this, you cannot act on your own. You will need “all the saints”. That is also logical. The manifoldness of all those counsels and the boundlessness of Christ’s love are only to be known by pondering over together and sharing these things with each other. In order to have a most complete picture of God’s counsels and of the love of Christ, each saint is necessary. How could you or I, limited creatures as we are, be able to understand such glory?

The glory of God’s counsels and of Christ as the Center of it, have an incalculable outreach: 1. Try to think about the “breadth” of it. That includes all the saints from the day of Pentecost until the rapture of the church. 2. Then the “length” of it – that is from eternity to eternity. 3. Just look up, in the “height”. There you see Christ, above all principalities and powers, and His church united with Him. 4. Just look down, in the “depth”. In those depths you were lying, lost in your sins. But Christ went deeper, picked you up and placed you and me and all who belong to the church in the height, in the Father’s house, to the heart of the Father.

Ephesians 3:19. Christ did that all, driven by a perfect love for His Father, for the church and for each member of the church separately (cf. Exodus 21:5). Above all, His love shines in His work on the cross.

It is a profound desire of Paul that we learn to know this love better and better. At the same time he says that it is actually impossible to know that love. How could that eternal, Divine love be fully encompassed by the heart of a man? Is that discouraging? No, it is challenging! Who would not want to penetrate into a love that can never be fully fathomed?

I will clarify this by the following and often used example. A child stands at the ocean with his small bucket. He scoops water in it and says: ‘Hey look, I have the ocean in my bucket.’ This will be the desire of every heart that knows Him, in Whom that perfect love of God has become visible, to be filled with that love completely.

The result is that “you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”. As it is said, it is not possible for a creature to be filled with the whole fullness of God. If we, however, stretch ourselves to know the love of Christ more and more, we will grow more and more in that direction. Then we are back at the beginning. After all, it all began with all the fullness of God, right? Through Christ we have all received of that fullness, and grace upon grace (John 1:16). In Christ that fullness appeared on earth: “For it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:19).

To ‘be filled with all the fullness of God’ – that is the ultimate goal of Paul’s prayer – therefore means that we are fully focused on Christ, and that our hearts and lives are full of Him. You can sense that there is no lower goal. At the same time you might also sense how hard it is to realize that in the world we live. There are so many things around you that want your attention and of which you sometimes have to give attention to.

Ephesians 3:20. That’s why the content of this verse is such a great encouragement. In any case it is a wonderful verse. You can apply it to every practical situation, but the main purpose is that you understand the context in which this verse is used. Then you get the true meaning that is above the application to our daily needs. You will desire that the content of this prayer will become true in your life.

It will be clear that it is all about that and not about something that only happens in heaven. There we don’t need prayers anymore. No, on earth this prayer is truly necessary. On earth you are aware of your shortcomings and you doubt sometimes if you will succeed. In this way your eyes are being focused on Him Who is able to realize it in your life. Then you will pray for that. Again you look up, to Him Who is capable of answering your prayer.

Sometimes you don’t even pray and you only think how wonderful it would be if your life would be filled with Christ and His love. Then you look up again. Then you see Him, Who knows your thinking and Who is able to fulfill your desires.

It is already amazing to look up to Him Who knows your praying and thinking and replies to it, but it goes much further. He “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”. Everything is exceedingly abundant and goes beyond whatever a man can pray or think. That suits completely to the way in which God is presented in this letter, namely as the Source of all blessing. God doesn’t give sparsely. When He gives of His fullness, there is no limit. In praying for and thinking about God’s counsels, you sink in it.

When Paul arrives at this point, he no longer addresses the believers alone. He involves himself in it and says “we”. He also senses that he is dependent on “the power that works within us” for the realization of that. By that he points back to the beginning of his prayer, Ephesians 3:16. The Spirit of the Father can work that the things you pray for and about which you think, can be fully effective in your life.

Ephesians 3:21. This glory of God has been fully unfolded by Paul. That glory has become visible in God’s counsel in respect to the church, while Christ is the Center of it. Overseeing all this, only one thing is left and that is to praise the Father of glory and say to Him that He is worthy to receive all glory.

What is visible to only a few and is shown by just a few today will be seen through all eternity. All generations of all ages will worship and adore that glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.

Paul closes this praise, this special prayer with a suitable “amen”. He confirms the content by that: so it is.

Now read Ephesians 3:18-21 again.

Reflection: Pray that you may learn to know the love of Christ as it is presented in this prayer.

Philippians 4:12

Second Prayer (II)

Ephesians 3:18. The word “may” indicates a desire, which is connected to what is previously said. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He also drew the atmosphere of this dwelling by pointing at being rooted and grounded in love. When faith and love work this way, then believers can “comprehend” and “know” the things that follow.

This is an important principle for Bible study. Intelligence is not the main thing, but the fact that the Center of God’s counsels lives in our hearts. Bible study without having Christ as the Center, and without it being embedded with love, results in knowledge that makes a person puffed up with pride. That’s why this prayer is so important. Being ‘capable’ is not a question of intelligence, a certain rational capacity, but a spiritual capacity to comprehend the following things. These things have to do with all the counsels of God that especially have been brought forward in chapter 1.

In this second prayer Paul connects those counsels in a very special way with Christ Who is the Center of them. If you want to understand this, you cannot act on your own. You will need “all the saints”. That is also logical. The manifoldness of all those counsels and the boundlessness of Christ’s love are only to be known by pondering over together and sharing these things with each other. In order to have a most complete picture of God’s counsels and of the love of Christ, each saint is necessary. How could you or I, limited creatures as we are, be able to understand such glory?

The glory of God’s counsels and of Christ as the Center of it, have an incalculable outreach: 1. Try to think about the “breadth” of it. That includes all the saints from the day of Pentecost until the rapture of the church. 2. Then the “length” of it – that is from eternity to eternity. 3. Just look up, in the “height”. There you see Christ, above all principalities and powers, and His church united with Him. 4. Just look down, in the “depth”. In those depths you were lying, lost in your sins. But Christ went deeper, picked you up and placed you and me and all who belong to the church in the height, in the Father’s house, to the heart of the Father.

Ephesians 3:19. Christ did that all, driven by a perfect love for His Father, for the church and for each member of the church separately (cf. Exodus 21:5). Above all, His love shines in His work on the cross.

It is a profound desire of Paul that we learn to know this love better and better. At the same time he says that it is actually impossible to know that love. How could that eternal, Divine love be fully encompassed by the heart of a man? Is that discouraging? No, it is challenging! Who would not want to penetrate into a love that can never be fully fathomed?

I will clarify this by the following and often used example. A child stands at the ocean with his small bucket. He scoops water in it and says: ‘Hey look, I have the ocean in my bucket.’ This will be the desire of every heart that knows Him, in Whom that perfect love of God has become visible, to be filled with that love completely.

The result is that “you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”. As it is said, it is not possible for a creature to be filled with the whole fullness of God. If we, however, stretch ourselves to know the love of Christ more and more, we will grow more and more in that direction. Then we are back at the beginning. After all, it all began with all the fullness of God, right? Through Christ we have all received of that fullness, and grace upon grace (John 1:16). In Christ that fullness appeared on earth: “For it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:19).

To ‘be filled with all the fullness of God’ – that is the ultimate goal of Paul’s prayer – therefore means that we are fully focused on Christ, and that our hearts and lives are full of Him. You can sense that there is no lower goal. At the same time you might also sense how hard it is to realize that in the world we live. There are so many things around you that want your attention and of which you sometimes have to give attention to.

Ephesians 3:20. That’s why the content of this verse is such a great encouragement. In any case it is a wonderful verse. You can apply it to every practical situation, but the main purpose is that you understand the context in which this verse is used. Then you get the true meaning that is above the application to our daily needs. You will desire that the content of this prayer will become true in your life.

It will be clear that it is all about that and not about something that only happens in heaven. There we don’t need prayers anymore. No, on earth this prayer is truly necessary. On earth you are aware of your shortcomings and you doubt sometimes if you will succeed. In this way your eyes are being focused on Him Who is able to realize it in your life. Then you will pray for that. Again you look up, to Him Who is capable of answering your prayer.

Sometimes you don’t even pray and you only think how wonderful it would be if your life would be filled with Christ and His love. Then you look up again. Then you see Him, Who knows your thinking and Who is able to fulfill your desires.

