In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
In Christ believers have free and confident approach to God through faith in Him, as part of the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus, the mystery long hidden in God and now revealed that Gentiles are fellowheirs of the same body and partakers of His promise by the gospel, to make known by the church the manifold wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places. This boldness is not self-confidence but humble trust in Him that gives access to Jesus Christ and lifts the believer into courage and confidence to be held by faith, shown in reaching heavenward and in well-ordered godly conduct that glorifies God. Through that faith believers may come to God with assurance that Christ cares for each person individually, was clothed with humanity and tempted as they are, and is now at the right hand of God as Advocate interceding for the tried and tempted and supplying divine strength to meet temptation. Christ is to be revealed in all who are united to Him by faith through truth that works by love and purifies the soul, and through them the gospel work is to be accomplished and the principles of God's law demonstrated to an unbelieving world. The message is for believers now because the end is near, calling every minister and every worker to earnest travail for souls, heart searching and prayer, united world-wide proclamation of truth and the last warning, and full turning to God today to receive mercy and abundant pardon.
Context and Meaning
The verse belongs to Paul's letter to the saints at Ephesus, written after much labor for that church, and is to be read in connection with the message to Ephesus. It stands within the first chapters of the epistle, which are words of commendation showing the outflowing of his love. There it forms part of a precious prayer offered in their behalf, giving large and full encouragement about boldness and access with confidence through faith in Christ.
In Christ believers have free and confident approach to God through trust in Him, according to the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This belongs to the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the world and now revealed. That revealed mystery is that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. Its intent is that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known unto principalities and powers in heavenly places.
Boldness here is not self-confidence but boldness in the Word. It comes from placing oneself in a humble position before God, giving access to Jesus Christ and lifting the believer up into the confidence, boldness and courage that must be held by faith in Him. It is shown by reaching heavenward and by purposing in conduct and well-ordered godly character to glorify the God of heaven. Through Christ the verse thus presents the divine-human family, in whom believers have boldness and confident access to God by faith.
Through faith in Christ believers may approach God with boldness and confidence, assured that Christ cares for each person, intercedes for those tried and tempted, and provides divine strength. The chapter is therefore to be read and practiced as a basis for meeting temptation with courage and faith. That confident access means having courage in the Lord and grasping rich blessings by faith. It means trusting Christ who is with His people always even to the end of the world, who was clothed with humanity and tempted in all points as they are and knows how to succor those tempted, and who is now in heaven at the right hand of God as Advocate making intercession for tried, tempted ones, thinking of each individually and knowing every necessity. It means giving self unreservedly to Him who cares, loves and died, committing the keeping of the soul to God as a faithful Creator instead of mourning over self, opening the heart to Christ, allowing no doubt or unbelief in word or breath, talking only courage and strength and faith, and bearing a living testimony for God under all circumstances.
Charge to Church Today
Ephesians 3 teaches the work done for everyone who is saved, that Christ is to be revealed in believers and through them. The church through whom this is done includes all who are united to Christ by faith and embrace the truth that works by love and purifies the soul, and through them the gospel work is to be accomplished. The whole third chapter is a lesson for all teachers, all ministers of the gospel, and all who occupy responsible positions in the work of God. Those who believe the truth must manifest its characteristics and demonstrate the principles of the law of God to an unbelieving world. If professed believers who should be ensamples to the flock act out the perversity of the sinner and manifest imperfections of character and set a wrong example in spirit or action in the family, in the school, in the church, or in the world, they need conversion before they can be trusted with responsibilities. Such deficiency and departure from righteous principles separates the soul from God so it 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 in spiritual discernment, in choice of words, or in care to preserve the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. Unless converted they should be advised to take up some other calling or other work where they will not in character act the spirit of the unbeliever and lead others in the wrong direction.
