In our text there are three truths concerning God’s Desires. And you may be asking how do you know what God desires? How can you dare speak on behalf of God and tell us what he desires? How can you an imperfect human being know God’s desires? I can know his desires because he tells us in his word what he desires for us.
Within this passage we see that God desired to create us because he is the originator of all things. Paul tells us in verse 14 that he comes to God on his knees because of his desire to serve the gentiles even through suffering. He comes to God to plead for them. He says specifically that he comes to the Father. He is coming to the one who holds the authority. Because he is the Father the one who is submitted to but also because he is the creator the one from whom all people originate. Physically speaking Adam and Eve and then Noah’s family are where we originate from, but ultimately we begin with God. We were his thought before he created us. It is through him that we have life. Verse 15 says “from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.” The name is representative of who you are. This is a physical and fleshly reminder that even in our physical state we belong to God. Without his name we are free to ourselves but because we bear his name we are responsible to him. Even the Son is of the Father’s name. He is the only begotten of the Father and through his incarnation we are redeemed. He had to bear the responsibility of being submissive to the father.
Then he goes on in verse 16 that He would grant you. That God the Father of his free will would give you. That God would desire to give us something. It is his will. It is his personal decision and choice to give it to us not because he owes us but because he wants to. Because the next phrase says according to the riches of His glory. What are the riches of God’s glory? What riches do we really desire to receive and need? His grace. God’s grace is the riches of his glory. There are so many other ideas and riches that we might want and desire but His grace is what we need. What other riches would matter to us without his grace? None. There would be no need of any other riches without God’s grace. What would the rest of life matter without God’s grace? His grace is what allows us to be strengthened with power through His Spirit our inner man. Wow. His grace allows us to be made alive spiritually! Without grace there is no new life. Without grace there is no hope in life. Without grace there is no purpose in life.
If God’s grace gives us purpose in life, what is that purpose?
Through God’s grace, how can we live out that purpose?
As we move to verse 17 we see that God makes residence in us. He does not merely appear with us but he lived with us and now lives in us. He has made his home inside of us. As odd as that sounds that God would live inside us His Spirit truly dwells within us making alive our spirits and souls. How does this happen? As previously stated it is truly through God’s grace. And as we look at verse 17 again, it says so that Christ may dwell inn your hearts through faith. Through God’s grace we may possess faith. Through that faith we have received and possess through God’s grace God now dwells in us. He has made his home in us. The verse goes in to say and now you who are rooted and grounded in love. Now you who are fixed and have as your foundation God’s love. The foundation of our lives is God’s love which is most clearly demonstrated through his grace. God gives us physical life because we are his creation and even his creation in rebellion he through his grace gives us faith which fixes and strengthens us with his love.
If Christ dwells in us, how should that affect how we live?
If Christ dwells in us, how should that affect how we live towards other people?
If we are grounded in God’s love, how should that affect how we live and serve God?
In verse 18 Paul takes us to the understanding that we are to know God. We are grounded in God’s love so that we be able to comprehend the dimensions of God’s love. The dimensions, how big is it? Can we truly grasp the magnitude of God’s love? Can we truly ever fully understand that kind of love? I think in some ways we can if we are truly rooted and grounded in Christ. If he is the source of our hope and love and life. If we are seeking him daily for our strength and direction for life and power to live by. When we gain a better understanding of God’s love then we gain a better understanding of God. As I have studied the Bible more in-depth than ever before I have begun to see some things I had never seen before. For instance, through out the Gospel of John, Jesus is clearly pointing to himself as God. He is clearly pointing to the fact that he is completely submitted to the Father. He is demonstrating humility. He is God yet he submits to another. We see him talking to the outcasts of the day. Adulterers. Lepers. Blind. His own disciples would not have done what he did. God is not hiding himself from us. We are more hiding ourselves from him. We are trying to hide so that we can claim that we didn’t know therefore we are innocent. We are not innocent. We are guilty as charged. When we allow God to reveal himself we see God more deeply than ever before. When we seek to see God at work within our world we see a God who is caring for the unloved.
In verse 19 we see that Christ’s love surpasses knowledge and understanding. Can we truly ever know it to the point of verbalizing that love? I believe it is the same as knowing the dimensions. We can see it but we can never put true words to it. The love of God is so pure and undefiled of self-interest that we can not picture it. God was and is selfless and not self-seeking. He desires what is best and most true to make our lives not only better but full. Then verse 19 ends with that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. May you be filled with God. May you be overflowing with the greatness and power of God.
What are ways that we can allow ourselves to be filled with God?
What would be the effect of this church being completely full of God?
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