It is already amazing to look up to Him Who knows your praying and thinking and replies to it, but it goes much further. He “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”. Everything is exceedingly abundant and goes beyond whatever a man can pray or think. That suits completely to the way in which God is presented in this letter, namely as the Source of all blessing. God doesn’t give sparsely. When He gives of His fullness, there is no limit. In praying for and thinking about God’s counsels, you sink in it.

When Paul arrives at this point, he no longer addresses the believers alone. He involves himself in it and says “we”. He also senses that he is dependent on “the power that works within us” for the realization of that. By that he points back to the beginning of his prayer, Ephesians 3:16. The Spirit of the Father can work that the things you pray for and about which you think, can be fully effective in your life.

Ephesians 3:21. This glory of God has been fully unfolded by Paul. That glory has become visible in God’s counsel in respect to the church, while Christ is the Center of it. Overseeing all this, only one thing is left and that is to praise the Father of glory and say to Him that He is worthy to receive all glory.

What is visible to only a few and is shown by just a few today will be seen through all eternity. All generations of all ages will worship and adore that glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.

Paul closes this praise, this special prayer with a suitable “amen”. He confirms the content by that: so it is.

Now read Ephesians 3:18-21 again.

Reflection: Pray that you may learn to know the love of Christ as it is presented in this prayer.

Philippians 4:13

Second Prayer (II)

Ephesians 3:18. The word “may” indicates a desire, which is connected to what is previously said. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He also drew the atmosphere of this dwelling by pointing at being rooted and grounded in love. When faith and love work this way, then believers can “comprehend” and “know” the things that follow.

This is an important principle for Bible study. Intelligence is not the main thing, but the fact that the Center of God’s counsels lives in our hearts. Bible study without having Christ as the Center, and without it being embedded with love, results in knowledge that makes a person puffed up with pride. That’s why this prayer is so important. Being ‘capable’ is not a question of intelligence, a certain rational capacity, but a spiritual capacity to comprehend the following things. These things have to do with all the counsels of God that especially have been brought forward in chapter 1.

In this second prayer Paul connects those counsels in a very special way with Christ Who is the Center of them. If you want to understand this, you cannot act on your own. You will need “all the saints”. That is also logical. The manifoldness of all those counsels and the boundlessness of Christ’s love are only to be known by pondering over together and sharing these things with each other. In order to have a most complete picture of God’s counsels and of the love of Christ, each saint is necessary. How could you or I, limited creatures as we are, be able to understand such glory?

The glory of God’s counsels and of Christ as the Center of it, have an incalculable outreach: 1. Try to think about the “breadth” of it. That includes all the saints from the day of Pentecost until the rapture of the church. 2. Then the “length” of it – that is from eternity to eternity. 3. Just look up, in the “height”. There you see Christ, above all principalities and powers, and His church united with Him. 4. Just look down, in the “depth”. In those depths you were lying, lost in your sins. But Christ went deeper, picked you up and placed you and me and all who belong to the church in the height, in the Father’s house, to the heart of the Father.

Ephesians 3:19. Christ did that all, driven by a perfect love for His Father, for the church and for each member of the church separately (cf. Exodus 21:5). Above all, His love shines in His work on the cross.

It is a profound desire of Paul that we learn to know this love better and better. At the same time he says that it is actually impossible to know that love. How could that eternal, Divine love be fully encompassed by the heart of a man? Is that discouraging? No, it is challenging! Who would not want to penetrate into a love that can never be fully fathomed?

I will clarify this by the following and often used example. A child stands at the ocean with his small bucket. He scoops water in it and says: ‘Hey look, I have the ocean in my bucket.’ This will be the desire of every heart that knows Him, in Whom that perfect love of God has become visible, to be filled with that love completely.

The result is that “you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”. As it is said, it is not possible for a creature to be filled with the whole fullness of God. If we, however, stretch ourselves to know the love of Christ more and more, we will grow more and more in that direction. Then we are back at the beginning. After all, it all began with all the fullness of God, right? Through Christ we have all received of that fullness, and grace upon grace (John 1:16). In Christ that fullness appeared on earth: “For it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:19).

To ‘be filled with all the fullness of God’ – that is the ultimate goal of Paul’s prayer – therefore means that we are fully focused on Christ, and that our hearts and lives are full of Him. You can sense that there is no lower goal. At the same time you might also sense how hard it is to realize that in the world we live. There are so many things around you that want your attention and of which you sometimes have to give attention to.

Ephesians 3:20. That’s why the content of this verse is such a great encouragement. In any case it is a wonderful verse. You can apply it to every practical situation, but the main purpose is that you understand the context in which this verse is used. Then you get the true meaning that is above the application to our daily needs. You will desire that the content of this prayer will become true in your life.

It will be clear that it is all about that and not about something that only happens in heaven. There we don’t need prayers anymore. No, on earth this prayer is truly necessary. On earth you are aware of your shortcomings and you doubt sometimes if you will succeed. In this way your eyes are being focused on Him Who is able to realize it in your life. Then you will pray for that. Again you look up, to Him Who is capable of answering your prayer.

Sometimes you don’t even pray and you only think how wonderful it would be if your life would be filled with Christ and His love. Then you look up again. Then you see Him, Who knows your thinking and Who is able to fulfill your desires.

It is already amazing to look up to Him Who knows your praying and thinking and replies to it, but it goes much further. He “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”. Everything is exceedingly abundant and goes beyond whatever a man can pray or think. That suits completely to the way in which God is presented in this letter, namely as the Source of all blessing. God doesn’t give sparsely. When He gives of His fullness, there is no limit. In praying for and thinking about God’s counsels, you sink in it.

When Paul arrives at this point, he no longer addresses the believers alone. He involves himself in it and says “we”. He also senses that he is dependent on “the power that works within us” for the realization of that. By that he points back to the beginning of his prayer, Ephesians 3:16. The Spirit of the Father can work that the things you pray for and about which you think, can be fully effective in your life.

Ephesians 3:21. This glory of God has been fully unfolded by Paul. That glory has become visible in God’s counsel in respect to the church, while Christ is the Center of it. Overseeing all this, only one thing is left and that is to praise the Father of glory and say to Him that He is worthy to receive all glory.

What is visible to only a few and is shown by just a few today will be seen through all eternity. All generations of all ages will worship and adore that glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.

Paul closes this praise, this special prayer with a suitable “amen”. He confirms the content by that: so it is.

Now read Ephesians 3:18-21 again.

Reflection: Pray that you may learn to know the love of Christ as it is presented in this prayer.

Philippians 4:15

To Walk Worthy of the Calling

Ephesians 4:1. The word “therefore” indicates the beginning of a new section. This word is the transition from the primarily doctrinal part to the more practical part. In more of his letters Paul uses the word ‘therefore’ for a transition (Romans 12:1; Colossians 3:1). What matters is that we now put into practice the teaching of the first part of the letter. We are addressed to our responsibility. As important as knowledge is, its purpose is to have its effect in your life and mine.

Paul implores his readers to walk “in a manner worthy of the calling” with which they have been called. If you want to heed what Paul implores, you should know what is meant by this calling. We already came across this word ‘calling’ in chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:18). There it is about our personal blessings. It is not about that calling here. The calling here has to do with what we have read in chapter 2. There we saw that we, together with all saints, have become one body and one house. It is our calling to put that into practice.

In other letters Paul also speaks about ‘to walk worthy’. Just as in the letter to the Ephesians Paul’s imploring to walk worthy there also connects to the teaching given in that letter. To the Philippians Paul says in his letter to them: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). In that letter he writes about his defense of the gospel and the fellowship the Philippians, he wished, should have therein with him. He desires that their conduct in daily life will be in accordance with that.

In Colossians 1 the prayer of Paul is focused on encouraging the Colossians that they “will walk worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10). That meets the purpose of the letter, namely, to focus the hearts of the Colossians on the glorified Lord as the Head of the church.

In 1 Thessalonians 2 it is that the believers “would walk in a manner worthy of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). In that letter our eyes are focused on the future when God will establish His kingdom. Paul implores there that we as believers show God’s government, that will soon be visible on the earth, already now in our lives.

It is remarkable that Paul starts this chapter with almost the same words as the previous one. But, as you have seen there, after those opening words he first had to speak in some kind of parenthesis about “the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). In chapter 4 he picks up the thread with almost the same words. That stresses once more that chapter 4 connects to chapter 2.

