THE MEASURE OF GOD’S LOVE
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
© CreationSwap/Timothy Snyder 2012
Loving and Serving God and Others in Our Own Time of Need
He was not caught up in nor limited by his personal struggles. They were never an excuse for him to stop seeking and serving God nor loving others through his writings and prayer. Notice that in Colossians 1:9 he mentions how he never ceased to pray for them and how in Ephesians he spoke of praying for them. He could have simply shut himself out of the concerns of the churches and thought about his own struggles and prayed for himself. He seemed to have good reason to do so. Yet, he chose not to.
People who are not in prison, when they do visit, come there to help and reach out to prisoners. Could you imagine stepping into prison to be met by Apostle Paul and instead of encouraging him, he is the one encouraging you? Oftentimes, it is in our dark hours that we find it most difficult to care for others and serve God. We can get very consumed by our own problems and begin to neglect God and other people. We even find ourselves at times feeling excused for our bad behavior or ill temper because we are going through rough waters. However, when we consider the Apostle Paul, we are encouraged to see the bigger picture and remain faithful and loving. Through his life, we see how faithfulness and selflessness even in a person’s own time of need can make such a difference. God really honors those who seek and love him regardless of their circumstance. Let us seek to emulate the Apostle Paul. Who knows how God can use our lives if we do?
The Apostle Paul had a specific prayer for the Ephesian church - that God according to the richness of His glory will strengthen them with might through the Spirit in the inner man. What did the Apostle Paul ask for? Strength. However, it was not outward strength that he prayed for. He prayed for strength in the inner man because this is the kind of strength that matters most. True strength is not manifested by physical or outward strength but by a stability in the inside. It is reflected by character and faith. Being strengthened in the inner man concerns the strengthening of our mind, conscience and will. (Bailey: p. 49-50)
God wants to strengthen our mind to recognize good from evil. There are those who have an impression that evil only covers the big sins like murder or corruption. They fail to recognize that evil can be found even in what people consider as small sins like gossip or lying or thinking ill of others. For us to be able to discern what is actually good from evil we will need to have the mind of Christ, which Philippians 2:5-7 describe for us as having humility and a servant nature. (Bailey: p. 49)
God also wants to strengthen our convictions so that we immediately recognize His warnings or corrections. Those who do not have a strong inner man have a seared conscience. This is the reason why people can actually violate others and do horrific things to their fellow human beings. (Bailey: 50)
Finally, God desires to grant might to our will. A person’s will is strong when he is able to surrender to God’s will and not pursue his own man-made plans. (Bailey: 50)
We see that strength in the inner man is actually strength to follow and be like Christ, which is the ultimate goal of our relationship with the Lord Jesus. It is the capacity to do what is right and pleasing in the eyes of God. While the world labels those who do things their way as being strong and courageous, in God’s eyes it is those who can lay down their thoughts, desires, and will who are truly strong. It takes true strength to do what is right.
While this may sound like a challenge, our encouragement is that when Paul prayed that God would strengthen the Ephesian church, it tells us that it is God who will strengthen our inner man. We cannot and ought not to try to do it alone. This is where many who are in bondage to sin are having trouble, trying to be good on their own strength and to no avail. But Paul says that the strength he is asking for is not human strength but strength that comes from God. He even declared what kind of strength he is asking for. He said the one that came from the riches of the glory of God. The glory of God is infinite. There is no way we can measure the greatness of His glory. Paul asked for strength that was according to this awesome glory. With such strength, there truly is no bondage which man cannot be freed from. There is definitely hope for a person who is struggling no matter how long or how deep a man has been into a certain sin. Therefore, if we are struggling in an area of our lives, let us cry out for strength in the inner man that we may receive victory. Let us remember that the church is not made of people who were born perfect. The church is made up of broken vessels that were graciously healed and transformed by an all-powerful God.
The succeeding verse then goes on to say:
Only when Christ dwells in a person can that person truly be rooted and grounded in Agape love, which is unconditional love. It is the love that abides for eternity. It is the deepest, the most beautiful and the truest of loves. Our relationships, when founded on Agape love, can withstand the greatest of storms and can experience the greatest of joys. When a person is rooted and grounded in love, his actions are motivated by love. He does not simply do the right thing. He does the right thing not out of compulsion but out of love. His endeavors are spurred by love. There is a difference between something done out of force and something done out of love. This is only possible when Christ dwells in us.
