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Then, having been rooted and grounded in love, 18 you will be able to

POWER FOR THE CHURCH understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep
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Ephesians 3:1421 that is, you will know the love of the Messiahwhich transcends
knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to the
Opening Thought one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according
1) Imagine that in your town there is a homeless person who is notorious
to the power that is working among us21 to him be glory in the church
for his unkempt appearance and desperate existence. He sleeps on the
and in the Messiah Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
street and eats out of dumpsters. He spurns all offers of help. Now imagine
that this man dies, and authorities subsequently discover he was actually
an heir of a vast fortune. In fact, the papers report that he died with more Understanding the Text
than a billion dollars in the bank! What would you conclude about him? 2) Why does Paul pray for strength in your inner being? (vv. 1419)

answer: starting with v. 14, Paul describes the action of praying as


Background of the Passage bending his knees before the Father. Pauls prayers for his readers are
Many churchgoers are woefully ignorant of the vast spiritual wealth that is deeply heartfelt. Paul prays to the Father, communicating the intimacy
theirs in Christ. They know a good deal about the bible and the Christian of Gods relationship with believers. As Father, God has adopted us into
faith, and yet fail to live by these truths. A mere spiritual existence is a his family [recall Ephesians 1:5] and made us his heirs [recall Ephesians
tragedy, for as Paul reminded the Ephesians in the first part of his epistle, 1:11]. We are part of his household [recall Ephesians 2:1922], and by his
the children of God possess riches and resources beyond measure. We Spirit we may speak with him freely and without fear [recall Ephesians
have the capacity to experience an abundant life (John 10:10). In order for 2:18; 3:12]. Next in v. 15, every family in heaven is a referral to the
God to receive the glory he deserves and in order for us to find the theological principle of plenitude.
fulfilment and purpose for which we were created, we need God to move
in our hearts. We need illumination and motivation. It is important that we Jerome [4th century] commentates on this principle via v. 15, by saying:
not only understand the truth of all that we possess in Christ, but also that Before any discussion we must note that he did not say from whom every
we are divinely enabled to live out our great salvation. This is Pauls fatherhood in heaven and earth is born but from whom every fatherhood
magnificent intercession for the Ephesians. In a passionate pastoral prayer in heaven and earth is named. For it is one thing to merit the name of
he gives a glimpse of the kind of rich existence that is possible when we father, another to have a natural relation. I have searched about in
are filled with all the fullness of God. scripture asking whether the word fatherhood is ever applied to the
Gentiles. I have found nothing except the 21st psalm [Vulgate; Psalm
22:29], and all the fatherhoods of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight,
Bible Passage and the 28th [Vulgate; Psalm 29], Give to the Lord, fatherhoods of the
Read Ephesians 3:1421
Gentiles, bring him the young of rams. Think by this analogy: As God
exists, God allows the term existence to be applied to creatures as well.
To Know the Messiahs Love
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This is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord So we say that creatures exist and subsist, not so as to imply that they exist
Jesus, the Messiah, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth in and of themselves as God exists, but as a derived existence enabled by
receives its name. 16 I pray that he would give you, according to his God. According to this same argument, God allows the term fatherhood
glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit, to be given to creatures. So by analogy to his fathering we can understand
17
and that the Messiah would make his home in your hearts through faith. creaturely fathering.
Similarly, as the only good One, he makes others good. As the only Thus, Jesus is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and
immortal One, God has bestowed immortality on others. As the only true every name that can be named. [recall Ephesians 1:21]. If E.T. exists,
One, he imparts the name of truth. So also the Father alone, being Creator Christians need not worry! Paul clarifies this elsewhere, I am convinced