Because of that you also understand that the calling has to do with what has been brought forward in the last part of chapter 2. In the following verses you will see confirmed that it is our calling to keep the unity of the church as body and house. You will surely remember that the unity relates to what Jew and Gentile became together. In the church the distinction between both has disappeared. That was preached by Paul and as a result he became a prisoner.

Presenting himself as a prisoner must have made his appeal to the believers more urgent to heed his admonition. Take notice that he didn’t see himself as a prisoner of Caesar. Neither did he scold the Jews who handed him over, as if it was their fault. No, he saw himself as “the prisoner of the Lord”.

The Lord, to Whom he had dedicated his life and service, directed his life. Paul knew he was in His hand. He would have never landed in prison if the Lord had not allowed that. And when the Lord allows something, He surely has wise purposes. That was the reason Paul had the peace and confidence to adapt himself to the circumstances in which he finds himself. In the same way you and I can learn to look at circumstances and situations in which we may be involved and how to deal with them.

Ephesians 4:2. After his imploring to walk worthy of the calling, he describes in Ephesians 4:2 in what mind this walk should take place. The mind of such a person will be expressed in: all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. The purpose that should be achieved is to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The different characteristics of that unity are summarized in the Ephesians 4:4-6.

The first characteristic is “humility”. Humility doesn’t mean that you think bad about yourself or always speak about your own insignificance. If that was the case, then you yourself are still the center. Humility means that you don’t talk about yourself at all. It indicates the condition of your heart. You are not the one who is important but the Lord and His own are important. It is not about your honor but about His honor.

He, who is really humble, has learnt to renounce himself and to look upon the Lord. Your own person is only really in the background when the Lord comes to the fore. Humility effaces itself to make Christ to be everything. This is how every good communication between believers starts. That’s why ‘all humility’ is first mentioned.

After humility, follows “gentleness”. Just as we have to learn to be humble, we also must learn to be gentle. Therefore our urges and pride need to be judged: our own ‘I’ must be held in death; that means in the death that Christ died, for there we – there I – died. It took Moses forty years before he was ready for that. In those forty years he changed from an irascible man to a humble man (cf. Exodus 2:12 with Numbers 12:3). After that change he could be used by God to lead His people.

He who is humble will be no threat to anyone; he who is gentle doesn’t feel himself threatened by anyone. This was perfectly present in the Lord. He could say: “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He was it, always. That’s why He could precede that phrase by saying ”learn from Me”. We are not humble and gentle by nature, but we can become like that if we want to learn from Him. His offer to learn from Him is still applicable.

Now it can be the case that you by God’s grace have made progress in the classroom of the Lord. But you still have to deal with your brothers and sisters. You may then notice that there are some who want to assert themselves, which can cause that others feel threatened by that and irascibly react to that. How do you have to deal with that? You must learn to deal with that “with patience”.

‘Patience’ or ‘longsuffering’ means ‘to bear for a long time’, that you can put up with your brother or sister for a very long time. So it is about dealing with patience toward your fellow-believer, male or female, by being humble and gentle.

There is a danger that you show this attitude, but that you have the feeling that you’re better than the other. You may have the attitude of someone that has achieved a lofty status, from which you may look down at others who are not that far yet, with contempt. Paul is aware of that danger and therefore adds that we should bear each other in love. You should realize that the three features mentioned, can only flourish when they are rooted in love. Love enables one to bear the other in love, who has not yet fully developed, just as you are not perfect yet.

To see what love does and how it works, you can read 1 Corinthians 13 (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). The features of love mentioned there are those of God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; 16). All His features emerge from that. This is how it was with the Lord Jesus. It should be the same with us, who have received the Lord Jesus as our life.

Now read Ephesians 4:1-2 again.

Reflection: Which characteristics do you need to keep the unity?

Philippians 4:16

To Walk Worthy of the Calling

Ephesians 4:1. The word “therefore” indicates the beginning of a new section. This word is the transition from the primarily doctrinal part to the more practical part. In more of his letters Paul uses the word ‘therefore’ for a transition (Romans 12:1; Colossians 3:1). What matters is that we now put into practice the teaching of the first part of the letter. We are addressed to our responsibility. As important as knowledge is, its purpose is to have its effect in your life and mine.

Paul implores his readers to walk “in a manner worthy of the calling” with which they have been called. If you want to heed what Paul implores, you should know what is meant by this calling. We already came across this word ‘calling’ in chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:18). There it is about our personal blessings. It is not about that calling here. The calling here has to do with what we have read in chapter 2. There we saw that we, together with all saints, have become one body and one house. It is our calling to put that into practice.

In other letters Paul also speaks about ‘to walk worthy’. Just as in the letter to the Ephesians Paul’s imploring to walk worthy there also connects to the teaching given in that letter. To the Philippians Paul says in his letter to them: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). In that letter he writes about his defense of the gospel and the fellowship the Philippians, he wished, should have therein with him. He desires that their conduct in daily life will be in accordance with that.

In Colossians 1 the prayer of Paul is focused on encouraging the Colossians that they “will walk worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10). That meets the purpose of the letter, namely, to focus the hearts of the Colossians on the glorified Lord as the Head of the church.

In 1 Thessalonians 2 it is that the believers “would walk in a manner worthy of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). In that letter our eyes are focused on the future when God will establish His kingdom. Paul implores there that we as believers show God’s government, that will soon be visible on the earth, already now in our lives.

It is remarkable that Paul starts this chapter with almost the same words as the previous one. But, as you have seen there, after those opening words he first had to speak in some kind of parenthesis about “the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). In chapter 4 he picks up the thread with almost the same words. That stresses once more that chapter 4 connects to chapter 2.

Because of that you also understand that the calling has to do with what has been brought forward in the last part of chapter 2. In the following verses you will see confirmed that it is our calling to keep the unity of the church as body and house. You will surely remember that the unity relates to what Jew and Gentile became together. In the church the distinction between both has disappeared. That was preached by Paul and as a result he became a prisoner.

Presenting himself as a prisoner must have made his appeal to the believers more urgent to heed his admonition. Take notice that he didn’t see himself as a prisoner of Caesar. Neither did he scold the Jews who handed him over, as if it was their fault. No, he saw himself as “the prisoner of the Lord”.

The Lord, to Whom he had dedicated his life and service, directed his life. Paul knew he was in His hand. He would have never landed in prison if the Lord had not allowed that. And when the Lord allows something, He surely has wise purposes. That was the reason Paul had the peace and confidence to adapt himself to the circumstances in which he finds himself. In the same way you and I can learn to look at circumstances and situations in which we may be involved and how to deal with them.

Ephesians 4:2. After his imploring to walk worthy of the calling, he describes in Ephesians 4:2 in what mind this walk should take place. The mind of such a person will be expressed in: all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. The purpose that should be achieved is to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The different characteristics of that unity are summarized in the Ephesians 4:4-6.

The first characteristic is “humility”. Humility doesn’t mean that you think bad about yourself or always speak about your own insignificance. If that was the case, then you yourself are still the center. Humility means that you don’t talk about yourself at all. It indicates the condition of your heart. You are not the one who is important but the Lord and His own are important. It is not about your honor but about His honor.

He, who is really humble, has learnt to renounce himself and to look upon the Lord. Your own person is only really in the background when the Lord comes to the fore. Humility effaces itself to make Christ to be everything. This is how every good communication between believers starts. That’s why ‘all humility’ is first mentioned.

After humility, follows “gentleness”. Just as we have to learn to be humble, we also must learn to be gentle. Therefore our urges and pride need to be judged: our own ‘I’ must be held in death; that means in the death that Christ died, for there we – there I – died. It took Moses forty years before he was ready for that. In those forty years he changed from an irascible man to a humble man (cf. Exodus 2:12 with Numbers 12:3). After that change he could be used by God to lead His people.

He who is humble will be no threat to anyone; he who is gentle doesn’t feel himself threatened by anyone. This was perfectly present in the Lord. He could say: “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He was it, always. That’s why He could precede that phrase by saying ”learn from Me”. We are not humble and gentle by nature, but we can become like that if we want to learn from Him. His offer to learn from Him is still applicable.

Now it can be the case that you by God’s grace have made progress in the classroom of the Lord. But you still have to deal with your brothers and sisters. You may then notice that there are some who want to assert themselves, which can cause that others feel threatened by that and irascibly react to that. How do you have to deal with that? You must learn to deal with that “with patience”.

