The church is facing challenges within and without. A new survey reports more than a quarter of white evangelical Christians (27%) believe a QAnon conspiracy theory. Close to the two-thirds of white evangelicals (62%) believe there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. About half of while evangelicals (49%) believe that Antifa is responsible for Capitol violence.[1] The churches are divided by politics. The churches are divided over racial justice.
The challenges the church of Ephesus was facing in Paul’s time were not much different. Externally, the church was subject to the Roman empire-wide persecution consistently and systematically. Also, as a minority, Ephesian Christians became a target of bullying and ostracism by the majority practicing pagan religions and cultures. Paul himself faced great oppositions and riot situations, led by a pagan silversmith Demetrius, and had to move to the next cities (Acts 19). Internally, just like other churches at that time, the Ephesian church was facing racial tensions between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. To make things worse, false teachers came in among them, twisting words and distorting the truth to poison the minds of the flock. So Paul, in today’s passage, prays for the church of Ephesus. He prays that they may become stronger, healthier, more mature, more Christ-centered, more Christ-saturated Christians. I believe that’s the prayer we desperately need today: spiritual strength and spiritual growth.
Rooted in Christ’s Love
For this reason Paul prays. He prays that we may abide in Christ, so we will become stronger and more mature in every way. First of all, Paul prays that we may abide in Christ personally, know Christ and his love personally. He prays that “you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love” (vv. 16-17). Once one of my mentors, who now passed away, said something like this: “As I grow older, I find being a Christian means becoming a more passive being in a good way.” That reminds us of Jesus’ saying to Peter in John 21, “When you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go” (v. 18). When we are a young and immature Christian, we are like chaff – a free spirit. We are an active being. We do whatever we want, we go wherever we like. But as we get mature spiritually, we first listen and follow the lead. We become a passive being. We become like a tree, deeply planted and rooted in Christ, the fountain of living water.
Every Christian is indwelt by Christ, but that doesn’t mean that every Christian is filled, directed, empowered by Christ. Charles Hodge rightly says, “The indwelling of Christ is a thing of degrees.” How, then, can we be filled with Christ? The answer is “through faith” (v. 17). This past week on one particular morning I felt groggy and powerless. When I woke up, I didn’t want to start the day. I didn’t even want to get out of bed. There was something heavily weighing on my mind. I reluctantly went to my room and opened my Bible. As I was meditating on Psalm 34, all of sudden one particular phrase stood out, “Look to him, and be radiant” (v. 5). So by faith I looked up. I did look to Jesus until all darkness in my heart was driven out. I felt the light, the joy, the goodness of God just flooded afresh into my heart. I was revived, renewed, strengthened. And I did rise and sing praises to his holy name. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NRSV) Abiding in Christ, rooted and grounded in his love, is the first key to overcoming all the challenges.
With All the Saints
Paul also prays that we may abide in Christ as a church as well as personally. He prays that “you may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (v. 18 NIV). It is possible to know Jesus and his love apart from other Christians. But our grasp of it is bound to be limited by our limited experience. It takes all the saints to understand the full dimensions of Christ’s love – Jews and Gentiles, men and women, young and old, black and white, with all their varied backgrounds and experiences. We are strengthened, grow, taste and see Christ’s love as we love and serve other Christians, especially those who are different from us. It takes all the saints to know Christ’s love.
Henry Nouwen, a well-known spiritual director and Catholic priest, had taught at some of America’s premier universities. But despite his academic success, he left those institutions and became a priest in residence for mentally and physically handicapped people at Daybreak community. In particular, Nouwen became a close friend of Adam, who was profoundly retarded and unable to speak, walk, or dress himself. Each day Nouwen took almost two hours to finish this task – bathing, shaving, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, helping him eat breakfast, and so on. Nouwen said it had been difficult for him to live with Adam at first. But he had learned to love Adam, truly to love him. In the process he had learned what it must be like for God to love us—spiritually uncoordinated, retarded, able to respond with what must seem to God like inarticulate grunts and groans.[2] In this process Nouwen began to grasp the fuller dimensions of Christ’s love for us. He said, “We, like him (Adam), are also precious, graced, and beloved children of God, whether we see ourselves as rich or poor, intelligent or disabled, good-looking or unattractive.”[3] Who is your Adam? Who is our Adam? As we learn to love our Adam, we will be able to comprehend how wide, long, high and deep is Christ’s love for us.
More than We Can Imagine
People say that we are living in unprecedented times. But then and now, the church of Ephesus and the church of today, somehow we Christians always live in challenging times. But for Christians, challenges are opportunities to grow. Our part is to faithfully abide in Christ personally and as a church. Our God is able. He is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine (v. 20).
A new survey reports that in 11 of 14 countries surveyed the share who say their religious faith has strengthened is higher than the share who say it has weakened. Surprisingly, leading the pack in strengthened faith is the United States.[4] God is up to something among us. For Christians, challenges are opportunities to grow. According to Open Doors World Watch List, this year North Korea once again tops persecution list for 19th consecutive year as the most dangerous country for Christians. But we hear the news that the underground church in North Korea continues to grow spiritually and in numbers. Once Eric Foley, director of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, met some of the Christian defectors from North Korea. And he asked, “How may we pray for you?” One of them answered, “You pray for us? We pray for you!" That's the problem with you American Christians and South Korean Christians! You have so much, you put your faith in your money and in your freedom. In North Korea we have neither money nor freedom, but we have Christ and we've found He's sufficient.” After the meeting, Foley said, “They don't pray for a regime change. They don't pray for freedom and money. They pray for more of Christ and to mirror more of Christ in their life.”[5] Not for freedom, but for more of Christ.
More love to thee, O Christ. More love to thee.
Hear thou the prayer I make, on bended knee.
Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest.
Now Thee alone I seek. Give what is best:
More love to thee, O Christ. More love to thee.
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[1] “QAnon Conspriacies Sway Faith Groups, Including 1 in 4 White Evangelicals,” https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/february/white-evangelicals-qanon-election-conspiracy-trump-aei.html
[2] Philip Yancey, “Yancey: The Holy Inefficiency of Henri Nouwen,”
[3] Henri Nouwen, Adam: God’s Beloved (New York: Orbis Book, 1997), 31.
[4] “Pew: How COVID-19 Changed Faith in 14 Countries,” https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/january/covid-19-religion-survey-pew-pandemic-strengthened-faith.html
[5] “The Surprising Prayers of North Korea’s Christians,”
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2016/october/the-surprising-prayers-of-north-koreas-christians
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