The passage that we're going to look at is a little bit of a difficult nut to crack. And we're used to that with the apostle Paul, because his writings are more often than not a difficult nut to crack because of his intellect, because of the way he writes because of the highly structured arguments that he brings forth, we always find ourselves having to apply ourselves to what Paul says to us in order to grasp what he's saying, and nothing is any different with this passage. This is a rather difficult nut to crack. So before we read it, I want to say some things about the passage and provide what I think is some insight into the passage even before the first reading, that will help us to begin to think well about how the passage is laid out before us, and what the goal of the passage is and what Paul's prerogatives are in the passage. And if we'll take these, and I think we'll use these as a lens through which to view the passage over the coming weeks, I think it'll help us to navigate the passage well. So I want to begin by describing what the passage is, and why it's here. We find that the passage is at the end of chapter three. And you also are probably aware that chapter three is the end of the first half of the book. The book has six chapters, and the book is divided neatly into two equal sections. So it's Paul's habit in his letters to spend the first part of a letter giving theological truths doctrine, and the spend the other part of the letter applying those to the lives of those he's writing to, that's his pattern. In every letter, he writes, we can see that pattern to one level or another. However, in no other letter of Paul's, in fact, no other book of the Bible is it so cleanly divided up: literally three chapters of the deepest and most profound doctrine that the New Testament has for us, and three chapters have the most pragmatic and helpful application of those doctrines. And so the end of chapter three comes to us as the clean dividing point. We're halfway through the book as we finish verse 21. And it's this clean dividing point between three chapters of doctrine, and approaching now three chapters of application of that doctrine. So in the first three chapters, we talked numerous times about how the Spirit transforms u:, the Spirit transforms us by taking the truths of our blessings and privileges―privileges in Christ―and working those truths into our understanding into our heart, so that as we more deeply comprehend and grasp more accurately, and more fully, the blessings and privileges of Christ that are ours, we are transformed. However, that's not the only thing that the Spirit needs to use to transform us. We said that that's the Spirits main method that's, that's a central approach to transformation is to teach us of our blessings and privileges in Christ teach us what God has done for us and given to us. And as we understand that more we are transformed. But there's another component to that. It's not the main thing, but there's another component. And the other component is what comes to us in chapters four, five and six―of taking that truth and putting it into place in our life. So as we look at Chapter One, two, and three, chapter one, two, and three contain four, some of the most profound truth about God: the Father, God, the Son, God, the Spirit, their work, the church, all these things that we've been talking about for months now. So the, to kind-of get our arms around this, I want to steal somebody's analogy, and I'm going to steal the analogy of a well-known expository of Scripture who takes this section of scripture and does a particularly good job of it: John MacArthur. He takes this this passage of Scripture and he uses this illustration. So this is his it's not mine, but it's a pretty basic illustration, I think you can relate to it. It's the illustration of a car. So if we think of our life, of our spiritual life, in the sense of a car. What do we need in order for that car to be of maximum use and value and worthiness to us? What do we need in order for that car to do everything that we needed to do? We first of all need to have an understanding of the car, and the more that we understand the car, the better the car will work for us. The more we understand the systems of the car, the more we understand how the pedals work, the gauges work, the steering wheel works, but not only that, how we understand the…how the handling works, we understand what's under the hood the transmission, the more we understand, then the better that car is going to serve us and perform for us. But we can understand everything about that car perfectly and still be lacking in actually putting that car to use. The other part that we need, we need to not only understand how the car works, we also need to understand something about maps, and roads, and street signs and traffic laws. Okay, we live in a time in which maps have just gone the way of the dodo. But I remember probably most of most people in the room. Remember the days when every car had an atlas in the trunk? Well, think back to those days. And just think of how, in order for a car to be functional and useful, you not only have to have a knowledge of how the car works, you also have to have a knowledge of how traffic works, and what roads are going to take you where and how to use a map and how to obey traffic laws. So the traffic laws, think of those as Gods directives. You could use another word if you want, you can use commandments, or you can use law. But for this context, let's use the word ‘directives.’ God's directives towards us are chapter four, five, and six. Now we can have a perfect understanding of God's directives, we can have a perfect understanding, we can memorize the Atlas, we can know all the traffic laws there are, and we can understand them perfectly. But if we don't have an understanding of the car, then that's not going to help us. And the same thing in reverse if we understand the car perfectly, if we understand intimately how that internal combustion engine works, yet we have no understanding of how to navigate the roads or how to obey the traffic laws, then we're still not going to get where we want to go. So chapter one, two, and three are teaching us about the car. Or giving us that knowledge about who we are in Christ. Chapter four, five, and six are going to teach us the traffic laws and the roadmaps. And the two of those things together need to come together in order for the car to be functional. However, there's another missing piece, We can still have a perfect understanding of every system in the car. And we can still have a perfect understanding of all the traffic laws and all of the maps and all the roads. And yet, we will go nowhere, if something doesn't happen. What’s that? To turn it on. Call it the starter, call it the ignition, call it whatever you like, but unless that car has the key inserted into the ignition and turned to crank it, and the transmission put into gear, then none of that knowledge is going to serve in any way. So the final section of chapter three, we can think of it as that key. We can think of it as how do we take the knowledge given to us in chapter one, two, and three. Knowing that what's coming are the directives, the roadmaps, the traffic laws, how do we put all that together, where the cars got to start? It's got to be turned on. And that's the conclusion here of chapter three, Paul has concluded the section in which he's teaching us this profound knowledge of who we are in Christ, what God has done for us, and now he's about to begin the section that teaches us―Okay, now here's how you use the car, only first, the car has to be turned on. And this is Paul's prayer at the end of chapter three, or we could think of it another way. There's another way I'll use a couple of theological terms if you'd like theological terms, but Chapter One, two, and three are what we call something is a fancy word called Monergism. Monergism just means that the only Actor in chapter one, two and three is God. God is the only actor. God is the actor in chapter one, two and three, and we are what he is acting upon. Now in chapter three, four, (or sorry), four, five and six―-now is something that we call not montages of meaning God is the only actor but something that we would call Synergism. What that means is, it's us and God together. That's what that prefix ‘syn’ means―us together, like synthesis or, or synagogue, gathering together. Okay, so chapter four, five, and six, are how we in God come together in order to progress in godliness. And so we can think of it that way. Chapter One, two, and three is God and God alone. Chapter four, five and six is how we have to turned on the ignition now navigate in obey the street signs. Okay. So those are a couple of ways to kind-of think about what's coming up in this prayer that Paul is going to pray the prayer There is essentially going to be, to use the same metaphor, the prayer is going to be, Lord, I pray that you turn this ignition on for them, that you crank this car and put this in gear that you take these truths that I've told them, and you work it deep into their heart so that they can then then navigate chapter four, five, and six. So that's it. That's a good way to kind of begin thinking about what's coming up. So now, before we read it, let me just say a couple more things. And this will help us as we read through it even the first time. The next thing that I want to say or point out is this. There are, as we read this passage, is there going to be four words, four truths, four concepts that are going to be fundamental. Think of them like the four pillars that are holding up an enormous weight of a building. We are being built into the house of God. So you can think of the house of God being this house resting on these four pillars, these four words that are the four fundamental concepts that we're going to have to work through in these next verses. And those four words are this number one, strength, power, working strengthen. You'll see as we read through there that those words are repeated multiple times. And so it doesn't take a rocket science scientist to see that that's fundamental to what Paul's saying this idea of strengthening strength power work. And so that's the first, the second thing that we'll see is the idea of comprehension. And again, that's going to jump right out at you, it's not going to take a whole lot of effort to see that the fundamental thing that Paul's saying hangs on this principle of comprehension. And so Paul is going to say a couple times here, comprehension, and comprehending that which is beyond comprehending and knowing that which is beyond knowing. Okay, so that's, that's the second principle, the third principle, the third word, is the only of the four that's not repeated multiple times, and that's faith. That's only found one time there. But the concept of faith, the truth of faith that we'll talk about, is a reality upon which everything Paul is going to say, hinges. So number three is faith. And then the fourth principle, the fourth concept is love, specifically, the love of Christ. So those four things, three of them are repeated multiple times. But those four principles, strength-power-working, comprehension-knowing, faith, and the love, specifically, the love of Christ, those are the four pillars upon which the weight of this passage is going to rest. So now the final thing that I want to say, and then we'll read the passage, and as we read the passage, having this in our mind, I think it will already begin to open itself up to you. But the fourth thing to have in mind is this: As I read through the passage, you're going to notice that I'm going to insert a particular phrase, and I'm going to do it four times, or I might do it five times. But I'm gonna do it at least four times, I'm going to insert a particular phrase that's not there in any of our translations. And the reason I'm going to insert that phrase is to help you to see what Paul literally wrote, because Paul is going to use a specific word. In the Greek the word is ‘hina.’ And Greek scholars tell us that the meaning of that word is clear. It's well understood. It's a word that describes a progression, a progression that has to be progressed in a certain specific order. In other words, A has to come and then B has to come and then C has to come and you can't get them out of order. For another example, maybe if I were to say to you something like I'm at the conclusion of the service, I'm going to go to the grocery store, and I'm going to buy some hamburgers. And then I'm going to drive home and I'm going to cook those hamburgers, and then we're going to eat lunch. You see, that there's a clear progression there and you can't get it out of order. I can't eat the lunch until we buy the lunch. I can't cook the lunch until I drive to the store, right? So, it's a progression that cannot get out of order. That is what the word hina means. And that's the word that's found throughout the passage. Now, the reason I am going to read it this way to help you see that is once you see that progression, you'll begin already to put the pieces together. So as I read this, I'll use the phrase ‘in order that’ and that'll clue you in for the steps that Paul is describing. Okay, so now we've got our four words, we're thinking about our car, we're thinking about the ignition, and we're thinking about progression. With all that being said, let's now finally read the passage together from verse 14. For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, in order that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, in order that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, in order that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. So there you see pretty clearly the progression. There are four steps, and then we can even include a fifth step. Although the fifth step is not necessarily a progressive step. The last one is this final doxology, which says that the ultimate purpose of all this is to the praise of God, but the first four steps are clearly progressive. And what I've done in your notes here is I have rephrased, and I've given you a paraphrase of them. Because I find it helpful that when particularly there's a passage like this, that's just…it's given me a big grand idea and it's all tightly knit together, sometimes it helps me to see a paraphrase. paraphrases are helpful. So, paraphrases are helpful, actually, I should say if you know what they are there to do, and what they're not there to do. If you understand properly what a paraphrase does and doesn't do. They can be harmful if you don't understand it. But here's what a paraphrase doesn't do. Here's what a paraphrase always, we always sacrifice something with a paraphrase. And the first thing that we sacrifice is usually the intensity of the passage, the color, the vividness. The edge, a paraphrase usually takes the edge off of a passage. But the second and the most important thing that a paraphrase does is it also sacrifices preciseness, every paraphrase sacrifices precision. So you probably, at your house, you have a paraphrase of the Bible, and they're great, they're helpful. I've read them sometimes: the Message or JB Phillips, or the Living Bible―paraphrases of the Bible, you probably have them at home, and you probably enjoy reading them from time to time. I just encourage you to know what you're sacrificing when you do that. You're sacrificing mostly precision. And secondly, you're also sort of taking the edge off. But what do you gain with a with a with a paraphrase? What you gain is a paraphrase usually does a wonderful job of helping you see the big picture. That's what paraphrase is, do you sacrifice precision in order to get the big picture. And so, that can be really helpful. So what a paraphrase can do is help us to sort of step back from this prayer that Paul prays and see the bigger picture, which is all by the way, all that we're trying to do today, we're not even going to get to the prayer today. All that we're doing today is sort of setting the stage setting the context, I want to address a couple of things in verse 14 before the prayer begins. But we're not even looking at the prayer yet other than just to get the big idea of it. So here's the paraphrase in your notes. Here's what Paul prays because of the supernatural oneness, and the indwelling of God to create the new one humanity. Paul, being moved in his heart, prays that number one, super abundant power will be activated in their souls. So that number two, this would result in their Christ welcoming and Christ conforming faith being strengthened. Which then results in number three, the causing and the creating within them have a deeper, fuller, richer, more complete comprehension of the depth, magnitude and importance of God's love for them shown to them through Christ, in order that are leading to number four, resulting in the church increasingly becoming the true expression of Christ on earth, to the ultimate effect that number five isn't necessarily progressive, but to the ultimate effect that God is praised, and God is glorified. Okay, so that's the big idea that we're going to be approaching. And we're not even again, not even going to get to number one today. But I do want to address a couple of things that face us in verse 14, and a couple of potential problems that could sideline us. And let's just begin from verse 14, for this reason. So for this reason, again, we always have to stop and understand what the reason is like, therefore, what's there for what, what Paul is saying is what I'm saying now is built upon what I just said, I'm building upon what I just said. So for that reason, I say this, because I said that I'm now going to say this. So for this reason, directs us back to what Paul just said previously. Now Paul just said For this reason, twice, chapter three, verse one and chapter three, verse 14, he said the exact same phrase the exact same words. So when he says For this reason here that first of all, takes us back to verse one. Remember what happened there? Paul says, For this reason, and he was about to pray, but then he pauses he interrupts his flow of thought to say, let me give you these 12 versus a parenthetical explanation. But now he returns to that very same thing for this reason. So this takes us all the way back to what Paul just said prior to verse, (I'm sorry), chapter three. So the end of chapter two is where we got to look in order to see what the reason is. What is it, Paul, that you're saying, because of that, I'm now going to pray in this way. And so at the end of chapter two, we find this, this climax, this great conclusion to the one new humanity. Those who are far off have been brought near in Christ, the dividing wall of hostility has been torn down. There is this new humanity in Christ, in which Gentile believers and Jewish believers have been made one in Christ. And because we have been made one, we are not only the new humanity, but we now have bold and confident access to the Father. So therefore, I pray, you see how all that fits together. Because we are all one unique. We're all one people. We're all the new humanity of Christ. And because in this new humanity, we have bold and confident access to the Father. Therefore, I'm going to use this bold and confident access and I'm going to go to the Father to pray for the new humanity.