‘Patience’ or ‘longsuffering’ means ‘to bear for a long time’, that you can put up with your brother or sister for a very long time. So it is about dealing with patience toward your fellow-believer, male or female, by being humble and gentle.

There is a danger that you show this attitude, but that you have the feeling that you’re better than the other. You may have the attitude of someone that has achieved a lofty status, from which you may look down at others who are not that far yet, with contempt. Paul is aware of that danger and therefore adds that we should bear each other in love. You should realize that the three features mentioned, can only flourish when they are rooted in love. Love enables one to bear the other in love, who has not yet fully developed, just as you are not perfect yet.

To see what love does and how it works, you can read 1 Corinthians 13 (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). The features of love mentioned there are those of God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; 16). All His features emerge from that. This is how it was with the Lord Jesus. It should be the same with us, who have received the Lord Jesus as our life.

Now read Ephesians 4:1-2 again.

Reflection: Which characteristics do you need to keep the unity?

Philippians 4:17

The Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:3. In the previous verses we saw the features that are necessary to be able to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Now let us take a look at preserving the unity of the Spirit on its own. This is an extremely important element that is often misconceived. It is not said that we should preserve the unity of the body. The unity of the body already exists.

Unfortunately that unity has not been kept in practice. Disagreements among us Christians are the cause of that. We do not follow the Lord Jesus together. For example, everyone has his favorite doctrine or preacher. Our human preference has gotten priority above what God has said in His Word about the church.

Yet as a (local) church, it is possible to show that there is one body. That happens where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved. Therefore the appeal is not to make efforts to preserve the unity of the body, but the unity of the Spirit. There is only one Spirit, Whom all have received who have believed the gospel of their salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:13). Also through that one Spirit the one body has come into being, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12:13). Now all who have received the Spirit are being appealed to preserve the unity of the Spirit. So it is not an appeal to the individual Christian, but it concerns all who belong to the one body.

To walk by the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16; 18) can happen individually, but preserving the unity of the Spirit can only take place together with others. The unity of the Spirit is not just simply a unity in thoughts, a unity that can be acquired by an agreement with each other, sometimes through a compromise. The Spirit has no part in such unity. It is about a unity that we see in the beginning of Christianity. Then they were “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).

That unity has not been preserved, as that of the body hasn’t. Yet we are called here to preserve the unity in the bond of peace, even endeavor to do that, which means to make efforts. We can do that by taking care with our fellow believers not to give room to the flesh. This care came because the flesh, the human mind, has found a way to have influence in preserving the unity of the Spirit.

The activity of the flesh has come to expression in two ways. On the one hand people have formed a unity that is broader than that of the Spirit and on the other hand they have formed a unity that is narrower than that of the Spirit. A unity that is broader than that of the Spirit you find in churches where people are being accepted as Christians when they are not. You find them in churches, where one can be a member without having really been converted and without having a God fearing walk, which is a result of that. People can be a member there through baptism and by confession without having even the slightest change in the heart. There the unity of the Spirit is not being preserved, but a human unity is being formed.

The other side, a unity that is narrower, more limited than that of the Spirit, you see everywhere where believers with a God fearing walk are being refused because they do not consent to rules made by man. You find this in churches and communities where demands are made that the Lord does not command us to do. In practice those demands get more authority than the Word of God, while they are in fact commandments of man.

The unity of the Spirit includes all children of God. The only demand for preserving the unity of the Spirit, you find in 2 Timothy 2 (2 Timothy 2:20-22). There it is said that one must call on the Lord out of a pure heart, what only a true believer can do, and that we must walk in separation of evil. Where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved in this way, the unity of the body can become visible.

I don’t know which denomination you frequent, but here you have a touch stone to judge in which way people are gathering, whether it is or is not according to the will of God. Because this is such an important subject, I have given it a more thorough consideration. More consideration could be given to this, but I think I have mentioned the most important characteristics. It is up to us to apply them.

For a right application Paul yet points to “the bond of peace”. It may be clear that all that is mentioned must happen in peace when we put it into practice. In your diligence you might forget to consider others or you would possibly impose your will on others. In both cases peace is missing. Peace is not so much the absence of quarrels, but it is a kind of making efforts with fellow believers harmoniously to preserve the unity of the Spirit. When peace is the bond in which you show your diligence, you’re doing right.

Ephesians 4:4. In Ephesians 4:4-6 the word “one” appears seven times to present the seven aspects of unity. These seven aspects of unity you can subdivide into three groups. Ephesians 4:4 forms the first group. There it is about true believers, about the inner side of our unity, something we share inwardly: 1. Only true believers form “one body”; 2. only they have the Holy Spirit indwelling, they have “one Spirit”; 3. only they can speak about “one hope” of a calling that came from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To this calling Christian professors (unconverted Christians) have no part. It is about the calling in connection to heaven on which the hope of the believer is set and which will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes back. Then we shall fully enjoy all glorious blessings of which we read in this letter.

Ephesians 4:5. This verse shows the second group. Here it is about the practical unity of the true believers:

1. The world cannot see anything of the inward aspect of Eph 4:4. What they do see, is that the believers live in submission to “one Lord”. He Himself is not visibly present on earth to exercise His government, but His authority is apparent in the life of His servants. Their confession is that they acknowledge Christ as Lord. They serve Him voluntarily before the time comes that everyone will be forced to do so.

2. What also is visible is “one faith” – maybe not so much visible, but rather audible. Those who want to keep the unity of the Spirit, confess one truth of faith, however different they may be among themselves.

3. They also have a totally different position toward the world, which is in contrast to them who belong to the world. That they have shown in “one baptism”. The world can be a witness of somebody being baptized. From baptism goes the testimony that the baptized takes the side of the dead and rejected One, Whom we know as the glorified Lord. Through baptism you are being separated from the world and from a life in sin and you are added to Christ as Lord, in order to walk in newness of life henceforth (Romans 6:1-4).

So baptism is an outward characteristic to which a new kind of walk of life is connected and which is noticeable for the world. It sees the people who are baptized to the Name of the Lord Jesus; people who acknowledge Him as their only Lord and who confess one truth of faith.

By the way, baptism has nothing to do with becoming a member of the body of Christ. You do not become a member of the body of Christ by baptism, but by receiving the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:6. “One God and Father of all” shows us the third aspect of the unity of the Spirit. All true believers have been brought in connection with God as Father and may know Him in that way. The believers have been brought that close to God. At the same time He is also “over all”. After all He is God and we remain creatures. But He works also “through all”. He becomes visible in the life of all His own, He works through them.

Finally, He is also “in all”. I think in John 17 we read the best explanation of what “in all” means. There the Lord Jesus says to the Father: “I in them, and You in Me” (John 17:23) The Lord Jesus is in us, because we have eternal life in the Son (1 John 5:11-12). Because the Son is in us, the Father is also in us. Isn’t that a great thought?

Now read Ephesians 4:3-6 again.

Reflection: What is your contribution in ‘preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’?

Philippians 4:18

The Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:3. In the previous verses we saw the features that are necessary to be able to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Now let us take a look at preserving the unity of the Spirit on its own. This is an extremely important element that is often misconceived. It is not said that we should preserve the unity of the body. The unity of the body already exists.

Unfortunately that unity has not been kept in practice. Disagreements among us Christians are the cause of that. We do not follow the Lord Jesus together. For example, everyone has his favorite doctrine or preacher. Our human preference has gotten priority above what God has said in His Word about the church.

Yet as a (local) church, it is possible to show that there is one body. That happens where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved. Therefore the appeal is not to make efforts to preserve the unity of the body, but the unity of the Spirit. There is only one Spirit, Whom all have received who have believed the gospel of their salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:13). Also through that one Spirit the one body has come into being, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12:13). Now all who have received the Spirit are being appealed to preserve the unity of the Spirit. So it is not an appeal to the individual Christian, but it concerns all who belong to the one body.

To walk by the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16; 18) can happen individually, but preserving the unity of the Spirit can only take place together with others. The unity of the Spirit is not just simply a unity in thoughts, a unity that can be acquired by an agreement with each other, sometimes through a compromise. The Spirit has no part in such unity. It is about a unity that we see in the beginning of Christianity. Then they were “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).

