Christ's Love
Poor weak and worthless though I am, I have a rich almighty friend.
“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.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
The love of Christ is a wonderful theme. His special love has been of great comfort to God’s people throughout the ages. This love encourages us as we face the many trials of life. According to our verse, the love of Christ passes our knowledge. That means that His love for the elect goes beyond our ability to fully know. Yes, we know about it, we comprehend that it is real. We believe it. We feel it. But it is impossible for any person to fully understand this love. That is why we have so many questions about it. Why does he love us? When did He begin to love us? How could He love us? Why are we important to Him?
The doctrine of election poses other questions: why did He love me and not everyone. Why did Christ die for me? For this reason, many reject the doctrine of election altogether. Yet, this is just a testimony of the fact that it passes their knowledge. Their rejection of election only adds to the veracity of God’s word. In this verse, Paul mentions four dimensions of Christ’s love that we might consider in our meditations:
The Breadth of Christ’s Love
The breadth of Christ’s love includes people from every race, tribe and family. This was a revelation to the Jews in the day of Christ. They thought the love of God only included them. But that promise was made to their father, Abraham, that they should have remembered: “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14) That promise was made in Christ. He would die for His people in every family, in every race, in every nationality whether they are Jew or Gentile. That is as broad as it gets.
The Length of Christ’s Love
The length of Christ’s love for His elect, His bride, is from eternity past throughout eternity future. That passes any human’s knowledge. God had no beginning, nor does God have an end. This He tells us in Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” An everlasting love is a love that has no beginning and has no end. It began before I was born, before I did anything good or bad, before I had the capacity to love in return. It will continue no matter what I say, or what I do, where I go, or what I am. That kind of love passes my knowledge. Who, but God, would or could, love us like that?
The Depth of Christ’s Love
There was a popular song out a few years ago with that title: “How deep is your love.” In other words, how much do you love me? God describes the deepest love in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” That is the greatest love, the deepest love, found in the universe – to be willing to die for the object of your love. This Christ did upon the cross when He paid for our sins, when we were ungodly: “For When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6). The just for the unjust. That also passes our knowledge.
The Height of Christ’s Love
This speaks of the noblest form of love. It goes beyond the love that we are capable of experiencing, feeling or showing. It is a high form of love that only God possesses. Yes, our love is the same love, but ours is shallow at times. God is high all the time. Ours ebbs and wanes. God’s is perfect at every moment. His highness is reflected in God’s word: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) His ways includes His love. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;” (Hebrews 7:26) His love is higher than the heavens.
The love of Christ is an amazing theme. Although it passes our knowledge it is a truth we should think about often. May the Lord bless your meditations of Him!
- Elder Neil Phelan, Jr.