of all and the cause of the subsistence of all things, makes it possible for that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor
other creatures to be called fathers. things to come, nor powers, nor anything above, nor anything below, nor
anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is
Not only has God made a diverse humanity, he is also the creator of the ours in union with the Messiah Jesus, our Lord. [Romans 8:38-39].
heavenly angelic realm in all of its diversity in authorities and roles. Thus
God could be the creator of other sentient life within this universe, not just Origin [2nd century] summarises: Human nature cannot by itself maintain
earthly creatures, humans, and angels. If E.T. exists, their ultimate the struggle against angels and heights and depths and any other
existence and name derives from the Father. As Isaiah says, Lift your creature; but when it has felt the Lord to be present and dwelling within, it
eyes up to heaven and see who created all thesethe one who leads out will say in the confidence of receiving divine help: The Lord is my light
their vast array of stars by number, calling them all by namebecause of and my salvation; whom shall I fear? [Psalm 27:1]
his great might and his powerful strengthand not one is missing. [Isaiah
40:26]. This language is reminiscent of ancient Near Eastern ideas that the A point should be made in regards to E.T., especially since we live in the
stars are divine beings, though from science, stars are planets, suns, or 21st century [even though the early church discussed the possibility of E.T.
galaxies. In fact, Paul made an astonishing clarification [thus affirming our via the principle of plenitude]. We have seen above that Christians can
scientific context] that these stars are not really gods at all [Galatians explain the reality of the gospel, even if E.T. exists! However, we must
4:8], and that, one star differs from another star in splendour [1 also entertain the possibility that, if they do exist, what kind of technology
Corinthians 15:41]. Instead, Paul asks about the beings who operate behind is needed to successfully make a trip to us? Can they ever reach us?
these celestial objects: how can you turn back again to those powerless Comprehending the distances between stars seems beyond our imaginative
and bankrupt elemental spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves capacity. To say that the nearest star [Proxima Centauri] is 39.9 x 1012 km
all over again? [Galatians 4:9]. The point is quite profound: behind these away, simply does not help. Here are two bright stars, -Centauri and -
cosmic objects constitute real beings [spiritual, and possibly physical], that Centauri. The faint red star in the red circle is Proxima Centauri.
occupy the worship and praise within pagan religion. Therefore, for the
Israelites, Moses says, Do not gaze toward the heavens and observe the
sun, the moon, the starsthe entire array of the skywith the intent to
worship and serve what the Lord your God gave every nation. For the
Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnaceout of
Egyptto be the people of his inheritance, as you are today.
[Deuteronomy 4:19-20]. Note again the Deuteronomy 32:8-9 connection!
These stars were given to every nation. The nations were disinherited
and put under the occupation of divine beings who rebelled against God
[Psalm 82]. We have seen that the secret [recall Ephesians 3:1-6] of
Gods purposes to reclaim the entire cosmos back to himself [Colossians
1:20] is currently being fulfilled [since Pentecost in Acts 2], thus this
should bring reassurance to us who may fear these beings. Why
reassurance? Because they receive their name from the Father!
If E.T. were to catch a ride on the fastest spacecraft ever built by NASA
[using ion thrusters], at a maximum velocity of 56,000 km/h, it would take
approximately 81,000 years to traverse just 4.24 light years between Earth
and Proxima Centauri. To put that time-scale into perspective, that would
be approximately 2,700 human generations. What if E.T.s spacecraft is
much faster than anything NASA made? Even travelling at 50% the speed
of light, a spacecraft would take nearly 9 years to make the trip. But, E.T.
would have to make a zigzag course through various galactic hazards to
reach Earth, making the trip considerably longer. E.T. would have to
dodge the gravity and deadly radiation of neutron stars, supergiant stars,
supernova eruptions, and the remnants of such eruptions. E.T. would have
to avoid the gas, dust, and comets that are dense in the spiral arms of our
galaxy alone, as well as stars formed during the past 5 billion years. E.T.
would have to stay within the galactic plane [1 parsec = 30.8 trillion km]:

