THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21
As salt and light in this world, as the people of faith commissioned to take the Gospel to every creature, we must stay refreshed in the source of our sufficiency. It is easy for us to lose our focus and begin to question if this mission is possible. Churches who lose their vision and purpose tend to drift toward complacency or redirect their energy. They often become only keepers of the aquarium rather than continuing to be fishers of men.
What is it that keeps us motivated and believing in our purpose in our darkening world? One thing is remembering whose ability we are counting on. Our text tells us that He “is able.” It is not about our ability, but God’s. He is not simply able; He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” When we add these terms together, it bolsters our confidence in Him. He can do more, much more, exceedingly more, than we can imagine. Jesus wants to work through His churches today, as much as He ever has. When He does the work, He gets the glory. “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus.”
These verses contain the great promise of His ability and the great purpose of His glory; but they also give us the channel of this great power, “according to the power that worketh in us.” God will work through us as He works in us. When we read and rejoice over the mighty way Jesus performed miracles and preached the Gospel, we know that His outward ministry was a manifestation of the Father working in and through Him. The dynamic testimony of the churches in the Book of Acts, their bold evangelism and successful church planting was the result of what God was doing in the believers and churches. He “is able…according to the power that worketh in us.” God has chosen to do His work through His churches.
As we think about the needs of our communities and the world at large, we should not doubt whether our work could be successful. We have been promised His ability. We should be keenly interested in seeing God work powerfully in our hearts, earnestly seeking to live surrendered lives, and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.