Let us turn again to God's Word in the portion we were considering earlier today in Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians chapter 3. I'll read from verse 14 through 16. The Apostle writes then here at verse 14, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." We were looking then at those two verses, 14 and 15. As I said, we would begin a consideration of this prayer It's the second prayer that we find in this epistle. We were just looking at that prayer that we have at the end of chapter 1, remember, from verse 15 following. Paul says how he ceases not to give thanks for the church of the Ephesians making mention of them in his prayers. Well, we looked at that first prayer and this morning I said we'd begin to consider this second prayer that we have at the end of chapter three how we see the Apostle as one who is often then moved to prayer he's moved to prayer here because he's concerned for them as we see from the previous thirteenth verse I desire that ye faint not my tribulation he says I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's those troubles that have come upon him that he's concerned about, not for anything to do with himself, but the effect it might have on these believers at Ephesus. He's been speaking, hasn't he, previous verses of the chapter and back into the end of chapter two about his his apostleship he is called to be the apostle to the Gentiles to preach to them the unsearchable riches of Christ but how he was so hated of the Jews and we were remarking this morning out there at the end of Acts we We see the Jews manifesting their real hatred because of the message that he'd taken to Gentile sinners. They were not to be subject to the Old Testament laws that meant so much to the people of Israel. Paul would have nothing to do with a desire to see Gentile believers being circumcised. and so becoming debtors to the whole Lord of God and that was a great offense to those Jews so they persecuted him and he appeals to Caesar and he goes from Jerusalem to Rome and this of course is one of those epistles that was written from Rome one of his prison epistles he's concerned then that these things might trouble these Gentile believers in the church there He doesn't want them to faint in any way because of the troubles that have come upon him. This is their glory. He's their apostle. For this cause, he says, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family, Jew and Gentile, the whole family of God in heaven and earth is named. There is but one Savior, and in Christ there's neither Jew nor Greek, there's neither Bon nor free, there's neither male nor female. That is the true family of God. Under the Old Testament we remarked our very name as the Lord God says to Israel, His ancient covenant people, you only have I known of all the families of the earth. But now there's this family, the whole family. Those who are Christ's and the Apostle praying to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of these people. Well, these are some of the things we were trying to say something of earlier today, but turning now to what we might consider to be the very first petition of this prayer. What is it that he asks for these Ephesians? That the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he says, would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. What a request is found in these words that we come to consider for our text tonight. God's supply of spiritual strength is the theme that stands before us in the text. God's supply of spiritual strength that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the in a man and i want simply to look at at two headings first of all to say something with regard to the source of this supply and what is the source it is god in the lord jesus christ And then in the second place I want us to consider the strength of that supply which is the inward work of the Holy Ghost. Those are the two headings that I want us to take up and to address for a little while as we consider the content of this verse this evening. First of all the source. And the source of the supply is God but it's God in the Lord Jesus Christ it's the riches of his glory and where are those riches seated? well it's what he has spoken of previously in verse 8 it's the unsuitable riches of Christ this is the the subject matter of Paul's ministry, his preaching unto Me, who am less than the least of all saints, is His grace, given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. And it's the same riches that he's speaking of here in verse 16, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory. That's Christ. He pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. These are the statements that we find Paul addressing when he writes to the church of Colossians. There in Colossians 1.19, then again in chapter 2 and verse 9. In Christ dwelleth all the riches, all the fullness, of the Godhead. And what does John say in the opening chapter of his Gospel concerning this one? "...of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." All that fullness that is laid up in the Lord Jesus Christ is laid up for sinners And it's laid up not only for sinners amongst the Jews, but it's laid up for sinners amongst the Gentiles. The Gospel is to go to the ends of the earth. It's to go to all manner, all kinds of sinners. And every need is supplied in that Gospel. The words of course of Philippians Chapter 4 and verse 19, My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. The Gospel is all together in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonder it is that God has made such provision in His only begotten Son, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love And who is this Lord Jesus Christ? Why is the image of the invisible gods? And when we think of the source, you see, the source of this supply, why, it's what God is. It's all that God is, when we think of God's character and God's attributes. God is love. God is love we are told that aren't we on two occasions there in that first general epistle of John in chapter 4 verses 8 and 16 and back in chapter 2 and verse 4 we have mention of his great love wherewith he loved us What words are those there at verse 4 in that second chapter? God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved. Herein is love, not that we love God. but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. What an expression, a manifestation of the love of God is that gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. He so loves the world that He gives His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. But what does He give the Lord Jesus Christ to? In