At one end is the M31 Andromeda galaxy, 220,000 light-years in diameter,


and 2,500,000 light-years away from us. Another is the M33 Triangulum
galaxy, 50,000 light-years in diameter and 2,400,000 light-years away
from us. But within our own galaxy, any departure from the galactic plane
would expose E.T. to deadly radiation from the galactic centre:

If you think our galaxy is big enough, think again! Our galaxy has a
diameter of 150,000 light-years, and beyond our galaxy are other galaxies,
where we are all located inside what astronomers call the Local Group:
The higher a spacecrafts speed, more propellant is needed. Therefore, the To protect against damage from space debris, a spacecraft needs some kind
spacecraft has an exponentially higher mass problem from the need to of armour. However, armour means more mass, which means more
move the spacecrafts payload [the total weight of the passengers, crew, propellant to move the added mass. But more propellant means even more
instruments, and life support supplies]. Micrometeorites [fractions of a propellant to move that extra propellant. Thus the problem escalates.
millimetre across], punched holes in the Hubble Telescopes solar panels: While space debris poses a lesser risk at lower velocities, lower velocities
also means greater travel time. The probability of damage from space
debris rises in proportion to the amount of time spent in space, and it rises
with v2. Therefore, in terms of damage from debris, E.T. faces deadly
dangers at any velocity, slow or fast. A spacecraft travelling at just 1% the
speed of light [10,792,528 km/h] would need 23,000 years to travel a mere
230 light-years! A last resort is the suggestion that E.T. may find a way to
use wormholes [called an EinsteinRosen Bridge] to travel in a short time.
On closer examination, this idea offers no help in solving the distance and
time problems. General relativity says that massive objects distort the
curvature of space and time in their vicinity. John Wheeler [20th century
physicist] famously said: Space-time tells matter how to move; matter
tells space-time how to curve.

If the telescope had been moving a thousand times faster [relative to the
micrometeorites], the damage would have been a million times worse. In
terms of space debris, micrometeorites are the least of E.T.s worries.
Computer modelling indicates that there are at least 100 billion comets,
surrounding our own solar system:

The greater the mass-density of an object, the greater the degree of space-
time curvature it produces in its immediate vicinity. General relativity
predicts that when matter becomes sufficiently compressed by its own
gravity [like a black hole], a discrete region of space-time will develop
where the curvature becomes infinitely sharp. Therefore, a singularity will
develop at the centre of the mass concentration.
If a black hole that is connected to a sheet of space-time, happens to make General relativity dictates that wormholes would be extremely unstable.
contact with another black hole that is connected to a different sheet of The longevity of any possible wormhole is far too brief to allow any
space-time, that point of contact may hypothetically offer a travel corridor. physical being to travel through. Finally, the most devastating evidence
The point of contact must be singularity to singularity so that a traveller against wormhole travel comes from the application of physical laws to
funnelling into the centre of one black hole can come into contact with the discrete physical objects. In short, any physical object would be destroyed
centre of another black hole: beyond recognition by the intense gravitational forces in the vicinity of a
wormhole. Physicists call this spaghettification:

