A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


August 19, 2012

Ephesians 3:17-18

.... And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 
may have power, together with the all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ.



     This Scripture has such weight that it is almost too hard to wrap my head around.  Here, the apostle Paul is writing a letter to the church at Ephesus, which for a time was the center of evangelism.  He wanted his readers to understand God's aspirations for them and to grasp a broader awareness of His eternal purpose and grace bestowed on the Church.  
     We, like the Ephesians, must understand that we have been saved, not only for our own personal benefit, but also to bring praise and glory to God.  The end goal of God's plan is to bring the entire universe together under Christ; to experience Christ's love that saves the world from the eternal death it deserves.  And so in this brief passage, Paul prays for their (and our) understanding of this important concept.
     We, who have been saved by this sacrificial love of Christ, can recognize and accept the source of our salvation, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we grasp the magnitude of that love.  How wide is Christ's love?  We see it demonstrated from one end of the Bible to the other; it covers the entire expanse of God's Word.  We see how long His love is in the fact that it continues forever; there is no end in sight.  Christ's love is so high that the Spirit that lives within us can transport us into the very presence of God when we earnestly seek Him.  And His love is so deep that He can meet us when we are in the bottomless pit of despair and depression.  There is no where we can turn that Christ's love is not there!
     And while I know all this in the limited capacity of my finite human brain, it is a concept that still escapes me when I am attacked by Satan.  Why do I still fall prey to the doubts and fears that try to erase the infinite power of Christ's love?  
     I'm afraid that the times in which we live are going to "try men's souls", to use an old cliché.  So we must heed Paul's prayer, and call upon the power of God and the Holy Spirit to protect our minds from the assault of the Deceiver.  Through that Power we can cling to the assurances of the width, the length, the height and the depth of love; the Love that died on the cross for me; the Love that has marked me with His seal; and the Love that will never let me go.  
     Although I may not be able to fully comprehend the magnitude of that Love, I can rest on the knowledge that it is always there to draw from; the source is unceasing and everlasting.



2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the inspiration. Sometimes it is hard not to fall into the "pit of fear" when trying to wrap your brain around the events of day and what the future may hold. The only way to counteract that is to become more familiar with the scripture and learn why we should not be fearing anything. That is a daily work in progress!
    CZ

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  2. Believe me, it is a daily fight for me, too! Because we reside in this world, we are constantly assaulted by Satan, whom God has given temporary power to try to exploit us. We are in a Spiritual battle, and it is only through daily re-commitment to our faith and the promises God has given us of an eternal life with Him, that we can ever hope to win this fight. If we believe, we have power and authority if we just call on the name of Jesus! It is only through Him that I am able to carry on.

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