giving the Lord Jesus Christ to sinners in this world, All He gives Him is that great sin-atoning sacrifice. Here in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation. And all that that theological word implies, because it speaks to us, doesn't it, of how that God's strict justice must be satisfied. God is angry with the wicked every day. He can by no means clear the guilt. But what does He do? He makes His only begotten Son the propitiation. He pours all that wrath upon His beloved Son. That's the love of God to sinners. His love. His love is seen in the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. His grace, His grace is there. And what is that grace? It's undeserved favour, isn't it? Again, the language that we have in the second chapter. He says there at verse 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God the exceeding riches of his grace seen in the Lord Jesus Christ that great purpose of God that he spoken of at the beginning of the first chapter where the Apostle, after the normal greetings, begins, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And then he goes on, doesn't he, up to verse 6. There's that sentence that runs from verse 3 right through to verse 6. and there in verse 6 he says it's all to the praise of the glory of his grace the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved all that grace of God that unmerited favour that undeserved kindness that God shows to sinners only deserving his wrath the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men says the apostle writing to Titus in him in Christ you see there dwells a treasure all divine a matchless grace has made that treasure mine says William Gadsby oh the source of this wondrous supply it's all all that God is as God has revealed himself in the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ is love is grace is mercy do we not see the mercy of God again there in the second chapter in verse 4 we read God who is rich in mercy all the riches of the mercy of God and what what is that mercy well God is a forgiving God He is a forgiving God we were thinking only on thirsty of that second occasion when Moses goes into the mount. He goes in the first time of course at the end of Exodus 20 because the children of Israel having heard the thundering of God's voice as he speaks the 10 words, the 10 commandments they want Moses to mediate and he goes in the mount, he's there 40 days, 40 nights receiving all those commandments and instructions concerning how they are to be governed, their civil laws are all based on the Ten Commandments and they grow weary of waiting for Moses to reappear and Aaron makes the golden calf and immediately they are transgressing the commandment of God they shan't make no graven image and they think they can worship God through the calf and God is angry, he sends Moses down with the Ten Commandments in his hands and he breaks them there at the foot of the mount. The covenant has been broken. God disinherits them. But Moses stands in the bridge and prays for them and he goes back into the mount. And we were thinking of how when he came down he was there again forty days and forty nights and he comes down and his face shone. And they couldn't bear to look upon his face. His face so shone. What's the difference? Well, the first time he comes down from the mount, Moses is angry. He's a judge, really. He's coming down there under God's judgment, but he prays for them. And he asks God, doesn't he, to show him his glory. There, at the end of Exodus 33, show me thy glory, and God causes all his goodness and all his grace to pass before him. That's the shining of his face. God is a forgiving God, He's a merciful God He forgives us our sins, all our unholy desires, all our lustful looks, all our wrong words, all our false steps, all our wanton thoughts, all our backsliding hearts, all and every manner of our sins God forgives, He's a merciful God, He's rich in mercy He's rich in mercy. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar. And His Word is not in us. Oh, if God's Word is in us, friends, we must acknowledge what we are and confess our sins. but there's forgiveness with God He's a forgiving God, He's a merciful God He's all of these things and we see all of these things when we see the supply of every need in the Lord Jesus Christ that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory the riches of that glory, that's the riches of Christ and God's revelation of Himself, His love, His grace, His mercy, His wisdom. Oh, the manifold wisdom of God. The manifold wisdom of God. We read of it here, don't we, in verse 10. And how it's revealed in the Gospel that the Apostle is the preacher of. There was a very Remarkable words, aren't they, in verse 10, to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. The angels, you see, though they're in the presence of God, yet they come to this earth, and what do they see? They see the wonders of the grace of God in the salvation of sinful men and women. what wisdom in this and of course we have the angels there don't we at the at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ the ministry of the angels who come and speak to those who are so much involved in what's taking place read there in the opening chapter of Luke's gospel the ministry of angels Gabriel words that are spoken to Zacharias words that are spoken to the Virgin Mary words that are spoken to others also and then at the birth a whole host of angels pronouncing the birth of the Messiah all the angels you see they see God's manifold wisdom in salvation they don't see that in heaven they see that salvation being worked out here upon the earth in the salvation of a multitude of sinners or the wisdom of our God and it's the Lord Jesus Christ who is that wisdom of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. If a man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally. But let him ask in faith, not in wavering. Are we to ask for that wisdom? That's Christ, the wisdom from above. First pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. Or do we want that wisdom? It's in a person. It's that Lord Jesus Christ who is set before us in the book of Proverbs, the wisdom, the wisdom of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. And then here also what do we see of God's character and his attributes? Why? His great power. His great power, the effectual working of his power we read there at the end of verse 7. the effectual working of his power. And of course we were looking, weren't we, recently at those words at the end of chapter 1. Oh, it's to Oswald that he demonstrates that power. To Oswald who believed. The