While this is mathematically possible, one must question the physical


practicality of their use by E.T. According to our model of the universe,
An E.T. would be stretched into a long line of particles several km long!
regions of space that could be connected via wormholes are already close
As this E.T. gets sucked toward the singularity, the particles disintegrate.
to one another. In other words, the use of a wormhole would offer little
The E.T. would then end up as an extremely compressed ball of chaotic
time advantage. The ekpyrotic big bang model, in which a 10D space-time
energy. Coming close to a wormhole means destruction. In summary of all
sheet bends to make a U shape, does offer the possibility of a significant
of this, God is not only the Father to whom believers can speak freely and
shortcut through space, but ongoing research has yet to verify this model:
confidently in prayer, but he is the Creator who has omnipotent authority
over all social groups, including the spiritual [and possibly physical]
powers that exist in the cosmos, because God is the source! Next in v. 16,
Paul begins to describe the crux of his prayer: that he would give you,
according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power
through his Spirit. Pauls prayer is to communicate that the power of
God comes to his people by means of a relationship with the exalted
Christ. It takes place in your inner being. But what does this mean?
From a realistic perspective, the wormhole question is moot. Because
black holes are relatively rare, the probability that the singularities of two First, Marius Victorinus [3rd century] highlights the significance of this
spatially distant black holes would come into contact is virtually zero, as is wording: For when Christ begins to dwell in the inner fortress of the
the probability that any possible wormhole would lie in a location useful soul, persons are made strong by might through the Spirit. In this way
for E.T. space travel. everything of a hostile nature is evicted.
Pauls personal history, ministry, prayer, and suffering, has demonstrated What is said of the church in Ephesians 1:23, is applied to each holy one.
that the gospel does not destroy personality, the life of the soul, or ones The conclusion is inevitable: the inner being of every Christian, is an
individual responsibility. This is important, because next in v. 17, Jesus is image of Jesus Christ, whom in turn is the image of the invisible God
proclaimed as being present not only for man and amongst men, but also [Colossians 1:15]! A Christians self is now determined by the encounter,
in man. Does there exist in man a place that is equipped to form a the conversation, the contact with Christ, and not by a dialogue with some
home for Christ? Even before God reveals himself, and before faith is impersonal transcendental force [God as a cosmic placebo]. Instead, in
born, man can be reached and transformed by a power outside of himself! every Christian, there is the Holy Spirit. Instead of a superego that once
Paul considers every person as complete as a radio set, equipped with all existed in us, Jesus is our real alter ego, the declared essence of our
necessary mechanisms for action and reaction, including a powerful humanity! Thus, Christology is the nerve and criterion of a Christians
antenna for receiving signals from the outer world. Revelation, the gospel, anthropology. A secular psychology of man cannot occupy this key
decisions of obedience and faith may activate and perfect his potentials, position of Christology from Pauls theology. What makes the Christian
but they inform, form, or reform his humanity. strong and genuine is not a noble autonomous capability implanted in him
at creation, but the ongoing visitation and strengthening by God. In
Clement of Alexandria [2nd century] has a wonderful insight on this: For summary, Paul gives us a beautiful illustration of what it means to be
God is by no manner of means unrighteous, as the demons are, but in the raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm
very highest degree righteous; and nothing more resembles God than one [recall Ephesians 2:6]. Here is testimony to the enthronement of man, and
of us when he becomes righteous in the highest possible degree. Let your to his highest possible elevation! Through the Father, the Son, and the
Phidias, and Polycletus, and your Praxiteles and Apelles too, come, and Spirit, humanity is not only created, saved, and recreated, but is also
all that are engaged in mechanical arts, who, being themselves of the glorified. Next in v. 18, Paul prays that the knowledge he wants his readers
earth, are workers of the earth. Let the meaner artists, toofor I will not to grow strong enough to understand is a knowledge of something
stop callingcome. None of these ever made a breathing image, or out of immense! But what is it? What is wide, long, high, and deep? What Paul
earth moulded soft flesh. Who liquefied the marrow? or who solidified the is about to point out here is that the knowledge of the four dimensions of
