Ephesians 3:20, commentary and pictures

God is able to do far beyond all that is asked or even imagined, exceeding every request, thought and expectation. He does this according to the power working within believers, by which the Spirit strengthens the inner person, Christ dwells in the heart by faith, and they are rooted in love and filled with all the fullness of God. He delights to answer earnest prayer in Christ's name far beyond the asking, giving spiritual blessing and help according to necessity, and sometimes giving what is better than what was desired. His giving is not earned by merit but comes from His purpose and generosity, making full and abundant provision for need, clothing in Christ's righteousness, giving the Holy Spirit to those who surrender and ask, and opening ever greater revelations in eternity. This calls for a religious experience marked by grace and the decided working of His power with human effort, trusting Him rather than self or man, overcoming sin as Christ overcame, and laboring in faith for souls with results greater than expected.

Prayer Surrounding the Verse

The verse stands as the climax and conclusion of the prayer for believers to be granted strengthening with might by the Spirit in the inner person, for Christ to dwell in hearts by faith, for being rooted and grounded in love, for grasping with all saints the breadth and length and depth and height, for knowing the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and for being filled with all the fullness of God, declaring that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought according to the power working within, with glory to Him in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. That inworking power is the Spirit strengthening the inner person and Christ dwelling in the heart through faith, joined to knowing Christ's immeasurable love that cannot be explained but is known by living heart experience, and to being filled with God's fullness, showing the possibilities of the Christian life.

After thinking of many wants and asking God for wisdom and help in every point, believers are to ask Him to also give what they failed to present in the asking, according to their necessities. The verse belongs to the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the world, who created all things by Jesus Christ, and now revealed, to be made known by the church to principalities and powers in heavenly places to show the manifold wisdom of God according to His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, in whom there is boldness and access with confidence by faith. It therefore calls for cherishing truth that works by love and purifies the soul, shunning spiritualistic and false ideas of God, diligently studying what God has revealed, and leaving unrevealed mysteries and treasures of wisdom that human minds could not handle without tarnishing His glory. That same inworking power fuels the solemn work of making all see the fellowship of the mystery, so that gospel ministers must not content themselves with preaching alone but do well-directed personal labor as servants of the people, broken and fashioned as vessels unto honor, laboring together with God for a solid work in saving souls for whom Christ died, that the church can make known God's manifold wisdom.

The passage containing the verse, Ephesians 3:14-21, declares the high and exalted privilege belonging to God's people.

Audience and Present Message

The verse stands in Paul's prayer for the believers at Ephesus, for whom he had labored much, and belongs with the message to the church at Ephesus. It stands in the first chapters of the epistle as words of commendation and an outflowing of apostolic love. It declares God able to do exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought, according to the power working in believers, with glory to Him in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages. It is a precious prayer and a large and full encouragement to the Ephesians.

The instruction of Ephesians 3 and 4 is to be read to hearers, impressed upon minds, and read most solemnly because it means much. It exposes hard-spiritedness that comes from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. It calls for a great reformation in words, works, and spiritual understanding, for catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. To Him belongs glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout the ages, world without end.

The whole third chapter is a lesson for all teachers, ministers of the gospel, and all who occupy responsible positions in the work of God. It reveals the work God does for everyone who is saved: Christ is to be revealed in them, by them, and through them. The power working in believers is seen in spiritual discernment, in choice of words, and in care to preserve the fragrance of the Holy Spirit while demonstrating the principles of God's law to an unbelieving world. When those principles are not demonstrated, when professed believers act out perversity and show imperfections of character in spirit or action in family, school, church, or world, the soul is separated from God and does not receive the quickening, discerning influence of the divine mind, the human mind is not fashioned and molded by God, and the power of God is not seen. Such unconverted persons need conversion before they can be trusted with responsibilities, and unless converted they should take up some other calling where they will not act the spirit of the unbeliever and lead others in the wrong direction.

