perisseia `superfluity' (Jas. 1:21) shows that it ranks with the words huperbole

and huperballo as a word indicating excess, even to extravagance were not God

Himself and all His resources the pledge of fulfilment.  As one looks back over

the revelation that has been given in these three chapters of Ephesians, the

heart may well quail at the prospect of rising to any level of appreciation or

approximation, but this the apostle answers by pointing a way to God Himself as

One Who is able to do `exceeding abundantly'.

Ephesians 1:3 opened our study with the words `Blessed be God'.  Ephesians

3:21 concludes our study with this marvellous doxology, and here the doctrinal

portion of this mighty epistle reaches its utmost limit.  The fulness of God as

expressed in the love of Christ fills all breadth, length, depth and height.

All that lies beyond is not a matter of present revelation, and therefore cannot

form part of present Christian doctrine.  We can end on one note only, a note of

thanksgiving and of praise.  It is fitting that a section which opens with a

benediction `Blessed be God Who hath blessed us' should close with a doxology

`Now unto Him ... be glory'.  We shall appreciate this sublime doxology the

better if we observe that it falls into three parts.

Him to Whom the praise is given.

The medium through which this praise will be offered.

The duration of this adoration.

`Now unto Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask

or think'.  This is the character of the One to Whom such a prayer as that of

Ephesians 3 can alone be made.  Here we learn that even when we breathe these

inspired petitions, we shall not apprehend one half of the magnitude of our

request.  God however does not limit our praying or His answers to our

apprehension.  He is able to exceed all our asking and all our thinking, and one

of the reasons may be suggested in the next clause, `According to the power that

worketh in us'.

In the opening of the prayer the limitless source of supply is revealed --

`According to the riches of His glory'.  In the doxology the equally limitless

power that answers these requests is made known.

What is this

mighty power that works both in us and that moves the very

arm of God?  It is

presupposed that the teaching of Ephesians 1 will have been

grasped before the

teaching of Ephesians 3 is reached.  In that early chapter

the apostle prayed

that we may know:

`What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe,

according to the working (inworking) of His mighty power, which He wrought

in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead ... far above all ... Head

over all things to the church ... the fulness of Him that filleth all in

all' (Eph. 1:19-23).

The power that answers the prayer of Ephesians 3, is the power that raised

Christ from the dead, that placed Him at the right hand of God, that put all

things under His feet.

It is understandable that one may say `I do not feel this mighty power;

should I not be conscious of it if such

a power were associated with my Christian life?'  In chapter 2 we read that the

unsaved are energized by a mighty spiritual power, yet at the same time such

walk according to the age of this world, that is, they are just ordinary people.