Infinitely

 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Ephesians 3:20....."When we hear what Jesus has done, we hear His longing to do more." Chris Tiegreen

We may quote Ephesians 3:20 a lot, but how many of us are experiencing the truth of this promise in our lives? How many of us are entering into the "more" of God in our day to day living? We preach about it, sing about it, and confess that we believe it, but how many of us are experiencing more of Him, His wonder, His life, His abundance, His beauty, than we ever thought possible? How real is all of it to you?

We live so far beneath His promise(s). He sets a bounty before us, and we satisfy ourselves with the crumbs that fall from His table. He promises grace "greater than all our sin," yet we keep living in cycles of sinful and destructive behaviors. He promises victory, hard fought at times to be sure, but we experience more defeat than victory. It's the same with so much of the fulfillment of His promises. He promises the realization of more joy, peace, rest, strength, courage, and the ability to press on, then we could ever believe possible, but we remain like the Israelites who stood at the border of the land promised and already given them by God, yet wavering at entering. 

The reason for it all is not difficult to ascertain. Paul, the author of Ephesians says that our realization of the fullness of His power, presence, and life, is contingent upon how much of that life fills our heart and soul. He said it would be "according to His mighty power at work within us." We live in a fallen world that is set up to try and crush the life out of us, physically and spiritually. Those who give themselves to Him are promised His inner life, presence, and power, which He says will always be greater than he (the devil) and all that he uses to come against us. Our problem is that though we may have received Him by faith, we have never cultivated His life within us by faith. We end up trying to counter the pressures and attacks of a fallen world and the enemy of our souls that's behind it in our own strength. We are not walking in the fullness of His life and so we know the rumor of His promised life, but not its reality. The failure must be laid at the foot of the church itself. We have failed to lead people into the reality of His fullness and power.

We have failed because we have concentrated upon a message designed to make people feel comfortable in a world that is set against them. We have too often told them how they can have "their best life now," while sharing little or nothing of His life. We have fed their flesh and starved their spirits. We have emphasized personal contentment over the joy and wonder of Holy Spirit life. Instead of leading them deeper into His life and Spirit, we've led them deeper into their own flesh life. We've exchanged comfort for the power of the cross.

This world is passing. Indeed, it's collapsing at an ever-quickening pace. He means for His people to live above that collapse, not be crushed by it. If you are an actual follower of Christ, are you nurturing His life within you, or do you nurture your own wants and desires? Wherever you are in your journey of faith, He promises more of Himself. More beauty, wonder, and victory than we have ever believed possible. Do you desire it? Or, will you continue to desire more of and for yourself? How you answer is determined by the amount of His life at work within you.

Blessings,
Pastor O