exceeding greatness of his power to Oswald who believed. according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Why, every believer is a miracle of grace. Surely, we're all miracles of grace if we're true believers. It's the faith that comes of the operation of God This is the work of God, says the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. God has to work it. Saving faith is a miracle in our souls. We're walking miracles in that sense. And what power it is. And our Paul knew it. He uses that expression there at the end of verse 7 He's speaking of himself as a minister, his dependence upon the gift of the grace of God. Given unto me, he says, by the effectual working of his power, unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. And that expression that he uses in reference to himself, he calls himself less than the least of all saints. You see, it had to be great power because this man was less than the least. It's really a bit of tautology, we might say, because surely you cannot get below the least. And yet he says he's less than the least. In a sense, he's coining a new word. He's calling himself the leaster of all the sales. you remember elsewhere to Timothy he says he's the chief of sinners you make a list of sinners and put my name at the top of the sinners you make a list of the saints save sinners but put my name right at the bottom oh what power must have come into that man's soul to save a man like that a man the chief of sinners a man less than the least of saints but this is the power you see that is in the Lord Jesus Christ that one who is God manifest in the flesh that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory it's all of these things of which we have spoken all that God is all that God is but not only what God is but also surely it's who God is it's who God is he goes on to say doesn't he in verse 19 that you might be filled with all the fullness of God the riches of his glory the Lord Jesus Christ in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and then here in verse 19 that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God now God reveals himself ultimately in the Lord Jesus in these last days he has spoken unto us by his Son who is the image of the invisible God But when we think of all that fullness of God, what is it that we really have revealed to us in the New Testament? It's God manifest in the flesh, it's the great mystery of godliness in the incarnation, but it's also that full and final revelation of God as a trinity. The Trinity is there in the Old Testament there are intimations but when we come to the New Testament we see it in all its glorious fullness that God is one and yet God is three God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost and we have the three persons even in this prayer Paul is bowing his knees to the Father he's bowing his knees to God the Father and he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ and then he goes on again doesn't he to speak of Christ in verse 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and then again in verse 19 that you might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that she might be filled with all the fullness of God. There's all the persons, there's Father, there's Son, there's Holy Spirit in the prayer. And of course we've remarked on how we see that in the opening section of the epistle, the first part of chapter 1, where we see in that passage from verse 3 through 6 the election of God the Father. And then in verses 7 through 12 we see the redemption that was wrought by God the Son. And then in verses 13 and 14 we have the blessed sealing of the Spirit. But this epistle, it's full of this doctrine you see. All the fullness of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Look at what he says here in the fourth chapter. We see the Trinity in the unity of the Church, surely. He says at verse 3, "...endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, there is one Body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all." but unto every one of us he's given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. You see, we have all the persons, one body, one spirit, and then he speaks of one Lord, and one God and Father, and he speaks of the measure of the gift of Christ. All he writes is woven through with the great doctrine of God and of course we very much see that doctrine of God in terms of prayers there in verse 18 of chapter 2 is speaking of the Lord Jesus and he says through him we both that is Jews and Gentiles we both have access by one spirit unto the Father Christ is the mediator between God and man But there must be that blessed ministry of the Spirit, the one who helps in all our infirmities that we read of at the end of our reading there in Romans chapter 8. But there's access unto the Father. And there's furthermore reference to the Trinity surely in terms of the worship that we come to present before our God in chapter 5. And verse 18, he says, Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. Speak unto yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We're to be filled with the Spirit in our praises. giving thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our worship is to be Trinitarian. It's all that God is as He has revealed Himself to us, as He has supplied every need according to the riches of His glory or the unsearchable riches of our Lord Jesus Christ. But in the second place here, surely also we have the strength of that supply. The source is God in Christ. But what is the strength? It's that inward work of the Holy Spirit that he goes on to mention at the end of the text. To be strengthened with his might or with might by his spirit in the inner man. that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. As I said, Paul was aware of them and fearful that they might be discouraged by the fact of his imprisonment. in the context I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you which is your glory for this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ he goes on in chapter 4 I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called He's in prison. Well, he's not in prison. He's confined in some way. He's under some sort of house arrest. He's not a free man. He's not a libertin. Because he's appealed to Caesar in order to escape the wrath of the Jews. But he's aware of them. those who he ministered to at Ephesus when that church was was established by his preaching and he doesn't want them to be discouraged but they need to be aware that there will be troubles of course in the world all that live godly in Christ Jesus suffer persecution he says