That unity has not been preserved, as that of the body hasn’t. Yet we are called here to preserve the unity in the bond of peace, even endeavor to do that, which means to make efforts. We can do that by taking care with our fellow believers not to give room to the flesh. This care came because the flesh, the human mind, has found a way to have influence in preserving the unity of the Spirit.

The activity of the flesh has come to expression in two ways. On the one hand people have formed a unity that is broader than that of the Spirit and on the other hand they have formed a unity that is narrower than that of the Spirit. A unity that is broader than that of the Spirit you find in churches where people are being accepted as Christians when they are not. You find them in churches, where one can be a member without having really been converted and without having a God fearing walk, which is a result of that. People can be a member there through baptism and by confession without having even the slightest change in the heart. There the unity of the Spirit is not being preserved, but a human unity is being formed.

The other side, a unity that is narrower, more limited than that of the Spirit, you see everywhere where believers with a God fearing walk are being refused because they do not consent to rules made by man. You find this in churches and communities where demands are made that the Lord does not command us to do. In practice those demands get more authority than the Word of God, while they are in fact commandments of man.

The unity of the Spirit includes all children of God. The only demand for preserving the unity of the Spirit, you find in 2 Timothy 2 (2 Timothy 2:20-22). There it is said that one must call on the Lord out of a pure heart, what only a true believer can do, and that we must walk in separation of evil. Where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved in this way, the unity of the body can become visible.

I don’t know which denomination you frequent, but here you have a touch stone to judge in which way people are gathering, whether it is or is not according to the will of God. Because this is such an important subject, I have given it a more thorough consideration. More consideration could be given to this, but I think I have mentioned the most important characteristics. It is up to us to apply them.

For a right application Paul yet points to “the bond of peace”. It may be clear that all that is mentioned must happen in peace when we put it into practice. In your diligence you might forget to consider others or you would possibly impose your will on others. In both cases peace is missing. Peace is not so much the absence of quarrels, but it is a kind of making efforts with fellow believers harmoniously to preserve the unity of the Spirit. When peace is the bond in which you show your diligence, you’re doing right.

Ephesians 4:4. In Ephesians 4:4-6 the word “one” appears seven times to present the seven aspects of unity. These seven aspects of unity you can subdivide into three groups. Ephesians 4:4 forms the first group. There it is about true believers, about the inner side of our unity, something we share inwardly: 1. Only true believers form “one body”; 2. only they have the Holy Spirit indwelling, they have “one Spirit”; 3. only they can speak about “one hope” of a calling that came from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To this calling Christian professors (unconverted Christians) have no part. It is about the calling in connection to heaven on which the hope of the believer is set and which will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes back. Then we shall fully enjoy all glorious blessings of which we read in this letter.

Ephesians 4:5. This verse shows the second group. Here it is about the practical unity of the true believers:

1. The world cannot see anything of the inward aspect of Eph 4:4. What they do see, is that the believers live in submission to “one Lord”. He Himself is not visibly present on earth to exercise His government, but His authority is apparent in the life of His servants. Their confession is that they acknowledge Christ as Lord. They serve Him voluntarily before the time comes that everyone will be forced to do so.

2. What also is visible is “one faith” – maybe not so much visible, but rather audible. Those who want to keep the unity of the Spirit, confess one truth of faith, however different they may be among themselves.

3. They also have a totally different position toward the world, which is in contrast to them who belong to the world. That they have shown in “one baptism”. The world can be a witness of somebody being baptized. From baptism goes the testimony that the baptized takes the side of the dead and rejected One, Whom we know as the glorified Lord. Through baptism you are being separated from the world and from a life in sin and you are added to Christ as Lord, in order to walk in newness of life henceforth (Romans 6:1-4).

So baptism is an outward characteristic to which a new kind of walk of life is connected and which is noticeable for the world. It sees the people who are baptized to the Name of the Lord Jesus; people who acknowledge Him as their only Lord and who confess one truth of faith.

By the way, baptism has nothing to do with becoming a member of the body of Christ. You do not become a member of the body of Christ by baptism, but by receiving the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:6. “One God and Father of all” shows us the third aspect of the unity of the Spirit. All true believers have been brought in connection with God as Father and may know Him in that way. The believers have been brought that close to God. At the same time He is also “over all”. After all He is God and we remain creatures. But He works also “through all”. He becomes visible in the life of all His own, He works through them.

Finally, He is also “in all”. I think in John 17 we read the best explanation of what “in all” means. There the Lord Jesus says to the Father: “I in them, and You in Me” (John 17:23) The Lord Jesus is in us, because we have eternal life in the Son (1 John 5:11-12). Because the Son is in us, the Father is also in us. Isn’t that a great thought?

Now read Ephesians 4:3-6 again.

Reflection: What is your contribution in ‘preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’?

Philippians 4:19

The Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:3. In the previous verses we saw the features that are necessary to be able to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Now let us take a look at preserving the unity of the Spirit on its own. This is an extremely important element that is often misconceived. It is not said that we should preserve the unity of the body. The unity of the body already exists.

Unfortunately that unity has not been kept in practice. Disagreements among us Christians are the cause of that. We do not follow the Lord Jesus together. For example, everyone has his favorite doctrine or preacher. Our human preference has gotten priority above what God has said in His Word about the church.

Yet as a (local) church, it is possible to show that there is one body. That happens where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved. Therefore the appeal is not to make efforts to preserve the unity of the body, but the unity of the Spirit. There is only one Spirit, Whom all have received who have believed the gospel of their salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:13). Also through that one Spirit the one body has come into being, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12:13). Now all who have received the Spirit are being appealed to preserve the unity of the Spirit. So it is not an appeal to the individual Christian, but it concerns all who belong to the one body.

To walk by the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16; 18) can happen individually, but preserving the unity of the Spirit can only take place together with others. The unity of the Spirit is not just simply a unity in thoughts, a unity that can be acquired by an agreement with each other, sometimes through a compromise. The Spirit has no part in such unity. It is about a unity that we see in the beginning of Christianity. Then they were “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).

That unity has not been preserved, as that of the body hasn’t. Yet we are called here to preserve the unity in the bond of peace, even endeavor to do that, which means to make efforts. We can do that by taking care with our fellow believers not to give room to the flesh. This care came because the flesh, the human mind, has found a way to have influence in preserving the unity of the Spirit.

The activity of the flesh has come to expression in two ways. On the one hand people have formed a unity that is broader than that of the Spirit and on the other hand they have formed a unity that is narrower than that of the Spirit. A unity that is broader than that of the Spirit you find in churches where people are being accepted as Christians when they are not. You find them in churches, where one can be a member without having really been converted and without having a God fearing walk, which is a result of that. People can be a member there through baptism and by confession without having even the slightest change in the heart. There the unity of the Spirit is not being preserved, but a human unity is being formed.

The other side, a unity that is narrower, more limited than that of the Spirit, you see everywhere where believers with a God fearing walk are being refused because they do not consent to rules made by man. You find this in churches and communities where demands are made that the Lord does not command us to do. In practice those demands get more authority than the Word of God, while they are in fact commandments of man.

The unity of the Spirit includes all children of God. The only demand for preserving the unity of the Spirit, you find in 2 Timothy 2 (2 Timothy 2:20-22). There it is said that one must call on the Lord out of a pure heart, what only a true believer can do, and that we must walk in separation of evil. Where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved in this way, the unity of the body can become visible.

I don’t know which denomination you frequent, but here you have a touch stone to judge in which way people are gathering, whether it is or is not according to the will of God. Because this is such an important subject, I have given it a more thorough consideration. More consideration could be given to this, but I think I have mentioned the most important characteristics. It is up to us to apply them.

For a right application Paul yet points to “the bond of peace”. It may be clear that all that is mentioned must happen in peace when we put it into practice. In your diligence you might forget to consider others or you would possibly impose your will on others. In both cases peace is missing. Peace is not so much the absence of quarrels, but it is a kind of making efforts with fellow believers harmoniously to preserve the unity of the Spirit. When peace is the bond in which you show your diligence, you’re doing right.

Ephesians 4:4. In Ephesians 4:4-6 the word “one” appears seven times to present the seven aspects of unity. These seven aspects of unity you can subdivide into three groups. Ephesians 4:4 forms the first group. There it is about true believers, about the inner side of our unity, something we share inwardly: 1. Only true believers form “one body”; 2. only they have the Holy Spirit indwelling, they have “one Spirit”; 3. only they can speak about “one hope” of a calling that came from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To this calling Christian professors (unconverted Christians) have no part. It is about the calling in connection to heaven on which the hope of the believer is set and which will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes back. Then we shall fully enjoy all glorious blessings of which we read in this letter.

