Tomorrow morning I am preaching out of Ephesians 3:14-21. I've been listening to and studying this hyper-text all week. What a joy!
Verses 20-21 read:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to
him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for
ever and ever! Amen.
This is the language of superabundance. It comes out of Paul’s experience of
superabundance.
In verse 19 the love of Christ is beyond understanding (superabundant), and in verse 20 the
activity of God is beyond expectation or thought (superabundant).
God
does not fit the limitations of our expectations. We read in Isaiah 55:8-9:
8 “For
my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
I like how Ben Witherington writes of the superabundant reality of God. He writes:
“God can
always do much more above and beyond whatever we could ever conceive or ask,
and the amazing thing is that his power already dwells within the believer, and
that is the means by which God is said to accomplish such things. This likely means
that by the indwelling Spirit God helps, heals, reveals, strengthens, and
causes to grow.” (BW, , 277)
