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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
I get to cheat a little bit today. I have been working through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in the weekly Bible study I lead. These verses come at the end of a prayer of hope for the church. Thus the ending with “Amen.”
I call these last two verses the “Sublime Doxology.” First, notice the statement of praise at the beginning that transcends anything we could imagine or ask. We tend to make God too small and put him in a box. We often pray in a way where we think we can control him and get the “goodies” for which we ask. (like Santa) But “42” has and always will have in mind something far grander than we could ever even comprehend, and we have to trust that his love for us is beyond our comprehension.
Next, the Sublime Doxology points to the power of God at work in Christ and us. Notice that this power makes Christ and his church one; heaven and earth are united! Therefore, our job is to be faithfully present in our here and now, making known the one who transcends all understanding.
Lastly, these promises are passed down throughout the generations of the church and are passed to future generations. I find great comfort in these words because we get so caught up in saving or revitalizing the church with programs and such, and we seldom step back and realize that the Triune God of Grace has got this!
But let us not forget the presence of that one word that we say so much but seldom give it much thought; “Amen.” It is a divine stamp that Jesus would use to get people’s attention, but also to definitively declare that what is said is absolutely “true.”
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