The chapter speaks of the work to be done in the world: magnifying the truth through its sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence, with the gospel work to be carried out by all who believe the truth and are united to Christ. With Ephesians 2 it gives a lesson for all to study about ceasing to trust in man and making God man's efficiency, wanting more of God's infinite workings and less trust in human agents. It prepares a people to stand by fixing the eye on the cross of Calvary, seeking wisdom from God in most earnest prayer to learn the way of the Lord, seeing in the blood of the Son of the infinite God the cost of transgression of the law, hating the sins that wounded Jesus, and preserving a contrite heart while viewing Jesus as a compassionate tender High Priest.

The message of the third chapter must be given to believers now because the end is near. It calls for a worldwide work to be done in earnest and in a short time to proclaim the truth and the last message of warning, with the same burden Paul carried. It requires lifting up the voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and sins that hinder that proclamation, arousing them to an understanding of the true position. It calls for no longer working at cross-purposes with God or trifling with Him, but taking up His work intelligently and unitedly and proclaiming warning and salvation as with one voice. It warns to heed the word of the Lord lest He come suddenly and find His people unready, for there is no second probation, and promises that now, while it is called today, if His voice is heard and there is full turning to Him, He will have mercy and abundantly pardon. It is part of a message for believers to take hold of God in earnest as they carry a worldwide warning to the world, presenting God as able to do far more than people ask or imagine through the power working in them.

The chapter is to be read and its instruction put into practice. That instruction calls believers to take courage and faith in God's divine strength while Christ intercedes for them. God's power at work in believers is sufficient for them to receive rich blessings and to live with courage, strength, and faith. This power supports them under temptation as they trust Christ's care and intercession rather than treating themselves as their own savior.

God's Surpassing Ability

God is able to accomplish far beyond all asking or thinking, exceeding abundantly above what people request or even imagine and beyond what his servants expect. This is done according to the power already at work within believers, which strengthens the inner person by the Spirit and enables Christ to dwell in the heart by faith. That same power roots believers in love and leads toward knowing the immeasurable love of Christ and being filled with the fullness of God, showing the possibilities of the Christian life. His abundant ability assures believers that he will not leave them unsupported in difficulty nor demand sacrifices beyond what he enables them to offer.

He is the mighty God to whom nothing is too hard and whose working none can hinder or forbid. He stands behind the promises he makes, keeps truth forever, and has no unfaithfulness in him. He is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords, with mighty arm and strong high hand, wonderful in counsel, the only wise God, and everlasting strength. Because his power goes beyond asking and thinking, the Holy One of Israel must not be limited but met with calm, perfect trust and with larger faith and vision of his power. His children are therefore to come to their heavenly Father as a child comes to an earthly parent to ask for needed things, to trust in the Lord forever and depend on him alone instead of leaning on broken human reeds, to honor him by believing his word, and to stop grieving his Spirit by distrust and too little faith that fears he cannot sustain and protect his workers even in dark and dismal places.

He has pledged in his word to do more for a person than the person asks when the person has complied with the conditions on which the promises are based. The one who gives the Lord entire affections and is led by the Holy Spirit holds this promise and can therefore speak with assurance about hope in Christ. He looks upon the heart and sees all its workings, hears sincere prayer and knows how to answer because nothing is hidden from him, and this gives reason for encouragement.

To him belongs glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. This doxology crowns prayer to the Father of the whole family in heaven and earth for strengthening with might by his Spirit in the inner person, for Christ to dwell in hearts by faith, for those rooted and grounded in love to grasp breadth and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and to be filled with all the fullness of God. It belongs to the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the world and now revealed, made known by the church to principalities and powers in heavenly places to show the manifold wisdom of God according to his eternal purpose in Christ, in whom there is boldness and access with confidence by faith. It calls for cherishing truth that works by love and purifies the soul, shunning false spiritualistic ideas of God, and diligently studying what is revealed while leaving unrevealed mysteries and treasures of wisdom that human minds could not handle without tarnishing his glory. It stands as a precious prayer and a large and full encouragement, declaring the high privilege of God's people when they realize their weakness and entire dependence upon him, for God is love and his nature is revealed in his holy law as an expression of his love, and the high and holy One who inhabits eternity changes not. It belongs to instruction that is to be read to hearers, impressed upon minds, and read most solemnly because it exposes hard-spiritedness from being strangers to the Holy Spirit and calls for reformation in words, works, and spiritual understanding, for catching the inspiration of angels and daily breathing heaven's atmosphere.

