"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might befilled with all the fulness of God." EPHESIANS 3:16-19
HOW REMARKABLE are the prayers of Paul! He used to pray for individuals whom he loved by name. Without ceasing, the names of Timothy and Philemon were upon his heart, 2 Timothy 1:3; Philippians 4. He prayed for believers whom he had never seen, Colossians 1:9, 2:1. He prayed for all true saints, Ephesians 6:18, 24. He wrestled with continual sorrow of heart for the Jews, Romans 9:1, 10:1. In how remarkable a manner he prayed, "without ceasing", "day and night", "with joy", "with thanksgiving", with humility "bowing his knees". How large were his requests! He opens his mouth wide, that God may fill it. In Romans 15:13 he prays: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. " In I Thessalonians 5:23 he prays: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly," etc. So in these words he asks for amazing gifts. God only can fully comprehend the vast meaning of such a prayer. The words of man seem to be too narrow to express his large desires. These are "groanings that cannot be uttered", the intercession of the Spirit through the mind and heart of Paul. None but God could answer it.
O that all ministers could pray like Paul. Probably no man ever lived who was the means of saving so many souls as Paul. Probably no minister was ever made the instrument of bringing his people to such a height of holiness as Paul. How was this? Look at his prayers for an answer. Consider their frequency, their urgency, their vastness. It was on his knees Paul fought the good fight of faith, and obtained grace for his own soul, and for all the churches. Such a man would be a blessing to the whole world. "O Lord, teach us to pray." There are three principal petitions here, each one growing out of the other.
1. Consider the last petition, verse 19, "That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God". This is the sum and end of all his prayers for them. Indeed it is the chief end of man. The great object of the gospel is to bring poor empty sinners to be filled with all the fulness of God, to be like an empty vessel cast into a vast ocean, to be filled with all the fulness of his love, of his presence, of his Spirit, of his joy, of his likeness. This Adam would have been had he persevered in holiness. This we become when united to Christ, and shall be to all eternity. This David panted after, "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2). This David, in some measure, enjoyed: "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth whom I desire beside thee" (Psalm 73:25). Certain it is that the believer's God can draw near, and reveal Himself, and fill the soul in a way that worldly men never thought of He can fill the heart with a sense of His love. One dear Christian could say, "My soul hath been compassed about with the terrors of death, the sorrows of hell were upon me, and a wilderness of woe was in me, but blessed, blessed, blessed be the Lord my God, He hath brought me to a place of rest, even to the sweet running waters of life". Another dear Christian, of whom President Edwards writes, experienced such clear and lively views of Christ that "her soul did, as it were, swim in the rays of Christ's love like a little mote swimming in the beams of the sun that come in at a window". The same person, speaking upon the most deliberate consideration, could say, that "what was enjoyed in a single minute of the whole space, which was many hours, was worth more than all the outward comfort and pleasure of the whole life put together". O! that Christians now were filled with these drops of the fulness of God. He can fill the soul with His holiness. A natural man has not a spark of God's holiness. He may be pleasant, amiable, and of a natural integrity, but he has none of the "living water". The moment a soul is united to Christ, the same Holy Spirit who dwells in the bosom of the Father dwells also in him. "I will put my Spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:27). The believer becomes "a partaker of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). He becomes "a partaker of his holiness" (Hebrews 12: 10). He does not become as holy as God, but the same stream that flows through the divine bosom flows through the soul that is one with Jesus. O to be holy as He is holy, blessed as He is blessed, pure as Christ is pure. O to be filled with all the fulness of God.
2. Consider the second petition, verses 17-19, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge". This appears to be one vast petition expressed twice over, that they may have a calm, abiding, realizing view of Christ and His love. If any man were to ask, How shall I come to be filled with the fulness of God? The answer will be found in this prayer; you must come first to an abiding believing knowledge of "the love of Christ which passeth knowledge". Keep the eye of faith continually fixed on Jesus, on His glorious person, "fairer than the children of men"; on Jesus your Prophet, having "the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to them that are weary"; on Jesus your Priest, "through the eternal Spirit offering himself, without spot unto God", - on Jesus your King, reigning from sea to sea in the hearts of His own, and winning many crowns in the conversion of sinners. Behold Him, behold Him. Keep your eye and heart upon Him, keep the arms of faith around Him, so "that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith". A tree takes a firm hold of the ground by its thousand roots; the winds shake but cannot remove it, so let your heart "be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ", then you may calmly view the vastness of that love.
When a man is first awakened he does not know much of his sin, and cannot know much of the love of Christ; but when rooted and grounded in Christ, and the Spirit breathes in the heart, he then begins to comprehend with all saints, and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge. Observe "the breadth and length of it": "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). Compare Leviticus 16:22. So broad and so long is the love of Jesus. Observe the depth of it: "He being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself," etc. (Philippians 2:6). Measure from the throne of glory to the cross of Calvary, or to the rocky sepulchre - so deep was the love of Christ. Observe the height of it: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne" (Revelation 3:21). Measure how far it is from the lowest hell to the throne to which Christ will raise us; so high was the love of Christ. "It passeth knowledge". It is like a vast ocean, and our heart is like a little creek upon the shore; we embrace the ocean, but we cannot measure it; we shall know more of it in eternity; we never shall know it all, for "it passeth knowledge"; and it gives "a peace that passeth all understanding".
3. Observe the first petition, verse 16. "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" . If any man were to ask, How shall I come to that abiding believing knowledge of the love of Christ? The answer is to be found in this petition. The Father must grant you His free Spirit. Every word is precious – "That he would grant you". The gift of the Spirit at first is of free grace. When He breathes on the dry bones in the open valley, it is of freest mercy. And so every further work of the Spirit on the heart is of free grace. O what need have we to pray, "Cast me not from thy presence, neither take thy Holy Spirit away from me".
But has God enough to supply our need? Yes, He has "riches of his glory", unsearchable riches. Just as He has inexhaustible treasures of rain and dew to water every green herb, so He has infinite treasures o the part all ready to be poured into the hearts of His needy people. But what will His Spirit do for me? "He will strengthen you with might in the inner man." Your eye is dim, and cannot see afar off. He will anoint it that you may see the King in His beauty. Your heart is dead and stony. He will quicken and soften it that eternal things may impress you. Your faith is like a bruised reed. He will strengthen you with might, so that you shall hold Christ, and not let Him go. It is true of the Spirit as of the Father, that "he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength".