Ephesians 3:12,13 - In Christ, and through faith in Christ

3:12

Perhaps we take the privilege of being able to approach God for granted, not appreciating what an awesome and amazing thing it is. When we have a problem we can go and pray to God, believing that the creator and sustainer of all things will hear us and pay attention to us. Through Christ we can approach God with freedom and confidence. Now, many people who aren’t Christians can have a fear of God, feeling that if he exists at all He certainly won’t want anything to do with them. The Gentile believers would wonder how the God of Israel, the God of the Jews, would want anything to do with them. Paul assures them that in and through Christ anyone can approach God.

3:13

Paul then turns back to his own suffering and tells them not to be discouraged. Maybe the Ephesians had been putting some of their faith in Paul, so when he was in trouble it seemed that the foundation of their faith was under threat. Paul has been telling them two things. Most importantly, the foundation for their faith is Christ alone and nothing else. Secondly, God’s plan and purpose was actually working out just fine in Paul’s life.