When a person is strengthened in the inner man, he is able to give the keys to his heart to God and Jesus then is able to permanently take residence in his life. Now, because Jesus has taken ownership of that person’s life, that person begins to take the very nature of his owner, Jesus, who is love personified. Thus, his actions become rooted and grounded in love.
But the question now is, what is this love? What is God’s love?
The width of God’s love speaks of the breadth of the spectrum of people God loves. He is not limited to certain cultures, stature in life, or generations. God loves us regardless of our background. (Bailey: p. 52)
The length of His love speaks of how far His love will go for us. He spared nothing for us. (Bailey: p. 52)
The height of His love speaks of how God also reaches those among the elite. But it also shows how far up He wants to lift those who are lowly. We who were once dead in our trespasses, the Lord wants to make alive, raise up and sit together with Him in heavenly places. We all the more realize how high up that is considering how low He had to go even to the uttermost of hell to reach us. (Bailey: p. 52-53)
The tremendous love of God has a width, length, depth and height that is beyond measure. And yet, He demonstrates this love for us not only so that we will be recipients of such love, but also so that we can be its channels. The word "comprehend" in this verse in Ephesians actually means to experience. The Lord wants us to experience this love and then become its channel to others.
The width of His love speaks of how much He desires that we love people without prejudice - rich or poor, white or black.
The length of His love speaks of how God wants us to love people and even walk the extra mile for others. This may also speak of how love calls for us to suffer long and endure the weaknesses of others believing that one day God is able to change them too.
The depth of His love is calling us to go and reach those who are in great darkness and let them experience the light of His love.
Finally, the height of His love tells us of how we are called to reach out even to those who are of reputation. It also tells us that our love must lift others up. Agape love does not seek to keep people in a rut. It seeks to help them rise up. It’s not simply just meeting people in whatever state of darkness or misery they are in but praying and caring for them so that they can experience true freedom and victory.
When we have experienced and are living out the love of God, this will lead us to have the fullness of God. Being truly like Christ is to know and manifest the love of God.
But again this is beyond our own human capacity. However, it is not impossible and in fact is too small a thing compared to our God who is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think all for His glory.
Bailey, Brian. Soldiers for Christ, Zion Christian Publishers: Manila, 1997.
Strength in the Inner Man
God wants to strengthen our mind to recognize good from evil. There are those who have an impression that evil only covers the big sins like murder or corruption. They fail to recognize that evil can be found even in what people consider as small sins like gossip or lying or thinking ill of others. For us to be able to discern what is actually good from evil we will need to have the mind of Christ, which Philippians 2:5-7 describe for us as having humility and a servant nature. (Bailey: p. 49)
God also wants to strengthen our convictions so that we immediately recognize His warnings or corrections. Those who do not have a strong inner man have a seared conscience. This is the reason why people can actually violate others and do horrific things to their fellow human beings. (Bailey: 50)
Finally, God desires to grant might to our will. A person’s will is strong when he is able to surrender to God’s will and not pursue his own man-made plans. (Bailey: 50)
We see that strength in the inner man is actually strength to follow and be like Christ, which is the ultimate goal of our relationship with the Lord Jesus. It is the capacity to do what is right and pleasing in the eyes of God. While the world labels those who do things their way as being strong and courageous, in God’s eyes it is those who can lay down their thoughts, desires, and will who are truly strong. It takes true strength to do what is right.
While this may sound like a challenge, our encouragement is that when Paul prayed that God would strengthen the Ephesian church, it tells us that it is God who will strengthen our inner man. We cannot and ought not to try to do it alone. This is where many who are in bondage to sin are having trouble, trying to be good on their own strength and to no avail. But Paul says that the strength he is asking for is not human strength but strength that comes from God. He even declared what kind of strength he is asking for. He said the one that came from the riches of the glory of God. The glory of God is infinite. There is no way we can measure the greatness of His glory. Paul asked for strength that was according to this awesome glory. With such strength, there truly is no bondage which man cannot be freed from. There is definitely hope for a person who is struggling no matter how long or how deep a man has been into a certain sin. Therefore, if we are struggling in an area of our lives, let us cry out for strength in the inner man that we may receive victory. Let us remember that the church is not made of people who were born perfect. The church is made up of broken vessels that were graciously healed and transformed by an all-powerful God.
Christ Dwelling in Us
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,The Apostle Paul teaches us that it takes strength in the inner man for the Lord Jesus to dwell in us. This dwelling does not refer to the born-again experience where we asked Jesus to enter into our hearts. We must remember that Paul was praying for believers in Ephesus, people who already accepted Jesus in their hearts. Thus, when the Apostle Paul prayed that Christ would dwell in them he was referring to a different experience. Dwell in this verse in Greek means to “permanently take abode.” (Bailey: p. 50) God is seeking to make our lives His dwelling place, which means He gets to take all the keys to the different areas or rooms in our hearts. It means that He will truly be Lord over us. When somebody owns a house it is inevitable that that house will take on the character of the owner. The look of a house is revealing of the character and preferences of the person who lives there. It is truly possible that we receive Jesus in our lives and yet He does not permanently reside in us, meaning we do not reflect Him. There are times when people treat Jesus as a mere guest. He is allowed to stay but only for a while. His character and nature only comes and goes in such lives. Sometimes you see Jesus in them and sometimes you don’t. When a person is a mere visitor, he only gets to stay to the extent the owner is willing and he only gets to enter rooms to which the owner has given him access. Are we treating Jesus as a mere guest? Or does He own and dwell in us?
Only when Christ dwells in a person can that person truly be rooted and grounded in Agape love, which is unconditional love. It is the love that abides for eternity. It is the deepest, the most beautiful and the truest of loves. Our relationships, when founded on Agape love, can withstand the greatest of storms and can experience the greatest of joys. When a person is rooted and grounded in love, his actions are motivated by love. He does not simply do the right thing. He does the right thing not out of compulsion but out of love. His endeavors are spurred by love. There is a difference between something done out of force and something done out of love. This is only possible when Christ dwells in us.
When a person is strengthened in the inner man, he is able to give the keys to his heart to God and Jesus then is able to permanently take residence in his life. Now, because Jesus has taken ownership of that person’s life, that person begins to take the very nature of his owner, Jesus, who is love personified. Thus, his actions become rooted and grounded in love.
Comprehending the Measure of His Love
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.The succeeding verses then show us that when a person is rooted and grounded in love, he can then comprehend the width, length, depth and height of the love of God. What does it mean to know the width, length, depth and height of the love of God?
The width of God’s love speaks of the breadth of the spectrum of people God loves. He is not limited to certain cultures, stature in life, or generations. God loves us regardless of our background. (Bailey: p. 52)
The length of His love speaks of how far His love will go for us. He spared nothing for us. (Bailey: p. 52)
Romans 8:32It may also speak to us of how long God is able to forbear our weaknesses and failures. He is patient with our weaknesses not because He tolerates them but because He is working in and through us to one day overcome.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7The depth of His love speaks of how God can reach us no matter how much we have sunk deep into our troubles or our sins. As Corrie Ten Boom said “No pit is too deep that His love is not deeper still.” God yearns to reach those who seem unlovable or are bound in deep sin. He is not one to simply write people off as impossible cases. (Bailey: p. 52)
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The height of His love speaks of how God also reaches those among the elite. But it also shows how far up He wants to lift those who are lowly. We who were once dead in our trespasses, the Lord wants to make alive, raise up and sit together with Him in heavenly places. We all the more realize how high up that is considering how low He had to go even to the uttermost of hell to reach us. (Bailey: p. 52-53)
Ephesians 2:1-7
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
From Recipients to Channels
The width of His love speaks of how much He desires that we love people without prejudice - rich or poor, white or black.
The length of His love speaks of how God wants us to love people and even walk the extra mile for others. This may also speak of how love calls for us to suffer long and endure the weaknesses of others believing that one day God is able to change them too.
The depth of His love is calling us to go and reach those who are in great darkness and let them experience the light of His love.
Finally, the height of His love tells us of how we are called to reach out even to those who are of reputation. It also tells us that our love must lift others up. Agape love does not seek to keep people in a rut. It seeks to help them rise up. It’s not simply just meeting people in whatever state of darkness or misery they are in but praying and caring for them so that they can experience true freedom and victory.
When we have experienced and are living out the love of God, this will lead us to have the fullness of God. Being truly like Christ is to know and manifest the love of God.
But again this is beyond our own human capacity. However, it is not impossible and in fact is too small a thing compared to our God who is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think all for His glory.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.Reference:
Bailey, Brian. Soldiers for Christ, Zion Christian Publishers: Manila, 1997.
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