"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Epheisans 3:14-19]
"To know the love of Christ." Wow. How could I ever even begin to comprehend that? God Himself dying a horrible death on a cross for me? How could I ever grasp the reasons for the God of the universe humbly coming to earth to save an unworthy sinner like me? I think to know and experience this love is quite an amazing concept. Knowing the love implies so many other things.
- By nature of knowing and accepting Christ's love, I am a part of it, which means I am His child, eternally His.
"Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God" [1 John 4:7b]
"By [love] we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." [1 John 4:13]
- By loving God and Him loving me, how could I not unconditionally love others?
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." [1 John 4:11]
"If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." [1 John 4:20-21]
- Because of God's love, I can be confident in Him and His promises. Having fear shows that I am not steadfast in my walk with God, that my faith is wavering, and that I am not constantly surrendering my all to Him. I must remember that in those time of fear, that those feelings are not from God, but from Satan.
"By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." [1 John 4:17-18]
- I can never fully "know" the love of Christ! Though we are instructed to know and try to understand it, it is an impossible feat! Christ's love "surpasses knowledge." It is beyond comprehension. The point of knowing the love of Christ is to experience the love of Christ, though it is far too great to fully understand. But it changes our lives! Through this daily understanding and experiential application of Christ's love, we gradually become sanctified and more like God.