Ephesians 3:7-21 is for every minister in every conference, whether formally ordained or not, to read carefully and prayerfully as for himself. It belongs to the privilege of every shepherd of the flock and calls for earnest travail for souls rather than casual interest. It calls for earnest heart searching and prayerful seeking to know God and the power of His grace, and for a religious experience not tame and commonplace but marked by grace and the decided working of the power of God with human effort. The message of Ephesians 3 is for believers now because the end is near. It calls them to take hold of God in earnest and to do earnest, united, world-wide work in a short time to proclaim the truth and the last message of warning and salvation, carrying the burden Paul carried. It means lifting the voice to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins that are hindering the proclamation. It means arousing to an understanding of true position in the face of swift coming judgments, putting away alienation, self-seeking and working at cross-purposes with God, refusing Satan's plans to keep workers out of the work, and taking up God's work intelligently and with one voice. It means heeding the Lord lest He come suddenly and find His people unready, for there will be no second probation, and turning fully to Him now while it is called today to receive mercy and abundant pardon.
The words containing this truth about boldness and access with confidence by faith in Christ according to the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus, belonging to the revealed mystery that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, to the intent that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to principalities and powers in heavenly places, are to be read to hearers and impressed upon their minds and read most solemnly. This is because the instruction they contain means much, exposing a hard-spirited condition from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. It calls for a great reformation in lives, words, works and spiritual understanding, so that believers catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathe the atmosphere of heaven. The verse is a lesson for all to study by looking to God and seeking wisdom from God in most earnest prayer, and then learning the way of the Lord as no human voice or counsel can teach. In that study the human agent will see that transgression of the law caused the price of the blood of the Son of the infinite God to redeem him, will hate the sins that wounded Jesus, and will preserve a contrite heart while viewing Jesus as a compassionate tender High Priest. The revealed truth that works by love and purifies the soul, given as part of the eternal purpose in Christ in whom free confident approach to God is given through trust in Him and belonging to the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the world and now revealed, is to be cherished and understood by diligent study. Spiritualistic ideas about God are to be shunned, and mysteries God has not revealed are to be left with Him, since human minds would not know how to handle the Lord's treasures of wisdom without tarnishing His glory.
In Christ believers have free and confident approach to God through faith in Him, as part of the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus, the mystery long hidden in God and now revealed that Gentiles are fellowheirs of the same body and partakers of His promise by the gospel, to make known by the church the manifold wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places. This boldness is not self-confidence but humble trust in Him that gives access to Jesus Christ and lifts the believer into courage and confidence to be held by faith, shown in reaching heavenward and in well-ordered godly conduct that glorifies God. Through that faith believers may come to God with assurance that Christ cares for each person individually, was clothed with humanity and tempted as they are, and is now at the right hand of God as Advocate interceding for the tried and tempted and supplying divine strength to meet temptation. Christ is to be revealed in all who are united to Him by faith through truth that works by love and purifies the soul, and through them the gospel work is to be accomplished and the principles of God's law demonstrated to an unbelieving world. The message is for believers now because the end is near, calling every minister and every worker to earnest travail for souls, heart searching and prayer, united world-wide proclamation of truth and the last warning, and full turning to God today to receive mercy and abundant pardon.
Context and Meaning
The verse belongs to Paul's letter to the saints at Ephesus, written after much labor for that church, and is to be read in connection with the message to Ephesus. It stands within the first chapters of the epistle, which are words of commendation showing the outflowing of his love. There it forms part of a precious prayer offered in their behalf, giving large and full encouragement about boldness and access with confidence through faith in Christ.
In Christ believers have free and confident approach to God through trust in Him, according to the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This belongs to the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the world and now revealed. That revealed mystery is that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. Its intent is that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known unto principalities and powers in heavenly places.
Boldness here is not self-confidence but boldness in the Word. It comes from placing oneself in a humble position before God, giving access to Jesus Christ and lifting the believer up into the confidence, boldness and courage that must be held by faith in Him. It is shown by reaching heavenward and by purposing in conduct and well-ordered godly character to glorify the God of heaven. Through Christ the verse thus presents the divine-human family, in whom believers have boldness and confident access to God by faith.