Ephesians 4:5. This verse shows the second group. Here it is about the practical unity of the true believers:

1. The world cannot see anything of the inward aspect of Eph 4:4. What they do see, is that the believers live in submission to “one Lord”. He Himself is not visibly present on earth to exercise His government, but His authority is apparent in the life of His servants. Their confession is that they acknowledge Christ as Lord. They serve Him voluntarily before the time comes that everyone will be forced to do so.

2. What also is visible is “one faith” – maybe not so much visible, but rather audible. Those who want to keep the unity of the Spirit, confess one truth of faith, however different they may be among themselves.

3. They also have a totally different position toward the world, which is in contrast to them who belong to the world. That they have shown in “one baptism”. The world can be a witness of somebody being baptized. From baptism goes the testimony that the baptized takes the side of the dead and rejected One, Whom we know as the glorified Lord. Through baptism you are being separated from the world and from a life in sin and you are added to Christ as Lord, in order to walk in newness of life henceforth (Romans 6:1-4).

So baptism is an outward characteristic to which a new kind of walk of life is connected and which is noticeable for the world. It sees the people who are baptized to the Name of the Lord Jesus; people who acknowledge Him as their only Lord and who confess one truth of faith.

By the way, baptism has nothing to do with becoming a member of the body of Christ. You do not become a member of the body of Christ by baptism, but by receiving the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:6. “One God and Father of all” shows us the third aspect of the unity of the Spirit. All true believers have been brought in connection with God as Father and may know Him in that way. The believers have been brought that close to God. At the same time He is also “over all”. After all He is God and we remain creatures. But He works also “through all”. He becomes visible in the life of all His own, He works through them.

Finally, He is also “in all”. I think in John 17 we read the best explanation of what “in all” means. There the Lord Jesus says to the Father: “I in them, and You in Me” (John 17:23) The Lord Jesus is in us, because we have eternal life in the Son (1 John 5:11-12). Because the Son is in us, the Father is also in us. Isn’t that a great thought?

Now read Ephesians 4:3-6 again.

Reflection: What is your contribution in ‘preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’?

Philippians 4:20

The Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:3. In the previous verses we saw the features that are necessary to be able to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Now let us take a look at preserving the unity of the Spirit on its own. This is an extremely important element that is often misconceived. It is not said that we should preserve the unity of the body. The unity of the body already exists.

Unfortunately that unity has not been kept in practice. Disagreements among us Christians are the cause of that. We do not follow the Lord Jesus together. For example, everyone has his favorite doctrine or preacher. Our human preference has gotten priority above what God has said in His Word about the church.

Yet as a (local) church, it is possible to show that there is one body. That happens where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved. Therefore the appeal is not to make efforts to preserve the unity of the body, but the unity of the Spirit. There is only one Spirit, Whom all have received who have believed the gospel of their salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:13). Also through that one Spirit the one body has come into being, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12:13). Now all who have received the Spirit are being appealed to preserve the unity of the Spirit. So it is not an appeal to the individual Christian, but it concerns all who belong to the one body.

To walk by the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16; 18) can happen individually, but preserving the unity of the Spirit can only take place together with others. The unity of the Spirit is not just simply a unity in thoughts, a unity that can be acquired by an agreement with each other, sometimes through a compromise. The Spirit has no part in such unity. It is about a unity that we see in the beginning of Christianity. Then they were “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).

That unity has not been preserved, as that of the body hasn’t. Yet we are called here to preserve the unity in the bond of peace, even endeavor to do that, which means to make efforts. We can do that by taking care with our fellow believers not to give room to the flesh. This care came because the flesh, the human mind, has found a way to have influence in preserving the unity of the Spirit.

The activity of the flesh has come to expression in two ways. On the one hand people have formed a unity that is broader than that of the Spirit and on the other hand they have formed a unity that is narrower than that of the Spirit. A unity that is broader than that of the Spirit you find in churches where people are being accepted as Christians when they are not. You find them in churches, where one can be a member without having really been converted and without having a God fearing walk, which is a result of that. People can be a member there through baptism and by confession without having even the slightest change in the heart. There the unity of the Spirit is not being preserved, but a human unity is being formed.

The other side, a unity that is narrower, more limited than that of the Spirit, you see everywhere where believers with a God fearing walk are being refused because they do not consent to rules made by man. You find this in churches and communities where demands are made that the Lord does not command us to do. In practice those demands get more authority than the Word of God, while they are in fact commandments of man.

The unity of the Spirit includes all children of God. The only demand for preserving the unity of the Spirit, you find in 2 Timothy 2 (2 Timothy 2:20-22). There it is said that one must call on the Lord out of a pure heart, what only a true believer can do, and that we must walk in separation of evil. Where the unity of the Spirit is being preserved in this way, the unity of the body can become visible.

I don’t know which denomination you frequent, but here you have a touch stone to judge in which way people are gathering, whether it is or is not according to the will of God. Because this is such an important subject, I have given it a more thorough consideration. More consideration could be given to this, but I think I have mentioned the most important characteristics. It is up to us to apply them.

For a right application Paul yet points to “the bond of peace”. It may be clear that all that is mentioned must happen in peace when we put it into practice. In your diligence you might forget to consider others or you would possibly impose your will on others. In both cases peace is missing. Peace is not so much the absence of quarrels, but it is a kind of making efforts with fellow believers harmoniously to preserve the unity of the Spirit. When peace is the bond in which you show your diligence, you’re doing right.

Ephesians 4:4. In Ephesians 4:4-6 the word “one” appears seven times to present the seven aspects of unity. These seven aspects of unity you can subdivide into three groups. Ephesians 4:4 forms the first group. There it is about true believers, about the inner side of our unity, something we share inwardly: 1. Only true believers form “one body”; 2. only they have the Holy Spirit indwelling, they have “one Spirit”; 3. only they can speak about “one hope” of a calling that came from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To this calling Christian professors (unconverted Christians) have no part. It is about the calling in connection to heaven on which the hope of the believer is set and which will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes back. Then we shall fully enjoy all glorious blessings of which we read in this letter.

Ephesians 4:5. This verse shows the second group. Here it is about the practical unity of the true believers:

1. The world cannot see anything of the inward aspect of Eph 4:4. What they do see, is that the believers live in submission to “one Lord”. He Himself is not visibly present on earth to exercise His government, but His authority is apparent in the life of His servants. Their confession is that they acknowledge Christ as Lord. They serve Him voluntarily before the time comes that everyone will be forced to do so.

2. What also is visible is “one faith” – maybe not so much visible, but rather audible. Those who want to keep the unity of the Spirit, confess one truth of faith, however different they may be among themselves.

3. They also have a totally different position toward the world, which is in contrast to them who belong to the world. That they have shown in “one baptism”. The world can be a witness of somebody being baptized. From baptism goes the testimony that the baptized takes the side of the dead and rejected One, Whom we know as the glorified Lord. Through baptism you are being separated from the world and from a life in sin and you are added to Christ as Lord, in order to walk in newness of life henceforth (Romans 6:1-4).

So baptism is an outward characteristic to which a new kind of walk of life is connected and which is noticeable for the world. It sees the people who are baptized to the Name of the Lord Jesus; people who acknowledge Him as their only Lord and who confess one truth of faith.

By the way, baptism has nothing to do with becoming a member of the body of Christ. You do not become a member of the body of Christ by baptism, but by receiving the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:6. “One God and Father of all” shows us the third aspect of the unity of the Spirit. All true believers have been brought in connection with God as Father and may know Him in that way. The believers have been brought that close to God. At the same time He is also “over all”. After all He is God and we remain creatures. But He works also “through all”. He becomes visible in the life of all His own, He works through them.

Finally, He is also “in all”. I think in John 17 we read the best explanation of what “in all” means. There the Lord Jesus says to the Father: “I in them, and You in Me” (John 17:23) The Lord Jesus is in us, because we have eternal life in the Son (1 John 5:11-12). Because the Son is in us, the Father is also in us. Isn’t that a great thought?

Now read Ephesians 4:3-6 again.

