QT 14/03/2025 Fri. Ephesians 3:14–21. Desert Island Choices: Power, Love & Maturity. 荒岛的选择: 力量、爱与成熟。
QT 14/03/2025 Fri. Ephesians 3:14–21. Desert Island Choices: Power, Love & Maturity.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/eph3:14-21
If you were to get stranded on a desert island (hypothetical), what are the three things that you wish you had brought along? Paul, in writing to the Ephesians from prison, examined the rich legacy in Christ Jesus who had chose them before the beginning of the world. What would Paul wish upon the cosmopolitan believers in Ephesus, if he also had three choices?
Ephesians 3:14–16 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (ESV)
Paul prayed for them to be empowered to be able to accomplish three things. These three things all required power. Firstly, Paul prayed for the believers in the multi-cultural and multi-religious Ephesus to have the power to remain within the love of God—experiencing the love of God and demonstrating that love to others. This can only happen if the source of the power is from the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, having worked through and "renovated" the inner being of believers, not merely cosmetic work on the facade.
Secondly, Paul asked for believers at Ephesus to have the mental capacity to comprehend. While CPU power and capacity would also affect output and efficiency, the power to comprehend and know about spiritual matters is on another level—not a mere question on IQ, brain size or how smart you are.
Ephesians 3:17–19 [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (ESV)
Thirdly, Paul asked that the believers grow to be God-like, and also that God's attributes can be fully formed in them. It is both a passive and active endeavour. This "filling" is passive because God takes the initiative and does the work. This "filling" is also active, because it is not a "possession" by God where the human loses self-control and free will. The human believer also takes active steps to learn about God's attributes, and be creative and committed to make this attribute come alive in the practice.
REFLECTION: What occupies your prayer list recently? Are we asking for important things? Are we asking for others sufficiently, in addition to for ourselves?
Ephesians 3:20–21 [20] Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)
All spiritual growth, all thanksgiving, all responses to grace received would and should result in praise and worship of God and to give glory to Him.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism of the 17th Century (a document derived from the Westminster Confession of Faith) famously states that: "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." This emphasizes that humans were created to worship and glorify God through their lives and to have a deep, eternal relationship with Him. To enjoy God for all of who He is such a high calling.
REFLECTION: Do you look forward to each week's gathering together with all other believers to praise and worship God, and to give Him glory through the various activities and meditations made? Do you look forward to worship in heaven forever?
QT 14/03/2025 星期五. 以弗所书3:14–21 荒岛的选择: 力量、爱与成熟。
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/eph/03
如果你被困在荒岛上（假设），你希望带上的三样东西是什么？保罗在狱中写给以弗所人的信中，回顾了基督耶稣在创世之初就拣选了他们的丰富遗产。保罗希望以弗所的世界性信徒做什么？
以弗所书 3:14-16 因此，我在父面前屈膝，15 （天上地上所有的家族都是由他命名的，）16 求他按着他荣耀的丰盛，借着他的灵，用大能使你们内在的人刚强起来，
保罗为他们祷告，希望他们有能力完成三件事。这三件事都需要能力。首先，保罗为多元文化和多元宗教的以弗所信徒祷告，希望他们有能力保持在神的爱中--体验神的爱并向他人展示这种爱。只有当圣灵同在信徒的生命中，通过信徒的内心做工并 “翻新” 信徒的内心，而不仅仅是在外表上做工时，这种能力才会发生。
其次，保罗要求以弗所的信徒有理解的心智能力。虽然 电脑(CPU) 的功率和容量也会影响输出和效率，但理解和认识属灵事物的能力是另一个层面的问题，而不仅仅是智商、大脑大小或你有多聪明的问题。
以弗所书 3:17-19 使基督借着你们的信，住在你们心里，使你们既然在爱中扎根建基，18 就能和众圣徒一同领悟基督的爱是多么的长阔高深，19 并且知道他的爱是超过人所能理解的，使你们被充满，得着 神的一切丰盛。
第三，保罗要求信徒成长得像神，也要求神的属性能在他们里面完全成形。这既是一种被动的努力，也是一种主动的努力。这种 “充满” 是被动的，因为神采取了主动，做了工作。这种 “充满” 也是主动的，因为信徒不是被伏或“占有” 后而失去了自我控制和自由的充满。信徒们也要积极主动地去了解神的属性，并在实践中创造性地委身于神，使神的属性生动起来。
反思：你最近的祷告清单上有哪些内容？我们为重要的事情祷告了吗？除了为自己之外，我们还为他人充分地祈求了吗？
以弗所书 3:20-21 愿荣耀归给 神，就是归给那能照着运行在我们里面的大能，充充足足地成就一切，超过我们所求所想的。21 愿荣耀在教会中和基督耶稣里归给他，直到万代，永世无穷。阿们。
所有的属灵成长、所有的感恩、所有对所获恩典的回应，都会而且应该导致对上帝的赞美和敬拜，并将荣耀归于上帝。
十七世纪的《威斯敏斯特简明教理》（源自《威斯敏斯特信仰告白》）有一句著名的话："人的主要目的是荣耀上帝，并永远享受祂"。这句话强调，人类被创造出来是为了通过自己的生命敬拜和荣耀上帝，并与上帝建立深厚、永恒的关系。享受上帝的一切，是如此崇高的呼召。
反思：你是否期待每周与所有其他信徒一起聚会，赞美和敬拜神，并通过各种活动和默想来荣耀神？ 你期待着永远在天堂里敬拜吗？
