214 - THE DIMENSION OF THE MYSTERY - PART 2 OF 3February 14, 1960
Henry F. Kulp
Ephesians 3: 14 - 19 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Here we have Paul’s second prayer in this letter to the church at Ephesus, and I believe these prison prayers of the Apostle Paul call for the deepest reverence and devoted study. I do not think we should hurry over these prayers, but we should analyze them and see what Paul is praying about.
1/ You will notice, first of all, that Paul says he bows his knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the posture. He is bowing before God. In the study of the Bible, we know that standing was a common posture in prayer. Let us get a few Scriptures to prove this point.
I Samuel 1: 26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
Here we have Hannah bringing Samuel to Eli, and she says, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. She stood praying to God.
Matthew 6: 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Here you have the words of Jesus Christ as He talks about the hypocrites, how they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets. That they might be seen of men. The thing I want you to see is that they were standing.
2/ Mark 11: 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Here Jesus Christ says, when you stand praying, forgive. We are not to have ought against anyone, but again it is a matter that they pray in a standing position.
3/ Luke 18: 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
There Jesus Christ tells about the Pharisee who stood and prayed thus with himself. So you can see, they used to stand and pray. But Paul talks about prayer, and he says I have gotten down on my knees before the Lord.
4/ I can remember a few years back when some folks argued with me, because they felt you should always kneel when you pray. Of course, I think it is an acceptable way to pray, and Paul is kneeling here before God.
5/ Paul is so overwhelmed with this prayer that he falls before the Majesty of God. And he fell upon his knees as he continued to dictate this letter. The Ephesians would know that this was no mere outburst of emotion, for the elders of that church were with him at the dock when he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Acts 20: 36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
Prayer can be made to God, sitting or standing, but when the Holy Spirit had gripped you and stirred you intensely, I am sure you will find yourself almost helplessly brought to your knees. It is not necessary to prayer, but kneeling definitely expresses adoration, and confidence to God the Father.
6/ And then as he is speaking of God the Father, Paul says, Ephesians 3: 15 He in whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.
Here we do not understand the whole family to mean the entire human race. We are definitely told in the Word of God, that only those who have Jesus Christ as their Saviour, have God as their Father. And certainly there is no basis to use this Scripture to the modernist contention of the Universal Fatherhood of God.
7/ In chapter two Paul reveals that both believing Jew and Gentile form one household of which God is the Father.
Ephesians 2: 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Notice, Galatians 3: 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Here it tells us that we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. So when we have faith in Jesus Christ, we become part of the family of God, and God is our Father.
8/ Then there is another thing for us to notice that is very important. The whole family is located in Heaven, and on earth. So therefore, this gives the lie to the statement that when we die we just sleep in the grave. Those who are dead to us are living to God above. Certainly they don’t just go to the grave and sleep as many would teach us. There is not a more demon possessed teaching then that. Here the whole family, part of it is Heaven, and part of it is on earth. Those who have died and passed away from the earthly scene are in Heaven, and therefore, not sleeping in the grave.
9/ Then we come to the prayer of Paul, the appeal of Paul. And you will find that it is three-fold, he has three different appeals, three different requests in this portion of Scripture.
10/ First of all that all believers may be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. Again it is necessary for us to see that the Bible makes a distinction between the outer man and the inner man. Man is made up of two main parts. The outward man which is the body that is seen, and the inward man which we do not see, which is the all-important one. This truth is also brought out in II Corinthians 4: 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
11/ We do not need to fear to ask God for strength. We can never ask Him for too much, for He gives according to the riches of His glory. How often we feel limited, weak and powerless, accomplishing very little for the Lord, but the Christian needs to be made strong with a power outside himself, and the Holy Spirit indwelling him is present to strengthen him and to empower him with Divine energy. This power cannot be acquired or purchased. It is given us through the work of the Holy Spirit.
12/ It is necessary for us to notice in conjunction with II Corinthians 4: 16 that the outward man grows weaker, but the inward man should grow stronger. This is a definite rule, and those who put so much emphasis upon Divine healing miss the point completely. We have bodies that are still dominated by sin, we have bodies that are dead, and we can’t expect too much from them. Anyone who has been an athlete, anyone who has been connected with sports knows how the body grows weaker and weaker and weaker. We know it is the normal thing to be put on the shelf as far as doing things we were able to do when we were younger. But this should not be the case with the inner man, the most important one. This inner man should grow stronger day by day, and Paul prays here that we should be strengthened in the inner man by Divine energy.
13/ Then notice the second part, or the second petition—that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, is this not the same thing as when he speaks in another epistle of Christ reigning. It is Christ sitting upon the throne of our heart, dominating and controlling us to the glory of God.
14/ He is not praying that the Ephesian Christians should accept Christ by faith. They had already done this—they could not rightly be called saints if they had not done this. But here he is talking about the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus Christ dominating our every day life.