He is faithful to keep his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments, giving them mercy and grace far beyond all they ask or think. He holds back nothing as too valuable to bestow on those who have loved him and exalted his name.

Power Working Within

What God does beyond all asking or thinking is according to the power already working in believers. That power strengthens the inner person by the Spirit and enables Christ to dwell in the heart by faith. It roots believers in love and leads toward grasping the breadth and length and depth and height, toward knowing Christ's immeasurable love which passes knowledge, and toward being filled with all the fullness of God. These are the possibilities of the Christian life, and to God in the church by Christ Jesus belongs glory throughout all ages.

That inworking power is seen in spiritual discernment, in choice of words, and in care to preserve the fragrance of the Holy Spirit while demonstrating the principles of God's law to an unbelieving world. When professed believers fail to demonstrate those principles and instead act out perversity and show imperfections and defects of character in spirit or action in the family, school, church, or world, the soul is separated from God. Then the quickening, discerning influence of the divine mind is not received, the human mind is not fashioned and molded by God, and the power of God is not seen. Such unconverted persons need to be converted before they can be trusted with responsibilities in teaching, ministry, or any responsible position, and unless they become converted they should take up some other calling where they will not act the spirit of the unbeliever and lead others in the wrong direction.

God's power working in believers enables them to understand more and to accomplish more than they thought possible. His power and wisdom are available when they ask for His help, and they honor the Saviour by believing that they receive His blessing. To all who are willing for self to be humbled He gives far more than they ask or think, even the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. By that gift they may comprehend with all saints the vastness of Christ's love and be filled with all the fullness of God, which is the knowledge God invites all to receive and beside which all else is vanity and nothingness. Humility, contrition, and confidence in God rather than in personal ability, with surrender of will and way without compromise and with willingness to use divine power to bless others and ennoble the soul, place people where He can manifest Himself and bestow greater blessings exceeding expectation.

Answer to Earnest Prayer

God answers prayer far beyond what is asked or imagined, and delights to do so. He stands behind every promise He has made, giving spiritual blessings beyond requests, with infinite love eager to hear even the humblest sincere prayer and bestow the fullness of blessing. A prayer offered in faith from an honest heart is heard, and the blessing may come when it is most needed and exceed expectations.

When prayer is offered earnestly in Christ's name by the inspiration and kindling of the Holy Spirit, its very intensity and earnestness carry His pledge that He is about to answer with far more than is asked or imagined. Prayer must be offered not only in His name but by the inspiration of the Spirit, with earnest faith that reaches the mercy seat. It is to be offered with unwearied persistence, for He does not limit His answer to one prayer but answers those who keep praying and pressing their petitions to His throne.

The promise encourages sincere, faithful prayer without unbelief. Those who pray are to bring their lives into harmony with their petitions, and the blessings received are proportionate to the faith exercised. The promise is claimed by presenting His pledged Word in prayer, asking in faith, continuing to ask, holding unlimited confidence, casting all care upon Him, and waiting patiently until He brings the answer to pass. His abundant gifts are meant to be received and then shared as channels of His grace to the world.

Those who trust His promises without waiting to see or feel that He hears are to believe every petition enters the heart of Christ. Having asked for His blessing, they should believe it is received when asked, thank Him for it, and go about daily duties assured it will be realized when most needed. Learning to do this instead of fearing and worrying and complaining over difficulties while overlooking daily tokens of love and providence is knowing that prayers are answered according to the riches of His glory and the working of His mighty power.

He may give what is good and healthful rather than what was desired, and do more and better than all wishes. Earnest importunity should rest the matter in His hands in perfect confidence, praying to enter into and accomplish His purpose with desires and interests lost in His, acknowledging acceptance of His will rather than asking Him to concede to ours. It is better that He does not always answer just when and how desired, for human wisdom is folly. Regard for iniquity in the heart hinders His hearing, for then He will not hear.

