The Doxology- ‘Our God is Able’ [PART 3]

THE DOXOLOGY- ‘OUR GOD IS ABLE ’

PART 3 — GOD’S POWER

“According to the power that worketh in us.”

INTRODUCTION TO PART 3 — “Power on the Inside”

Every believer loves to declare, “God is able!” But Paul takes us deeper. He does not stop at God’s ability in heaven — he brings that ability down into the believer’s life.

It is one thing to believe that God is powerful. It is another thing entirely to believe that God’s power is working in you.

Many Christians have a high view of God’s power in theory, but a low view of God’s power in practice. We believe God can do anything — but we struggle to believe He can do it through us.

Paul confronts this gap head-on:

“According to the power that worketh in us.”

This is not distant power. Not theoretical power. Not symbolic power. Not poetic power.

This is indwelling power — God’s own strength operating inside the believer.

Let’s explore what Paul means.

PART 3 — GOD’S POWER

Having established God’s Person and God’s Prerogative, Paul now turns to God’s Power — and he locates that power inside the believer.

“According to the power that worketh in us.”

Notice Paul’s precision:

• It is God’s power
• It is working
• It is in us

This power flows from our identity in Christ — from being seated with Him in heavenly places. It is not human strength. It is not willpower. It is not personality. It is not talent.

It is the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

THE POWER IS IN US — BUT WHY AREN’T WE SEEING IT?

This is one of the great questions of the modern church.

If God’s power is in us… If the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us… If we are seated with Christ in heavenly places…

Why is the church declining? Why is our influence diminishing? Why are we not seeing the results the early church saw?

After examining historical patterns, church statistics, and Scripture, three conclusions emerge:

1. The decline is not caused by external forces.

The church is not defeated by governments, culture, or society. We are not merely an organization — we are an organism, a habitation of God through the Spirit.

2. The decline is not caused by a lack of resources or power.

We have everything we need. We have the Word. We have the Spirit. We have the gifts. We have the authority. We have the power.

3. The decline must therefore arise from internal, structural, or spiritual issues.

The problem is not out there. The problem is in here.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14–19 reveals what those internal issues are.

PAUL’S PRAYER REVEALS THE BARRIERS TO POWER

Paul’s two prayers in Ephesians (1:15–22 and 3:14–19) are among the most quoted in Christian history — second only to the Lord’s Prayer.

In the first prayer, Paul asks that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened. In the second, he asks that they be strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man.

He prays:

• That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith
• That they be rooted and grounded in love
• That they comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and height of God’s love
• That they be filled with all the fullness of God

These are not casual requests. They are the conditions under which God’s power becomes visible.

So why aren’t we seeing the power?

Paul’s teaching — and church history — point to three major reasons.

THREE REASONS GOD’S POWER IS NOT BEING SEEN

1. Fallible believers pretending to be infallible

We forget that we are treasure in earthen vessels. We hide our flaws. We pretend. We perform. We project perfection.

This creates:

• pressure
• hypocrisy
• burnout
• disillusionment
• a false picture of Christianity

The power is in earthen vessels so that the excellency may be of God and not of us.

When we pretend to be flawless, we block the very power we claim to carry.

2. Slowness in grasping spiritual truth

Paul prayed that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened. But many believers remain spiritually dull because:

• we do not study
• we do not meditate
• we do not seek wisdom
• we do not pray for understanding

Like Solomon, our prayer must not be for silver and gold — but for understanding.

The devil works tirelessly to blind believers because he knows:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

A blind church cannot be a powerful church.

3. A lack of yieldedness to the Holy Spirit

We still try to do God’s work in our own strength. We still rely on:

• our intellect
• our charisma
• our experience
• our strategies
• our emotions