15/ Then Paul talks about that we would have knowledge and to have this knowledge, he makes it very clear, Paul does, that the saints must be rooted and grounded in love to be able to comprehend a great truth. You will notice, he talked about being rooted and grounded in love. These two truths are very different.
When I was a boy the school teacher used to tell me that I must not mix my metaphors. For instance, I should not start with the figure of a ship and end with that of a railroad, in the same sentence, but the Holy Ghost is independent in His use of metaphors. Rooted like a tree, and grounded like a building which is raised upon a great foundation. Rooted and grounded in love.
16/ When we are rooted and grounded in love we should be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, the length, the depth and heights, of what? Some say of love. But let me ask you, what is he speaking about in this chapter? Why, God’s wonderful purpose of the ages. God’s great plan. Just notice what did Paul endeavor to do in this chapter?
Ephesians 3: 8, 9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
To make all men see what is the mystery that they may be able to comprehend it.
17/ Suppose we were to build a new Sunday School building, which we need and which we would like to have for our church. As we are talking to the architect about this building, and after many hours of discussing it with him and going over the plans, I say to the architect, “I trust we are settled now as to the breadth, the length, the depth and height.” And the architect gets that puzzled expression upon his face and he says “Of what?” “Well, you know what we have been talking about—we have been talking about a new Sunday school building.” That is the same idea here. God is talking about the mystery. God’s plan of the ages and He gives the dimensions of it.
18/ Now in school I was told that no solid could have more than three dimensions. Length, breadth and thickness. But in the dimensions of the mystery, we have four dimensions. Could you draw a picture of this? No, I don’t think you could. Some reason about a fourth dimension but we do not have it in every day life.
19/ Let us look at the dimensions of some of the other things that are brought out in the Bible. First of all, take the earth—it is spoken of in two dimensions.
Genesis 13: 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Here God speaks to Abraham, and He says, arise, walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to thee. Then you can go to the second sphere. That is New Jerusalem. Over in Revelations 21: 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
Here we have the city-foursquare. The length is as large as its breadth, and the length and breadth and height of it are equal. But now the dimensions of the mystery are four dimensions, and so this supercedes everything in the Bible. This is the outstanding program of the Bible.
20/ First of all the breadth—how broad is the mystery? Broad enough to include men of every race, color, and tongue. Before this mystery was made known, God dealt with one nation. It is true that all the nations were to be blessed through this nation, but God gave all His direct dealings through this nation, but this is not true today.
I Timothy 2: 4 - 7 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Romans 10: 12, 13 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
21/ The length of it. How long is the mystery? And this astounds and thrills me.
Ephesians 1: 3, 4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Ephesians 2: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
It was founded before the foundation of the world, and it will go into eternity future—forever and ever. No one can comprehend this with the human mind, but yet it is true, and God brings it out so clearly. The length of it—how long is it? From eternity past to eternity future.
22/ This was hid in God, but God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit made this plan up in ages past. Some folks have asked me, “Why did God create the earth? Why did God create this universe?” For one purpose, God in eternity past, wanted to have an earth filled with those who were in subjection to Him, and a Heaven filled with those who were in subjection to Him, and so everything was founded upon this eternal program, this eternal plan of God.
23/ The depth of it? How deep is the mystery? Just stop and think.
Ephesians 2: 1 - 3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Think of the depth of sin, and this truth reaches right down to the depth of sin and takes the child of God who is shackled by the course of this age, by Satan and by his flesh, and draws him out and picks him up and saves him.
24/ How high is it? That certainly is not hard to find out.
Ephesians 2: 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Here we are seated in Heavenly places, in the super-heavens, far above all principalities and powers.
25/ Now we come to the doxology. In the following Scriptures, the Apostle Paul concludes this portion of his letter. You’ll notice here in Ephesians 3: 20 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,
He is able to do all that we ask or think. And He is able to do above all that we ask or think. He is able to do exceeding above all that we ask or think. Think of it—this power and ability of God surpasses anything we can comprehend with our human mind.
26/ Here Paul prays that we may know the unknowable. Just look at a little baby in its mother’s arms. Looking up and cooing and responding to the mother’s smile and love. You and I might say, “Let me take the little one,” and we would hold out our hands. And it would look at us, and this has happened to me so often, and it would cling more tightly to the mother, and if we should insist upon taking it, it might start crying and screaming because it wants no part of us. We are not the mother, and the child is actually saying, I do not know you. I don’t know if you like babies or not, I do not know if I can trust you. And it is actually saying, I know I can trust my mother, I know my mother loves me. And yet what does the baby know of the love of a mother? Does it understand the reasons behind a mother’s love? No, of course not, but it enjoys it nevertheless.
And so the youngest saint in Christ knows about how God can care for him and watch over him. And the oldest saint, the most mature saint is still not able to comprehend all this that God has put at his disposal, but still he enjoys it, he rests in it, he finds security in it.
AMEN
Ref: 02/14/1960 / 214 - THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MYSTERY - PART 2 OF 3 / 10/06/2020
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