The Love that Surpasses Knowledge

Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

I feel as though recently I have been renewed and strengthened once again in that knowledge of the glorious love of Christ. And it reminds me of my conversion years ago when that knowledge was first impressed upon my heart and my eyes were opened. The only words suitable: glorious rapture! How awesome it was. And how awesome it is. It is the soul coming to life. It is new birth!

When I was lost, I found no beauty in Christ. Only indifference. Like so many, the love of God was foreign to me. But God is worthy of worship because God is love--true love. Love comes from him and love is the path that all who find him travel on. The more He is known, the more His love becomes clearer and the more He is loved.

Love is the essence of godliness and sin is the absence of love and the presence of hate, hostility and bitterness. The lost are hostile toward Jehovah God and are blinded toward the pureness of his love. They attribute cruelty to God because of His Judgment upon sin. They can not imagine nor accept that God is good. But love, though patient and forbearing in great measure, can not indefinetly endure hostile enmity toward it. It must either change it to love or separate itself.

Such is God: He is patient and forebearing, not wanting that any perish but come to repentence (turn from hostility toward him to love and belief). He continues to shine down his benefits upon all his enemies and restrain His judgment. But in eternity the soul must either move toward Love or be separated forever from Love.

This is love: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. While we were still enemies, Christ died for sinners. God sent His Son to be the eternal sacrifice for our sin.