Through faith in Christ believers may approach God with boldness and confidence, assured that Christ cares for each person, intercedes for those tried and tempted, and provides divine strength. The chapter is therefore to be read and practiced as a basis for meeting temptation with courage and faith. That confident access means having courage in the Lord and grasping rich blessings by faith. It means trusting Christ who is with His people always even to the end of the world, who was clothed with humanity and tempted in all points as they are and knows how to succor those tempted, and who is now in heaven at the right hand of God as Advocate making intercession for tried, tempted ones, thinking of each individually and knowing every necessity. It means giving self unreservedly to Him who cares, loves and died, committing the keeping of the soul to God as a faithful Creator instead of mourning over self, opening the heart to Christ, allowing no doubt or unbelief in word or breath, talking only courage and strength and faith, and bearing a living testimony for God under all circumstances.
Charge to Church Today
Ephesians 3 teaches the work done for everyone who is saved, that Christ is to be revealed in believers and through them. The church through whom this is done includes all who are united to Christ by faith and embrace the truth that works by love and purifies the soul, and through them the gospel work is to be accomplished. The whole third chapter is a lesson for all teachers, all ministers of the gospel, and all who occupy responsible positions in the work of God. Those who believe the truth must manifest its characteristics and demonstrate the principles of the law of God to an unbelieving world. If professed believers who should be ensamples to the flock act out the perversity of the sinner and manifest imperfections of character and set a wrong example in spirit or action in the family, in the school, in the church, or in the world, they need conversion before they can be trusted with responsibilities. Such deficiency and departure from righteous principles separates the soul from God so it 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 in spiritual discernment, in choice of words, or in care to preserve the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. Unless converted they should be advised to take up some other calling or other work where they will not in character act the spirit of the unbeliever and lead others in the wrong direction.
Ephesians 3:7-21 is for every minister in every conference, whether formally ordained or not, to read carefully and prayerfully as for himself. It belongs to the privilege of every shepherd of the flock and calls for earnest travail for souls rather than casual interest. It calls for earnest heart searching and prayerful seeking to know God and the power of His grace, and for a religious experience not tame and commonplace but marked by grace and the decided working of the power of God with human effort. The message of Ephesians 3 is for believers now because the end is near. It calls them to take hold of God in earnest and to do earnest, united, world-wide work in a short time to proclaim the truth and the last message of warning and salvation, carrying the burden Paul carried. It means lifting the voice to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins that are hindering the proclamation. It means arousing to an understanding of true position in the face of swift coming judgments, putting away alienation, self-seeking and working at cross-purposes with God, refusing Satan's plans to keep workers out of the work, and taking up God's work intelligently and with one voice. It means heeding the Lord lest He come suddenly and find His people unready, for there will be no second probation, and turning fully to Him now while it is called today to receive mercy and abundant pardon.
The words containing this truth about boldness and access with confidence by faith in Christ according to the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus, belonging to the revealed mystery that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, to the intent that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to principalities and powers in heavenly places, are to be read to hearers and impressed upon their minds and read most solemnly. This is because the instruction they contain means much, exposing a hard-spirited condition from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. It calls for a great reformation in lives, words, works and spiritual understanding, so that believers catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathe the atmosphere of heaven. The verse is a lesson for all to study by looking to God and seeking wisdom from God in most earnest prayer, and then learning the way of the Lord as no human voice or counsel can teach. In that study the human agent will see that transgression of the law caused the price of the blood of the Son of the infinite God to redeem him, will hate the sins that wounded Jesus, and will preserve a contrite heart while viewing Jesus as a compassionate tender High Priest. The revealed truth that works by love and purifies the soul, given as part of the eternal purpose in Christ in whom free confident approach to God is given through trust in Him and belonging to the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the world and now revealed, is to be cherished and understood by diligent study. Spiritualistic ideas about God are to be shunned, and mysteries God has not revealed are to be left with Him, since human minds would not know how to handle the Lord's treasures of wisdom without tarnishing His glory.