Ephesians 3:17-19—”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.”
In this chapter, Paul speaks to the Gentiles about the mystery revealed to the apostles or servants of the gospel through God’s grace.
Have you had this situation when many a time you feel for a person and want to reach out to them through the love of Christ? An elder person yearns for companionship for a few minutes each day, a timid person is wronged by an authoritarian boss, a lady is mistreated by her family. It could even be the person doing wrong – the overbearing boss, the bully in class, the tormenting coworkers or seniors in college. Some times we want to go forth and speak to them that even if no one is there, they can rely on God’s love; they need not seek attention by their worldly misdeeds.
Paul says if we have faith in God, we are renewed in our spirit with strength (not brute strength but glorious inner strength) that Christ will provide for us when we let Him into our hearts. The strength to be bold enough to go out there and share God’s love. But before we do this, we must know, must have, must experience, and must be filled with and grounded in this love of Christ that surpasses mere knowledge (because of lack of experiencing this love). We must be able to understand the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. We must:
-Reach out and experience the breadth and extent of God’s love (across all nations and ranks)
– Test its length (that continues from everlasting to everlasting)
– Plumb the depths of God’s love (that saves those who are sunk into the depths of sin and misery)
– Rise to the heights of God’s love (that raises up to heavenly happiness and glory).
When we are plunged in the depths of God’s love, we can live lives of service for our purpose. We will live full lives, full in the fullness of God. i.e., to have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and to become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself.
