“Praying for Unity” on Ephesians 3:14-21 by Joe Ellis — November 3, 2024
You can read the letter of Ephesians as divided in two parts. Chapter 1-3 focus more on what God has done and chapters 4-6 focus more on how to live in response. It's not as clear cut as that, but in the first three chapters, Paul’s primary emphasis is that through the death of Christ, God has torn down the dividing wall of hostility between all people groups. Put another way, the blood of Christ and subsequent gift of the Spirit are the only factor that determines whether one is in Christ.
For the first Christians, that meant that Jews and Gentiles would need to learn how to be friends, whereas previously they would not even eat together. This is one of God’s grandest achievements, so much so that Paul says that God declares His wisdom of reconciliation by pointing at the unity in the church.
The first three chapters of Ephesians powerfully declare the Gospel of reconciliation — the only basis for membership in the Church is having been forgiven through Jesus Christ. But do you ever feel uneasy about this proclamation? In emphasizing the blood of Christ as the only criteria for being in God’s family, you may have felt that this is exceptionally difficult to live out. Living in unity on the basis of Christ and his sacrifice is incredibly difficult when there are differences in belief around what right behaviour is appropriate as a Christian.
And that’s a big part of what Paul addresses in chapters 4 through 6. Paul explores specific ways for how to live into this vision of unity that he set out in Ephesians 2 and 3. There is a tension in doing this, isn’t there? The tension is because in the first three chapters Paul is talking about how obeying the law is no longer the determining factor for who is in and who is out. The huge behavioural criteria list is removed! But, Paul doesn’t go so far as to say how we live then doesn’t matter. If behaviour does matter, which it does, some might worry that you end up saying something that is the opposite of the Gospel, like this: “At the end of the day, it's not the blood of Christ that determines whether you can participate in our community — it is how you behave.”
So, how does Paul engage talk about behaviour? I want to name two things I see Paul doing when he talks about behaviour — the first will frame our conversation for the next several weeks, the second frames our conversation right now. First, when Paul talks about behaviour, it's always in light of what God has done in Christ through the Spirit. Paul always, always frames what he says about behaviour in light of what Christ has done and is doing through the Spirit, and what He will do when He redeems all things. For Paul, our behaviour is always tied up with what God has done in us and in the world. We’ll talk more about that in the weeks to come. For now, I want you to notice something else. As Paul is shifting from talk about what God has done in Christ, to a more explicit focus on behaviour — Paul prays. Yes, he prays!
After framing that Jews and Gentiles are unified because of what God has done in Christ — and before Paul talks about how we are to live in response to that sacrifice, Paul prays. He prays earnestly. His posture reflects the earnestness of His prayer. Notice Paul describes his posture in 3:14: “I kneel before the Father.” Paul falls to his knees in prayer — a posture of humility and reverence.
And as he prays, Paul has an awareness that it is not up to him to make God’s unifying vision work out (Paul knows his role, but it's not ultimately his responsibility). This is God’s project, Paul knows this, and so Paul prays. Paul prays to the Father, “from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.” (v. 15) Christian unity begins in the Father and ends in the Father — the only way we are able to participate in God’s family is because the Father has bade us welcome according to His plan which He set forth before the foundation of the world.
So, as we seek unity amongst our sisters and brothers, we would pray to the One whose idea this was in the first place. That’s exactly to whom Paul addresses His prayer: To the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes his name.”
And then we read Paul’s prayer in v. 16-21. What a rich, beautiful, powerful prayer of blessing Paul prays. Is this different than how you might pray for someone who drives you nuts, who’s behaviour you find extremely problematic?
When you pray for that person, how might you pray for him or her? If you’re like me, you might pray for the specific behaviour you want to see changed. “O Lord, please get them to stop being such a jerk.” “Lord, change them to be how I want them to be.” I’m not saying we can’t pray those prayers, but Paul’s prayers are always so much bigger than that.
Paul doesn’t begin with praying into specific behavioural changes he wants to see. Rather he prays for blessing. It's almost as though if God answers His bigger prayer and fills the person with His fullness, the rest will take care of itself. Notice the difference between these two prayers?
The first way, “Dear heavenly Father, I’m concerned about my friends drinking habits. I’m worried he is just drinking too much — I want to ask you to help him stop drinking so much beer.” We certainly can pray along those lines — but not before we pray that way Paul prayed:
The second way, “That, according to the riches of Your glory, O God, that You may grant my friend to be strengthened in their inner-most being with power through Your Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in their heart through faith, so that they are rooted and grounded in Your love. I pray that my friend might have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Your love and power, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that my friend may be filled with all the fullness of God. Amen.”
What’s it like to not first pray for a behavioural change? — but to pray sheer abundant blessing, trusting in the overflowing generous love of God. What’s it like to pray for someone you would most like to see changed? — and pray that they might know the unfathomable, overwhelming, awe-inspiring love of Christ Jesus! What is it like to pray for someone, without agenda, that they might be filled with the fullness of God? What is it like to believe that God hears this prayer of yours?
Paul shows us a most important first step when we are troubled by people who behave in ways we think are unbecoming of a Christ follower. Paul doesn’t say don’t talk about beliefs. Paul doesn’t say, don’t address behaviours. But in both he calls on us to pray unceasingly for that person.
Perhaps our first answer to the question of how we maintain unity in our church might not be “well, we all just need to think the same,” (although that would be nice). Perhaps our answer to the question of how we maintain unity isn’t even, “we all act the same.” (Although that would also be really nice — especially if you all conformed to my expectations). Rather, perhaps our first answer to the question of how we maintain unity in our church might be, “we never stop praying for each other to be filled with the fullness of the love of Jesus.”
Who do you need to bless this week by praying Paul’s prayer over them?