Useful Bible Studies > Ephesians Commentary > chapter 3
The first Christians often ended their prayers with words to give glory (honour) to God. Some examples are Philippians 4:20, 1 Timothy 1:17, and Jude 24-25.
Here, Paul describes God as the great provider, who works powerfully in the lives of his people. We pray for what we know – but we do not even understand properly the circumstances of our own lives. However, God is working for the benefit of his people in situations about which they know nothing (Romans 8:28). He provides for them beyond anything that they can ask or think (see Romans 8:26).
Even as Christ’s love for his people has no limit (3:19), so God’s power to help them has no limit (1:19). This is the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Even as the Holy Spirit brought life to Christ’s dead body, so the same Spirit works in the lives of God’s people (Romans 8:11). Every Christian can know both God’s love and his power in their own lives. God is working in the lives of all of his people, to bring them into a mature relationship with him (4:13).
God’s love and power have no limit; so therefore the glory (honour) he receives should also be without limit. Especially, the church should give God glory – the ‘church’ is Paul’s word for all those people who have received Christ into their lives (Revelation 7:9-12). God has been so kind to them. Once they were God’s enemies (Romans 5:10); but when God forgave them, because of Christ’s death, he changed their lives completely (2 Corinthians 5:17). God continues to work in their lives because, in the future age, they will have full rights as children in his family (Romans 8:17-21). They will always praise him and give him honour – so of course they should praise him now.
Next part: The 'calling' that Christians have received (Ephesians 4:1)
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© 2019, Keith Simons.