bones? Who stretched the nerves? who distended the veins? Who poured Gods secret [recall Ephesians 1:9, 3:3-5, 3:9] cannot be easily
the blood into them? Or who spread the skin? Who ever could have made mastered. It requires a strength only God can give. As Paul says elsewhere:
eyes capable of seeing? Who breathed spirit into the lifeless form? Who We dont speak about these things with words taught us by human
bestowed righteousness? Who promised immortality? The Maker of the wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things
universe alone; the Great Artist and Father has formed us, such a living to spiritual people. A person who isnt spiritual doesnt accept the things
image as man is. But your Olympian Jove, the image of an image, greatly of Gods Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He cant understand them
out of harmony with truth, is the senseless work of Attic hands. For the because they are spiritually evaluated. The spiritual person evaluates
image of God is His Word, the genuine Son of Mind, the Divine Word, everything but is subject to no one elses evaluation. [1 Corinthians 2:13
the archetypal light of light; and the image of the Word is the true man, 15]. Paul is telling us that the love of the Messiah [v. 19], exemplified in
the mind which is in man, who is therefore said to have been made in the his magnanimity to every human, is too large to be confined by any
image and likeness of God, assimilated to the Divine Word in the geometrical measurements in our 10D universe! It is wide enough to
affections of the soul, and is therefore rational. reach the whole world and beyond [recall Ephesians 1:10]. It is long
enough to stretch from eternity to eternity [recall Ephesians 1:46]. It is
Pauls prayer of concern is Gods movement toward man. Why? Because high enough to raise both gentiles and Jews to the heavenly realm
when the Messiah would make his home in your hearts, then the spiritual [recall Ephesians 2:6]. It is deep enough to rescue people from sins
strengthening will take place, because Jesus is our strength in person. degradation [recall Ephesians 2:15].
Through Special Relativity, we learn that no absolute frame of reference
exists for measuring motions in space. Through General Relativity we
learn one reason for that impossibility: the universes matter and energy
reside on a 3D surface of a 4D system. This means that we humans can
never locate the center of the universe. We can only make measurements
along its space-time surface:
Our situation is analogous to that of 2D
beings residing on the surface of a 3D
sphere. Their bodies extend only over 2D,
length and width [longitude and latitude].
They have no thickness [no radius
Marius Victorinus says: God is through all and in all, and is all things dimension]. They can only make length
and the source of all, through whom all things come and over all. In this and width measurements. Even though
aspect the task of understanding is to note and know what the breadth, the they may be able to determine that their
length, the height and the depth of divine grace. How all these exist physical environment is a 3D globe, they
together or may be understood to exist in God and according to these will never be able to determine where
aspects requires another, higher comprehension. Hence he prays finally they are relative to the center of the
that the Ephesians may understand them all together. And so that they will globe. Likewise, we cannot determine
not despair through their inability to comprehend them together, he adds: where we are relative to the center of the
so that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints. Therefore the universe. The only advantage we have
saints comprehend these things together and can expound them. over the 2D beings on a 3D globe is that our 4D universe is expanding, and
we 3D beings can measure that growth. Thus, we can determine more
Ambrosiaster [4th century] says: What is meant when Paul speaks of easily that our system has some kind of center. But the actual location
length and breadth and depth and height? Think of a sphere. The length remains hidden from us. Heres the point: only a being transcending our
is the same as the breadth and the height the same as the depth. So too all 4D cosmos can see it! Thus in v. 19, Paul says: you will know the love of
is proportional within the immeasurable infinity of God. A sphere is the Messiahwhich transcends knowledge, and will be filled with all the
enclosed in a definite manner. God, being unenclosed, not only fills all fullness of God. More physics analogies are needed to grasp the reality of
things but exceeds all things. God is not confined but has everything Gods love and his Tri-Unity that makes this possible:
within himself, so that he is the only one to be reckoned infinite. We cannot
sufficiently thank him for the fact that, being so great, he deigned through
Christ to visit human beings when they were subject to death and sin.

