Ephesians Explained | Grace SwaggerSample

Day 4 | Ephesians 3 | Rooted & Established

Hey hey Through the Word. Ephesians 3 today, and we begin with a gardening question. If I want to grow fruit where should I pour the water: on the fruit or on the root?

Now before you send me kind but condescending emails, I know the answer. But I remember as a kid trying to water the fruit because that’s the part I wanted to grow! Now don’t worry, I’ve grown up now and I know better. But some of us still attempt it spiritually speaking. We want more fruit like love, and joy, and peace, kindness, self-control… You know, the fruit of the Spirit the stuff that makes life good. So we try really hard to love and rejoice and be kind and at peace. But why is it so difficult?

And for that matter, why hasn’t Ephesians mentioned those yet? Three chapters in and not one command to love or be kind. No how-to’s on marriage or parenting or the stuff I deal with every day.

Now we’ll get there in chapter 4, but first a lesson from the gardener: water the root, not the fruit. And dig your roots into good dirt. How do we do that? Ephesians 3. We left off with one of the Bible’s essential verses:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).

God’s phenomenal plan was to save us; not by works, but by grace alone at the cross. Jesus did all the work. 

And the result of that grace: the walls that divided us are destroyed. His purpose was to make us one “built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His spirit.” No longer are we separated standing at a distance from God’s temple. We are the temple. God dwells in us together. 

So in chapter 3:

“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...” (Ephesians 3:1).

Now something funny happens here. Paul is just about to share what he prays for the Ephesians perhaps my favorite prayer in all the Bible. But he interrupts himself for twelve verses to explain why he calls himself “the prisoner of Christ.” Paul is literally a prisoner in Rome. They arrested him for - well - for preaching the gospel. But it wasn’t just the gospel. It was the effect that the gospel had. The gospel brought people together that didn’t normally go together. Different classes, different colors, different politics - different. All saved by grace, and united by Christ. Beautiful.

But for those who didn’t believe, it was disturbing. The Jewish leaders were particularly upset that Paul preached to the Gentiles and brought Jews and Gentiles together. That stirred up trouble, and Paul wound up in jail several times. And so Paul calls himself a prisoner... 

“....for the sake of you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1).

But he wants to make it clear they’re worth it. So he pauses to explain... 

“...about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you” (Ephesians 3:2).

Here grace still means a gift, but now Paul is talking about his calling. Salvation is a gift, and calling is a gift. Paul didn’t deserve it, neither do I, neither do you. But we are responsible for it. 

So Paul explains his calling. In verse 3, God revealed a mystery to him; something unknown to previous generations and now Paul has to share it. In verse 6:

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).

The fantastic, phenomenal mystery revealed is unity. We are one in Jesus. It happens “through the gospel,” the truth of grace, that Jesus died in our place. That unifies us. 

Now don’t miss this. Unity is not just a happy little side-effect of your salvation, it is God’s purpose. Look at the words Paul uses: God’s intent, His eternal purpose. And yes, living it out it will be messy. It landed Paul in chains. But it was worth it. 

Paul calls himself a “servant of this gospel” by God’s grace. Verse 8:

“Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

Paul was given the incredible gift: the calling to reach the outsiders with the love of Jesus and bring them in. Would that we all might have such a calling. And now, because we are in Jesus, we all... 

“...may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

So Paul says - don’t be discouraged about my suffering. You’re worth it. You - the Gentiles - the outsiders.

And so Paul returns to the prayer that he interrupted, and he kneels before the Father in verse 15:

“…from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (Ephesians 3:15). 

I think Paul is saying that the whole concept of family comes from God our Father. The Greek word “family” is derived from “father,” and our Father in Heaven is calling us all to be His family. Verse 16:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:16-17).

The word dwell doesn’t just mean be present. It means to settle down and feel completely at home. When you can feel like that in someone else’s space, that’s a good friend. And I pray that Jesus feels that way in your heart. And not just you alone - your church. Together. How? Through faith. Back in verse 17:

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love…” (Ephesians 3:17).

Pause there. Rooted and established. Picture a great tree stretching wide and growing tall. I love a good tree, but the real secret is the roots. The roots dig into the ground to find nutrients and water and life. Roots wrap themselves around rocks and establish the tree firmly to withstand storm and quake. In a drought they dig deep to find water. And Paul wants us rooted and established in love. 

If you want the fruit of your life to be love, water the root, not the fruit. Dig deep. Abide in Jesus. He is the vine, we are the branches. Abide in His love. Drink it in through your very roots.

Paul’s prayer continues, that you…

“.…may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19).

I love this prayer. It’s a prayer for all of us "together." Jesus' love is meant to be received together. 

To grasp - the word there is more than just know or understand. It means to lay hold of and make one’s own. To wrap your brain around it and grab hold of something so big. 

“...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ...” (Ephesians 3:18).

Years ago, I was sitting at the beach staring at the Pacific Ocean - vast and wider than I could ever see - and I was reading this verse. And I thought about it, “My love is probably about the size of my heart.” Which I heard is the size of my fist. And I looked at my fist and I looked at the ocean. And I considered the width and length and depth of Jesus’ love. The Pacific Ocean is twelve thousand miles across and ninety-six hundred wide. It runs as deep as thirty-six thousand feet. 

How could I possibly know a love as great as Jesus? How can I grasp it with a heart so small? So Paul prays that we would...

“...know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19).

The word "know" here means know from experience. Like conocer in Spanish. You can’t fit it in your heart or your brain, but you can live in it. You can sink your roots into it and let it run through your heart to reach others. Verse 20:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

And to that I say, amen!

Join us next time as we continue the journey one chapter at a time. And remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word.