Strengthened with Might
How strong do you want to be? Some men have a desire to be able to bench press their body weight. Maybe you just want to be able to lift boxes and move things. Others train to have a heart that is strong enough to run a marathon. My main goal is to be strong enough for as long as possible to walk and play golf and play some basketball.
Maybe your workout requires that you lift weights. Maybe you need to walk, jog, or run. Other workouts might include pushups and pull-ups. There are workouts that are based on using very large rubber bands to produce strength through stretching them. Squats and leg presses keep legs strong as the years pass.
Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 included his desire for the Christians in Ephesus “…to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…” He emphasized the importance and intensity of his desire for these Christians as he tied strength and might together.
There is only one source for that kind of power. There is only one place for that kind of power to reside effectively. Paul continues in the verse identifying the source for this power, “…through the Spirit…” and the place where it will reside “…in the inner man…”
Real strength is available for anyone. The Spirit of God brings that strength when He comes to live within the heart of a person. And, when that person allows the Spirit full access to his life through His word, the power is almost unimaginable!
What part does the local congregation play in strengthening each member of that congregation? This same text provides some ways that this can be done. The universal church is the focus in this text. “For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…” (Ephesians 3:14-15).
The commonality of a shared faith strengthens each one (verse 17). This shared faith provides a rooting and a grounding because they are a part of a community of people all of whom are determined to follow faithfully the One after Whom they are named.
This community provides opportunities for comprehending “what is the width and length and depth and height” (verse 18). Their shared faith represents a wealth of personal knowledge. Everyone has some knowledge and no one has all knowledge. The community, though, has a storehouse of knowledge that can be shared with everyone.
This is also a community of love. The sharing with each other the love of Christ leads all to know “the fullness of God” (verse 18). When each one loves with the love of Christ, this fullness of God becomes real in the lives of each one who loves and who is loved.
Finally, when the church strengthens each one in the community, God receives the glory. Paul closes this section with these words, “…to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (verse 21). May we be a church that makes strengthening of each member a top priority!
— Mike Johnson