Finally, Jerome anticipates 21st century physics by saying: The


consequence is that one draws near as a neighbour either to those things
above or to those below. Whatever begins to advance ones path toward
better things so as to rise to the heavenly height, that is what Paul is
calling length. Whatever brings one to the lower things as one lapses
toward vice he is calling breadth.
Here we see Mr. and Mrs. Flat as 2D beings confined to the plane of Looking at the edge of Mr. and Mrs. Flats plane, if the fingertip of the 3D
length and width on a computer screen. A 3D human can approach their hand were to enter their existence, it shows up only as a single point, a
plane from the depth dimension and place a fingertip just 10-35 m [called a point that would disappear and reappear as the fingertip is pushed into and
Planck length] from the body of either one of them. Despite this close away from the screen. Thus this fits the language of Jerome, describing the
proximity, Mr. and Mrs. Flat would be unable to detect the fingertips near nature of Gods proximity, alongside the hands position as above
presence, much less understand and describe its physical characteristics! or below the screen. If the finger poking through their plane were at any
As close as they may come to each other on the screen, they will remain angle other than perpendicular, Mr. and Mrs. Flat would start to see a 2D
unable to detect certain things about themselves, characteristics that we ellipse:
can easily observe from our 3D perspective. Because we experience depth,
we can stand outside from them and instantly see their complete outline or
shape. All they can perceive of one another are various lines. We observe
something else about Mr. and Mrs. Flat that they can never see. We can
see what is inside them. The details and workings of their interior body
parts, for example, are fully exposed to us. In this simple analogy, just 1D
separates them from us 3D humans. And yet, the advantage of that +1D
suffices to explain how we could be closer to them than they are to each
other, fully comprehending them inside and out, while remaining invisible
and untouchable to them. Gods dimensional advantage over us goes far
beyond this 1D difference. He can operate in at least the 10D established
by string theory, and beyond! His capacity to maintain close and
comprehensive contact with us, despite our incapacity to experience him
physically through our space-bound dimensions, becomes a
comprehensible reality. Pauls multi-dimensional view of Christs love If four fingers of the 3D hand penetrated their plane, Mr. and Mrs. Flat
starts to make sense. The doctrine of the Trinity did not originate by men! would see four irregular circles:
We can well imagine the debates between Mr. and Mrs. Flat who saw dots, Sometimes we Christians glibly declare our belief that God is infinitely
lines, circles, and ellipses, staying still or moving, appearing or greater than we can think or imagine, never realizing that the attributions
disappearing, enlarging or shrinking. We can imagine that at some point, of just a 1st order infinity to God absurdly underestimates him! We
Mr. Flat establishes the Church of the Three Circles, while Mrs. Flat verbally acknowledge his immeasurable power, grace, wisdom, and love,
establishes the Church of the One Circle. The great irony of the yet our prayers, concerns, actions, and attitudes treat him as one who is
disagreement about the higher being is that none of these Churches have a only one order of magnitude beyond us. The value of mathematically
tiny clue about who that being is and what that being can do. All have an calculating a minimum limit of the superiority of Gods powers and
incredibly limited perspective on the attributes of the being, especially on capabilities over ours, lies in its potential to deliver us from such a
the powers available to the being. The intent of this analogy of our hand tremendous underestimation of God. It should certainly sweep away
visiting screenland is to stimulate our thinking about Gods powers and doubts about Gods capacity to manifest himself truly as a Triune being.
attributes, including his Tri-Unity, from an extra-dimensional perspective.
Its to stimulate the significance of Pauls words in vv. 17-19: that the Ambrosiaster concludes: Can any words adequately describe this
Messiah would make his home in your hearts through faith. Then, having mystery, that God is born as a man? That God dies for the human race, the
been rooted and grounded in love, you will be able to understand, along master for his servants, the Creator for his creation, the righteous for the
with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deepthat is, you will unrighteous? In the greatness of his majesty he became lowly to do on our
know the love of the Messiahwhich transcends knowledge, and will be behalf what was worthy of his love, so that we, insofar as we can, should
filled with all the fullness of God. join his household. Faith is never directed solely to the Father or solely to
the Son. Hence he adds that you may be filled with all the fullness of
How many of us are willing to admit that God soars infinitely above the God. Thus by confessing Christ and giving thanks to him in the same
horizon of our 10D realm? Mr. and Mrs. Flat made their gross glorious terms, the same honour is reserved for the Son as for the Father.
underestimates in a realm just -1D of the hands realm. Our human realm All things that come from God the Father have been restored through his
falls at least -7D short of Gods realm! This dimensional difference means Son. By this, the faithful confess the divine perfection in its wholeness.
that our underestimation of God is many geometric orders of magnitude
greater than we can imagine, even with the help of a dimension-crossing 3) What are the reasons for Pauls praising of God? (vv. 20-21)
illustration. Mathematically, Mr. and Mrs. Flat underestimated the 3D
hands reality by a factor of 1012. Since God possesses at least +7D of answer: starting with v. 20, Paul closes with a doxology. Doxologies are
advantage over us, rather than just +1D the hand had over Mr. and Mrs. expressions of praise to God that speak of his glory, honour, and might.
Flat, we orthodox Christians potentially underestimate Gods nature, Hellenistic Jewish and Christian doxologies tend to follow this pattern:
powers, and capacities by at least a factor of:
1. a reference to the one who receives the glory,
2. a reference to the glory itself,
3. a reference to the eternal duration of the glory,
4. the word amen.
Given the limitations of our universe, we humans could never even write
out this number in standard notation. But, the underestimating factor really Paul begins his doxology by ascribing glory to the one who can do
would be more like: infinitely more. As seen above, Paul has prayed for his readers to
understand the unlimited greatness of his power for us who believe
[recall Ephesians 1:19].
God is the one who is powerful, and he has placed his power at the A paraphrase of Psalm 96 by Isaac Watts [1719]:
disposal of Pauls readers. Paul firmly believed that the God who was
powerful enough to bless his people with every spiritual blessing, to save
them from the power of sin and the devil and the flesh, to reconcile them
1
SING to the Lord, ye distant lands,
to one another and to himself, to employ them strategically in his age-old Ye tribes of every tongue;
plan for the universe, to reveal this plan to them, and to strengthen their His new discoverd grace demands
downcast inner selves with a knowledge of the vast expanse of Christs A new and nobler song.
love for them: this God would receive glory forever in the church that he
2
had created, and in the Christ through whom he had created it. Say to the nations, Jesus reigns,
Gods own Almighty Son;
Summing Up His power the sinking world sustains,
Does Jesus make his home in your hearts? How much of it? What areas And grace surrounds His throne.
of your life are still largely determined by self-centeredness, unhealthy 3
influences, and sinful ideas? Progress in the Christian life only comes Let heaven proclaim the joyful day;
through allowing Jesus to fill you with his powerful and loving presence to Joy through the earth be seen:
resist sin and cultivate a selfless love. Let cities shine in bright array,
And fields in cheerful green.
4
Let an unusual joy surprise
The islands of the sea:
Ye mountains sink, ye valleys rise,
Prepare the Lord His way:
5
Behold He comes! He comes to bless
The nations as their God;
To show the world His righteousness,
And send His truth abroad.
6
But when His voice shall raise the dead,
And bid the world draw near,
How will the guilty nations dread
To see their Judge appear!

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