Reflection: What is your contribution in ‘preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’?

Philippians 4:21

Christ’s Gift

Ephesians 4:7. In the previous verses the unity of the church has been highlighted. Now you are going to see the other side. Within the church each member has his own unique task. Every member has his own specific function and each separate function is meant to let the whole body function as a harmonious unity.

Now it is not said here that a gift is given to us, but that “grace” is given to us. I think that in this way the emphasis is more on what is needed for you to fulfill your function than on the function itself. You may be aware of the fact that you have a function in the body, but you must also be aware of being dependent on the necessary grace to exercise that function. Well, you may know that the grace is there already, you don’t have to wait for it. You may start right away. And you also have received the exact measure of grace that you need to exercise your gift. It has been measured by Christ precisely. He is the One Who gives grace.

Ephesians 4:8. In Ephesians 4:8-10 Christ is put one more time in the spotlight. Who is He, Who distributes this grace and does that with the exact measure? He is the One, Who has thoroughly defeated the enemy. He is the One, Who is above all and all things as a result of that. He is the One, Who distributes gifts to the members of His body from that position.

Let us first take a look at the victory that is described in Ephesians 4:8. This verse is introduced by the word “therefore” and is followed by a quotation that comes from Psalms 68 (Psalms 68:18). At first sight it may seem strange that Paul quotes a verse from the Old Testament to illustrate his teachings. In the Old Testament there is no mention of the church at all, is there? He discussed that issue in detail in the previous chapter, didn’t he? That is right, but in the Old Testament Christ is being spoken of, and with reference to Him Paul quotes this verse.

The word ‘therefore’ indicates that the quotation from Psalms 68 is meant as a confirmation of Eph 4:7. In that verse it is about Christ as the Giver. Ephesians 4:8 emphasizes both the place from where He gives, “on high”, and what He has done so that He could give, “He led captive a host of captives” or “He led captivity captive”.

Psalms 68 is a victory psalm. There you read how the LORD (Yahweh) scatters His enemies and puts them to flight. Kings, who were rebellious against Him, perish in front of His face. To His oppressed people God’s action means deliverance. That’s why they celebrate. This scene foresees the beginning of the millennial realm of peace.

Paul quotes this psalm because he knows that the victory that will be publicly seen then, is now already a reality for faith. The Lord Jesus has gone through death; after that He rose and “He ascended on high”. The word ‘ascended’ makes you taste Divine power, the majesty of the Conqueror. That He has “led captive a host of captives” means that He has disempowered everything that brought men into captivity. As you read in Hebrews 2: “That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14b-15). He has conquered the power of sin, death, world and flesh for all who belong to Him.

But He did not only deliver them, He also gave them gifts. First, God gave Him gifts in reward for His victory. In His turn Christ gives the gifts to all who partake of His victory and those are we. The gifts come from One Who has triumphed and is in heaven now. In Ephesians 4:8 we see the Conqueror Who ascends on high in triumph. And His victory is great, as He not only defeated him, who kept us in captivity, but also his whole government machinery, everything that served him. Also we, who were in captivity, have been set free. Therefore He can also give us gifts.

Ephesians 4:9. This verse makes clear how the victory happened. It happened because He descended to earth and not only to earth, but into the lower parts of it, which means in death. If He had only come to earth, He couldn’t lead the captivity captive. He had to descend into death, into the grave. It is the victory of Someone, Who entered the lion’s den, Who went through death and emerged from it as Triumphant.

He showed that He is above the power of satan. All who are connected to Him and are partakers of His work on the cross, are also partakers of its results. With Him they are delivered from the power of death and are seated in Him in the heavenly places. This only concerns the believers. As far as the unbelievers are concerned, they are still under the power of sin and death.

“Descended into the lower parts of the earth” doesn’t mean ‘descended into hell’, as if the Lord Jesus had been in hell. This is included in the Dutch confession of faith, but not in the Bible. It can surely be said that the Lord Jesus underwent the judgment of God when He was judged because of our sins. Had He not done that, then we would have been eternally condemned to hell under the wrath of God. The judgment He underwent was surely not less than what our part would have been in hell.

Ephesians 4:10. He didn’t stay into those ‘lower parts of the earth’. He, after He triumphed, is highly exalted “above all the heavens” with the purpose “that He might fill all things” (cf. Jeremiah 23:24). There is no depth too deep or He has been there. There is no height too high or He is exalted above it.

‘Above all heavens’ is a remarkable expression. It is, as it were, the superlative of exaltation. In Mark 16 you read about the first exaltation (Mark 16:19). There He, the true Servant, “is received up into heaven”. In Hebrews 4 you see the second, higher, exaltation (Hebrews 4:14). There He is the great High Priest “Who has passed through the heavens”. In our verse He is the triumphing Man Who has ascended “far above all the heavens”. This is the third exaltation, the superlative, the all-transcending exaltation.

He will fill all things with His presence. That reminds us of what we read in chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:23). The difference is that there it is about Him as God, while here it is about Him as Man. It makes clear that it is about one Person Who is both God and Man. Incomprehensible and inexplicable for human intellect, but faith ‘worships and bows down’.

The glory of His Person is unfathomable and unsearchable. It invites you to be occupied with that Person and to enjoy Him more and more and to admire Him. In eternity there will be no place in heaven or on earth where His glory will not be visible. Then there will be no room for anything else. It is Him and Him only. What He will be then may be already reality for the heart of each one who is connected to Him. The Holy Spirit wants to focus our heart on Him. How He does that, you will see in the following verses.

Now read Ephesians 4:7-10 again.

Reflection: Tell in your own words what you see of the greatness of the Lord Jesus in these verses.

Philippians 4:22

Christ’s Gift

Ephesians 4:7. In the previous verses the unity of the church has been highlighted. Now you are going to see the other side. Within the church each member has his own unique task. Every member has his own specific function and each separate function is meant to let the whole body function as a harmonious unity.

Now it is not said here that a gift is given to us, but that “grace” is given to us. I think that in this way the emphasis is more on what is needed for you to fulfill your function than on the function itself. You may be aware of the fact that you have a function in the body, but you must also be aware of being dependent on the necessary grace to exercise that function. Well, you may know that the grace is there already, you don’t have to wait for it. You may start right away. And you also have received the exact measure of grace that you need to exercise your gift. It has been measured by Christ precisely. He is the One Who gives grace.

Ephesians 4:8. In Ephesians 4:8-10 Christ is put one more time in the spotlight. Who is He, Who distributes this grace and does that with the exact measure? He is the One, Who has thoroughly defeated the enemy. He is the One, Who is above all and all things as a result of that. He is the One, Who distributes gifts to the members of His body from that position.

Let us first take a look at the victory that is described in Ephesians 4:8. This verse is introduced by the word “therefore” and is followed by a quotation that comes from Psalms 68 (Psalms 68:18). At first sight it may seem strange that Paul quotes a verse from the Old Testament to illustrate his teachings. In the Old Testament there is no mention of the church at all, is there? He discussed that issue in detail in the previous chapter, didn’t he? That is right, but in the Old Testament Christ is being spoken of, and with reference to Him Paul quotes this verse.

The word ‘therefore’ indicates that the quotation from Psalms 68 is meant as a confirmation of Eph 4:7. In that verse it is about Christ as the Giver. Ephesians 4:8 emphasizes both the place from where He gives, “on high”, and what He has done so that He could give, “He led captive a host of captives” or “He led captivity captive”.

Psalms 68 is a victory psalm. There you read how the LORD (Yahweh) scatters His enemies and puts them to flight. Kings, who were rebellious against Him, perish in front of His face. To His oppressed people God’s action means deliverance. That’s why they celebrate. This scene foresees the beginning of the millennial realm of peace.

Paul quotes this psalm because he knows that the victory that will be publicly seen then, is now already a reality for faith. The Lord Jesus has gone through death; after that He rose and “He ascended on high”. The word ‘ascended’ makes you taste Divine power, the majesty of the Conqueror. That He has “led captive a host of captives” means that He has disempowered everything that brought men into captivity. As you read in Hebrews 2: “That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14b-15). He has conquered the power of sin, death, world and flesh for all who belong to Him.