His exceeding ability brings help to weak and trembling souls who take their troubles to Christ rather than depending on human friends or resources, for He knows how to receive them and strengthen and comfort them. Through the uplifting influence of His Spirit they can recover self-respect and stand as conquerors. He is able to gain victory over the powerful foe and to do far more than can be asked or thought for a person whose mind and will are controlled by a cruel power and held captive in bondage to darkness, giving reason to keep praying for rescue, and such a one may yet realize deeper peace and more blessed victory than ever experienced if there is dying to self. He can do more for the grieving, afflicted person than can be asked or thought, calling the helpless soul to be cast on Him and not to sorrow as those who have no hope. He is able to save all who come in faith and will do far more than they ask or think, especially in future emergencies and strait places where faith is tried, surprising and cheering and even astonishing His trusting ones by how effectively He works and never leaving them in despair, giving His help and wisdom just when He sees it is needed to those who wait upon Him, exercise faith, hold fast the mighty arm of infinite power by earnest daily prayer, and trust wholly in Him as a present help in every time of need. He still works mightily to heal as shown in Christ's healings and in raising the widow's son and Lazarus.

Grace Provision and Hope

The verse teaches that divine reward is not earned by human merit nor measured by amount of work done, but flows from purpose and generosity, and this gives hope and joy to the undeserving sinner who is accepted. What Christ does is fully and completely done, with grace and righteousness making full and abundant provision that exceeds need. This was illustrated when the waterpots filled at His word at the wedding feast held more wine than was required, a sign of ample provision of salvation and cleansing from sin through His blood. All who come for the bread of heaven and the water of salvation will always be supplied, being clothed in His righteousness when they come for refuge, shown perfect obedience in human nature as the path of happiness, and given living water that becomes a well springing up to everlasting life.

He gave the disciples, along with fellowship in His sufferings, the joy of serving the gospel and bringing many to glory. That joy and future glory went far beyond what they would have sought in an earthly throne, encompassing both ministry and the hope of glory in bringing many to salvation. Although Moses was denied entry into the promised land, his prayer was answered in a greater way by resurrection from the dead. He thus appeared with Christ on the mount of transfiguration as a witness to victory over death and as a representative of risen saints.

Jesus purposes in His heart to do abundantly more than He has said for those He saves, pouring out heaven's resources as an antidote for every misery. Having assumed human nature fully to represent the human family and having died to encircle humanity with His human arm while with divine power He lays hold of God's throne, He stands as an able Advocate in the heavenly courts. His exceeding ability flows from a clear and abundant fountain of compassion from which all may draw in need, so that whoever trusts and rests in His love has the soul refreshed and Christ's peace resting upon them. He came to reveal God's glory and to uplift people by its restoring power, and He will manifest that glory in those who show His meekness, deny self, and humbly obey.

Christ intended to do for His disciples far more than they could ask or imagine, and His daily acts of blessing revealed God's great tenderness and love toward fallen humanity. His abundant giving is seen especially in the Holy Spirit, given when followers surrender whole hearts for His indwelling. As God is revealed to the soul, the capacity to know and love Him grows through receiving and sharing Christ's love. His benevolence and unexampled love go far beyond limited conceptions of His goodness, above all in giving the Spirit to those who ask.

In eternity this exceeding abundance means God will continually impart more glorious revelations, opening the treasures of the universe for study. With them will be shared the wisdom gained by unfallen beings through ages of contemplating His handiwork, with ever new truths to understand and new wonders to explore. God does abundantly, and His blessings and special providences are not to be treated as ordinary or forgotten. They call for thankful hearts, praise, and joy in Him.

Work and Christian Life

Religious experience is not to be tame and commonplace but marked by grace and the decided working of divine power together with human effort. It is the personal privilege of every minister in every conference, whether formally ordained or not. It calls shepherds who go after the lost sheep to earnest travail for souls, earnest heart searching, and earnest prayerful seeking to know God and the power of His grace.

