KNOWING THE SURPASSING LOVE OF CHRIST

Eph. 3:17-19

Morning Meditation 5/18/17

Verse 17-19 says, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

This is one of those great passages that one can feed off of over and over again and still not scratch the surface. I will just make a few observations hoping to open the window for a little light to shine through in order to help the reader enjoy what Paul is saying.

IT IS ALL TIED TOGETHER

The word “that” starts a purpose clause. Paul uses this particular word (hina) three times in verses 16-19, i.e., “That he would grant you (vs 16), “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith (vs 17), “that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God (vs 19). Paul wants the Ephesian Christians so charged with the understanding of the love of Christ that it can be said that they are filled with all the fulness of God. Let’s notice the three things that are TIED TOGETHER:

1.What God must do. “That he would grant you.” God must allow this to happen. Paul was praying for this (vs 14). So, I believe it is safe to conclude that this is something that must begin with prayer.

2.What the Ephesian Christians must do. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” Isn’t He already there? See Eph. 1:13-14. The word “dwell” translates “katoikeo” and means, “to dwell (permanence instead of an overnight guest), settle down and be at home. It is used metaphorically of the divine powers, influences that are said to dwell in his soul, to pervade, prompt, govern it.” It is an aorist active infinitive. The aorist tense suggests a once-for-all entrance as governor, ruler and Lord. Let me illustrate. During the personal ministry of Christ Peter could act under the power of God to make the great confession of Matthew 16:16. Then he could argue with Christ about His teaching just a few verses later in verses 22-23.

He is speaking here of a once-for-all act of relinquishing their wills to His control so that He is controlling the Ephesian Christians from within. This happens by FAITH on the part of the Christian. It is not the faith of salvation. This has already taken place once-for-all (Eph. 1:13-14). It is making oneself totally available to Him to live His life through them so that all thoughts and impulses that go contrary to His will are put to death (mortified = Col. 3:5) and He reigns supremely.

3.What the happy outcome of this is. “That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. This would have to be what is commonly called revival.

IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW SOME THINGS

The word “know” in verse 19 translates, “ginosko” and means, “to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.” It is an aorist active infinitive which qualifies the meaning. The aorist tense represents action as taking place at a point of time. If you will allow me to paraphrase, “And that the love of Christ may DAWN upon you.”

Faith acts in response to the revelation of God. Faith never creates what to believe. Faith is the empty hand to receive that God gives. Therefore, for the Christian to experience the fulness of God, he must know that it is possible.

THERE IS A QUALIFYING FACTOR

Paul says, “And to know the love of Christ.” What is the love of Christ? First, the word “love” translates, “agape” and means “to be favorably disposed toward someone or something.” One would think that this word would be easy to define since it is inseparable from our faith. There are three forms of this word used in the New Testament, the verb (agapao) found 142 times, the noun (agape) found 116 times, and the adjective (agapetos) found 62 times for a total of 320 times.

This word “evidently refers to the will rather than the emotions, and often conveys the idea of showing love by action” (A Theological Word Book of The Bible, p. 134). Some things about the Love of Christ:

1.It is the love of the Father for the Son. John 3:35 says, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” John 5:20 says, “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. John 10:17 says, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”

2.It is the love of the Son for the disciples regardless of their little faith and immaturity. John 13:1 says, “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” This love for His disciples was permanent and was not based on their response to His love.

3.It is the love that commits itself to His Father’s will even unto death. John 14:28-31 says, “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.”

4.It is a love that He shares with His disciples. Romans 5:5 says, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” The same love that motivated Jesus is “shed abroad” in every believer’s heart. This does not mean that we act on it. But it is there for us to act upon.

So the love of Christ is a volitional love that acts toward other Christians and an unsaved world as Jesus did. It is the decision to do what God says (obedience to the Lordship of Christ) even when the other person does not deserve it. It is to act toward others like they deserve our love even though our rational minds say they don’t. It a volitional love that is committed to the will of God even if it costs ones life. And it did in the early Church. It will cost the self life NOW. If the love of Christ is in control, we will die to self on a regular basis. And we don’t die easily!

The qualifying factor in our text is that it dawns on us what the love of Christ really is and we are willing to submit to it. Then next,

IT IS BEYOND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING

Then our text adds, “which passeth knowledge.” The word “passeth” translates “huperballo” and means, “to surpass in throwing, to throw over or beyond any thing.” It is a present active participle. The present tense means that it is so beyond our ability to understand that, “It keeps right on going passed us, it keeps on going over our heads, it keeps on passing us by..” I have this experience all the time. I am introduced to a truth in the Scripture, that truth begins to warm my heart, I then try to put it in writing or formulate an explanation, and I find that it is beyond my ability to explain. It is there but it just floated by. And it does again and again and again. And I am always in hopes that I can get it to stay with me, but it never does, it just keeps on going by. I am thankful that it keeps on coming by even if it is beyond me. We cannot understand the infinite. We are dealing all the time with the infinite as Christians.

Paul says that the love of Christ passes knowledge. This is not just talking about an emotional experience. It means that we will never understand God acting as He does toward enemies, etc. We will never understand God acting toward backsliden Christians as he does. What about the man on death-row who has committed a horrible crime of rape and murder? What if that man in his final hours before he pays with his life for the crime he has committed, what if that man turns to the Lord and asks for forgiveness? What will God do? He will forgive him. You tell that to the husband whose wife this man killed. Even if he is a Christian, it will be beyond his understanding.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD

Paul is not dealing with the impossible. When he says, “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God,” he is saying it can happen. It is not only a possibility, it is what should happen. The words “ye might be filled” translate “pleroo” and means, “to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim.” It is an aorist passive subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood means it is definitely possible. The aorist tense means that is can happen at a point of time. The passive voice means that the Ephesian Christians will be the recipients of an action outside themselves. What point of time will this take place.

1.First, one must know that it is possible and it is a Scriptural experience offered. The unsaved man must know that he is invited to salvation through Christ or there will be no faith involved in calling upon the Lord. This is also true of the promises of God for the Christian after salvation.

2.Second, one must be willing. This the reason it is offered to faith (vs 17). Faith is a volitional act in response to a desire created by a promise God has made. I must ask myself, do I want all the fulness of God operational in my life when it will be acting the way God acts toward the unsaved and saved?

3.Third, one must exercise faith at a point of time where the life is given over as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-3). One must realize that all arguments should be settled so that he does not need to rehash surrender every time a difficult decision arises. Faith applies the Word of God (it is that by which Jesus exercises His Lordship in the believers life) to each situation even though it may hurt personally. The fulness of God in the life will love one’s enemies, will not retaliate against an offending brother, and will be willing when reviled, to revile not again. 1 Pet. 2:23 say, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”

If we are to know the surpassing love of Christ, we will have to give ourselves to Him and be willing to allow our lives to be the stage on which He acts for the benefit of mankind. Our lives will be lost in His and His life will be manifest through ours.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White