But He did not only deliver them, He also gave them gifts. First, God gave Him gifts in reward for His victory. In His turn Christ gives the gifts to all who partake of His victory and those are we. The gifts come from One Who has triumphed and is in heaven now. In Ephesians 4:8 we see the Conqueror Who ascends on high in triumph. And His victory is great, as He not only defeated him, who kept us in captivity, but also his whole government machinery, everything that served him. Also we, who were in captivity, have been set free. Therefore He can also give us gifts.

Ephesians 4:9. This verse makes clear how the victory happened. It happened because He descended to earth and not only to earth, but into the lower parts of it, which means in death. If He had only come to earth, He couldn’t lead the captivity captive. He had to descend into death, into the grave. It is the victory of Someone, Who entered the lion’s den, Who went through death and emerged from it as Triumphant.

He showed that He is above the power of satan. All who are connected to Him and are partakers of His work on the cross, are also partakers of its results. With Him they are delivered from the power of death and are seated in Him in the heavenly places. This only concerns the believers. As far as the unbelievers are concerned, they are still under the power of sin and death.

“Descended into the lower parts of the earth” doesn’t mean ‘descended into hell’, as if the Lord Jesus had been in hell. This is included in the Dutch confession of faith, but not in the Bible. It can surely be said that the Lord Jesus underwent the judgment of God when He was judged because of our sins. Had He not done that, then we would have been eternally condemned to hell under the wrath of God. The judgment He underwent was surely not less than what our part would have been in hell.

Ephesians 4:10. He didn’t stay into those ‘lower parts of the earth’. He, after He triumphed, is highly exalted “above all the heavens” with the purpose “that He might fill all things” (cf. Jeremiah 23:24). There is no depth too deep or He has been there. There is no height too high or He is exalted above it.

‘Above all heavens’ is a remarkable expression. It is, as it were, the superlative of exaltation. In Mark 16 you read about the first exaltation (Mark 16:19). There He, the true Servant, “is received up into heaven”. In Hebrews 4 you see the second, higher, exaltation (Hebrews 4:14). There He is the great High Priest “Who has passed through the heavens”. In our verse He is the triumphing Man Who has ascended “far above all the heavens”. This is the third exaltation, the superlative, the all-transcending exaltation.

He will fill all things with His presence. That reminds us of what we read in chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:23). The difference is that there it is about Him as God, while here it is about Him as Man. It makes clear that it is about one Person Who is both God and Man. Incomprehensible and inexplicable for human intellect, but faith ‘worships and bows down’.

The glory of His Person is unfathomable and unsearchable. It invites you to be occupied with that Person and to enjoy Him more and more and to admire Him. In eternity there will be no place in heaven or on earth where His glory will not be visible. Then there will be no room for anything else. It is Him and Him only. What He will be then may be already reality for the heart of each one who is connected to Him. The Holy Spirit wants to focus our heart on Him. How He does that, you will see in the following verses.

Now read Ephesians 4:7-10 again.

Reflection: Tell in your own words what you see of the greatness of the Lord Jesus in these verses.

Philippians 4:23

Christ’s Gift

Ephesians 4:7. In the previous verses the unity of the church has been highlighted. Now you are going to see the other side. Within the church each member has his own unique task. Every member has his own specific function and each separate function is meant to let the whole body function as a harmonious unity.

Now it is not said here that a gift is given to us, but that “grace” is given to us. I think that in this way the emphasis is more on what is needed for you to fulfill your function than on the function itself. You may be aware of the fact that you have a function in the body, but you must also be aware of being dependent on the necessary grace to exercise that function. Well, you may know that the grace is there already, you don’t have to wait for it. You may start right away. And you also have received the exact measure of grace that you need to exercise your gift. It has been measured by Christ precisely. He is the One Who gives grace.

Ephesians 4:8. In Ephesians 4:8-10 Christ is put one more time in the spotlight. Who is He, Who distributes this grace and does that with the exact measure? He is the One, Who has thoroughly defeated the enemy. He is the One, Who is above all and all things as a result of that. He is the One, Who distributes gifts to the members of His body from that position.

Let us first take a look at the victory that is described in Ephesians 4:8. This verse is introduced by the word “therefore” and is followed by a quotation that comes from Psalms 68 (Psalms 68:18). At first sight it may seem strange that Paul quotes a verse from the Old Testament to illustrate his teachings. In the Old Testament there is no mention of the church at all, is there? He discussed that issue in detail in the previous chapter, didn’t he? That is right, but in the Old Testament Christ is being spoken of, and with reference to Him Paul quotes this verse.

The word ‘therefore’ indicates that the quotation from Psalms 68 is meant as a confirmation of Eph 4:7. In that verse it is about Christ as the Giver. Ephesians 4:8 emphasizes both the place from where He gives, “on high”, and what He has done so that He could give, “He led captive a host of captives” or “He led captivity captive”.

Psalms 68 is a victory psalm. There you read how the LORD (Yahweh) scatters His enemies and puts them to flight. Kings, who were rebellious against Him, perish in front of His face. To His oppressed people God’s action means deliverance. That’s why they celebrate. This scene foresees the beginning of the millennial realm of peace.

Paul quotes this psalm because he knows that the victory that will be publicly seen then, is now already a reality for faith. The Lord Jesus has gone through death; after that He rose and “He ascended on high”. The word ‘ascended’ makes you taste Divine power, the majesty of the Conqueror. That He has “led captive a host of captives” means that He has disempowered everything that brought men into captivity. As you read in Hebrews 2: “That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14b-15). He has conquered the power of sin, death, world and flesh for all who belong to Him.

But He did not only deliver them, He also gave them gifts. First, God gave Him gifts in reward for His victory. In His turn Christ gives the gifts to all who partake of His victory and those are we. The gifts come from One Who has triumphed and is in heaven now. In Ephesians 4:8 we see the Conqueror Who ascends on high in triumph. And His victory is great, as He not only defeated him, who kept us in captivity, but also his whole government machinery, everything that served him. Also we, who were in captivity, have been set free. Therefore He can also give us gifts.

Ephesians 4:9. This verse makes clear how the victory happened. It happened because He descended to earth and not only to earth, but into the lower parts of it, which means in death. If He had only come to earth, He couldn’t lead the captivity captive. He had to descend into death, into the grave. It is the victory of Someone, Who entered the lion’s den, Who went through death and emerged from it as Triumphant.

He showed that He is above the power of satan. All who are connected to Him and are partakers of His work on the cross, are also partakers of its results. With Him they are delivered from the power of death and are seated in Him in the heavenly places. This only concerns the believers. As far as the unbelievers are concerned, they are still under the power of sin and death.

“Descended into the lower parts of the earth” doesn’t mean ‘descended into hell’, as if the Lord Jesus had been in hell. This is included in the Dutch confession of faith, but not in the Bible. It can surely be said that the Lord Jesus underwent the judgment of God when He was judged because of our sins. Had He not done that, then we would have been eternally condemned to hell under the wrath of God. The judgment He underwent was surely not less than what our part would have been in hell.

Ephesians 4:10. He didn’t stay into those ‘lower parts of the earth’. He, after He triumphed, is highly exalted “above all the heavens” with the purpose “that He might fill all things” (cf. Jeremiah 23:24). There is no depth too deep or He has been there. There is no height too high or He is exalted above it.

‘Above all heavens’ is a remarkable expression. It is, as it were, the superlative of exaltation. In Mark 16 you read about the first exaltation (Mark 16:19). There He, the true Servant, “is received up into heaven”. In Hebrews 4 you see the second, higher, exaltation (Hebrews 4:14). There He is the great High Priest “Who has passed through the heavens”. In our verse He is the triumphing Man Who has ascended “far above all the heavens”. This is the third exaltation, the superlative, the all-transcending exaltation.

He will fill all things with His presence. That reminds us of what we read in chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:23). The difference is that there it is about Him as God, while here it is about Him as Man. It makes clear that it is about one Person Who is both God and Man. Incomprehensible and inexplicable for human intellect, but faith ‘worships and bows down’.

The glory of His Person is unfathomable and unsearchable. It invites you to be occupied with that Person and to enjoy Him more and more and to admire Him. In eternity there will be no place in heaven or on earth where His glory will not be visible. Then there will be no room for anything else. It is Him and Him only. What He will be then may be already reality for the heart of each one who is connected to Him. The Holy Spirit wants to focus our heart on Him. How He does that, you will see in the following verses.

Now read Ephesians 4:7-10 again.

Reflection: Tell in your own words what you see of the greatness of the Lord Jesus in these verses.