Jesus is able to do far more than ministers ask or imagine, and is ready to carry both them and their burdens. He wants them to ask for help and entrust their helpless souls to Him, giving according to their faith, so that His power rather than their own ability enables the work. God is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the strength they need and the wisdom their varied necessities demand, and will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him, which means for the worker strong faith with no despondency, faith that stands every test. Those who carry responsibilities have great need of help, and God is willing to supply help beyond their asking and thinking, guiding with infinite understanding so they can carry out His purposes without error. The Holy One of Israel is not to be limited, for He can do mercifully and abundantly above all that can be thought, including sustaining health and protecting and saving His workers even in dark and dismal fogs like London, and receiving this requires larger faith and vision of His power instead of too little faith that fears He cannot keep them there.

His work through faithful, diligent efforts to share truth at home can bring many souls to salvation, with results greater than the workers expected. His abundant working is to be recognized in the results of genuine missionary service, including service within the home in cooperation with God, for He has done more than people have asked or even imagined. He never fails to do His part but does exceedingly abundantly above all that is asked or thought, and when the love of Christ is experienced and the genuine missionary spirit is brought into the home circle with cooperation with God, His working is seen and calls forth wonder at what He has wrought, and the value of missionary instrumentalities is better understood.

The promise calls believers to value what God can accomplish in them through the power working in them, connected with the Spirit strengthening the inner person, Christ dwelling in the heart through faith, grasping Christ's love and being filled with God's fullness, and to put away self-love and the desire to be first. It means believing and moving forward in faith, hope, and courage, clinging with firm grasp to the Mighty One and working in the strength of Israel's God, carrying out the pure and holy principles of present truth in life and consecrated labor and earnest prayer for others. God is merciful and able to supply all lack, doing more abundantly than can be asked or thought for the one who has a genuine sense of weakness and human inefficiency, humbles the heart low before God, and learns lessons in the school of Christ.

Through the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit truth will conquer evil, and trusting disciples will share a life of victories like Christ's, though those victories may not be visible or appear as victories in this life and will be recognized in the hereafter. The power they need to resist evil and overcome as Christ overcame comes from God, the source of all power, working through them. Christ is able to provide help beyond anything His followers ask or imagine as they resist sinful desires and seek to overcome as He did. In doing God's will people place themselves on the side of the mighty Counselor, who can do more on their behalf than they can ask or think. When they remain faithful and leave their needs in His care, He helps them in every time of need and turns circumstances to provide more than they expected.

This spiritual experience of being strengthened by the Spirit, having Christ dwell in the heart by faith, understanding Christ's love, and being filled with God's fullness, to God's glory in the church through Christ throughout all ages, is needed in order to serve faithfully amid the perils of the last days. It gives the lesson of ceasing to trust in man and making God man's efficiency, wanting more of His infinite workings and less trust in human agents. It means preparing a people to stand by fixing the eye on the cross of Calvary, seeking wisdom from God in most earnest prayer to learn the way of the Lord, seeing in the blood of the Son of the infinite God the cost of transgression of the law, hating the sins that wounded Jesus, and preserving a contrite heart while viewing Jesus as a compassionate tender High Priest.

The Saviour is able and willing to do more than can be asked or even thought for the soul in converse with God and happy contemplation of heavenly things, preparing it for heaven and making its life radiant with an indwelling Saviour seen in every word and deed, and enabling it to labor to gather other souls into the fold. Faithful prayer, including prayer for friends who do not know the truth, can do much good when there is full trust in Him, and consecrated service can bear lasting fruit. He can do far beyond what is asked or thought for those who come in faith and humility and plead until brought into close relationship with Jesus. He strengthens the meek in spirit, the pure and childlike who feel their weakness, with might by His Spirit in the inner man, sends them forth with fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit surrounded by the atmosphere of heaven, makes their influence a positive force for religion, and quickens cold faithless hearts into sensibility and life so they lay burdens at His feet, live by faith, seek the fullness of salvation, and follow Him in the light of life.