to Timothy we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom how they need then to be strengthened and from when can that strength come? to be strengthened with might by by his spirit in the inner man the psalmist says trust in the Lord forever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength all their strength must come from God himself but how can they know that that strengthening well it must come by the Spirit it's by His Spirit and there is that gift of the Holy Spirit where we need that gracious ministry and the encouragement that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gives in the Gospel it's a great verse isn't it those things that we read there in In Luke 11, 13, if ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Those are great words, how much more? For God is ever more ready to give than we are to receive. We have but to ask. This is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has come on the day of Pentecost. All that's best of all the donations of God. We live in His day. This day is a perpetuity. The gift has come. It's still with us. And so these people, they already had the gift of the Holy Spirit. They had that. those words that we have in verses 13 and 14 of chapter 1, in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. He speaks of Father, He speaks of Son, and now He speaks of Holy Spirit. Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, He says. Now, we've looked at this verse previously, and the construction of the original, the syntax there in the Greek, In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed." Well, the construction is actually simpler than that in the original. And the simplicity of that sort of grammatical construction is really brought out in phrases that we find time and again in the Gospel. How many times do we read such words as those in Matthew 3, 5, Jesus answering said? and Jesus answering said now when Jesus is answering and saying those two actions are concurrent in answering he speaks, in answering he is saying and really the construction is exactly the same in that 13th verse in chapter 1 literally it says in him also believing he was sealed it's true of course that the sealing is on top of the believing but they are really they go together the same as answering and saying go together so the believing and the sealing every person who has come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is sealed by the Spirit of God I know the charismatics like to think that sealing is something that comes later and they might associate it with what they want to call the baptism of the spirit but if any man have not the spirit of Christ is none of his these disciples they already had that precious gift of the Holy Spirit he says doesn't he here towards the end of chapter 4, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. They are sealed, they are believers. We sometimes sing those words of the hymn of Isaac, what dost thou not dwell in all thy saints and seal them, heirs of heaven. Every believer has the Spirit and he comes as that one who is ever the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because really what we have at the end of this 16th verse is parallel with what he goes on to say in verse 17. To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Where there is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ there is that sealing of the Spirit. O know ye not your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except he be reprobate? If Jesus Christ is dwelling in the heart by faith, we must know that blessed ministry of the Spirit, strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man. oh we must know that, we must know that all that fullness comes to us from the Lord Jesus Christ and we must know more and more of that fullness being communicated and it comes to us only by and through the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit those words of John 1 and verse 6 or verse 16 rather, of His fullness of all we receive, it says, and grace for grace. It's grace for grace and grace for grace. It's growing in the knowledge of our God and Savior Jesus Christ our Lord. There is that gift of the Holy Spirit and He dwells in every believer. No man can say that Jesus Christ is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. But what is it? It's that inward work. It's that inward work of the Spirit. It says it here in the text, in the inner man. All the strength of the supply, it's the inward working of the Spirit in the soul. Behold, says the Lord Jesus, the kingdom of God is within you. His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom doesn't come with observation. It doesn't come with any outward show. It is a blessed inward kingdom. It's the sovereign operations of the Spirit of God in the soul of the sinner. That faith of the operation of God spoken of there in Colossians 2.12 and what of that sovereign operation, what of that gracious working of the Spirit in the inner man, why there's subduing of all our sins, there's a deliverance and scattering from us all our unbelief, there's that remarkable working of faith, for the Kingdom of God is not in word, it's in power, it's in the Holy Ghost, It's in much assurance. We read that passage there in the opening part of Romans chapter 8. There the Apostle says so much of the Spirit. Remember what we read there. We haven't time to read the whole passage again, but look at what he's saying at verse 11 following. If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. All the old nature, you see. the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these contrary one to the other, as he says to the Galatians. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify, put to death, crucify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the Spirit itself bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God all that blessed work of the Spirit then this is how the believer is strengthened in his own soul this is how the believer comes to enjoy all the riches of his glory all the riches of Christ Jesus and this is the apostles prayer for these Ephesians but in a sense isn't this his prayer for us really because this epistle though written to the Ephesians it's written to all the churches of Jesus Christ it's written to all the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ it's the whole family 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 heart by faith Oh God, grant that we might be spared to go on and to consider what follows the words of our text tonight. But the Lord be pleased to bless the verse to us and to write the truth of it in all our hearts. Amen.