TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
God our Father has fully equipped us as “sons” with the doctrine of His will and His love toward all mankind, and we being members of the “body of Christ” are given the progressive edifying stages in our epistles. Therefore by the time we reach the pages of Ephesians we are introduced to the doctrine of God the Father’s overall plan for both the earth and the heavenly places in “ages to come.” Furthermore we also come across the Father’s desire and Paul’s prayers to the saints that we will be filled with “all the fullness of God.” And as we see in verse 19, when the saint reaches the stage where he has learned the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the Father’s will (the whole of God’s plan and purpose for us in this dispensation of Gentile grace), he is filled with “all the fullness of God,” and it is this particular point in his sonship edification where he is able to “know the love of Christ.”
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Growing up “into him in all things” is what the son does when he successfully follows the proper ‘milk-to-meat’ design that we are given by our Father so that we as “perfect” sons can operate as members of his body the way that God intended that we should. Likewise verse 16 shows how the body “maketh increase,” and that we as “members one of another” “supplieth” each other by the doctrine of “the head.” And so as verse 16 shows there is a ‘building up’ concept with the saints with the objective that the saints become “rooted and grounded in love.” And only a son that has been fully taught “all the fullness of God” can fully understand and appreciate “the love of Christ.”
Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Therefore as we “grow up” by the doctrine for the saints edifying, we learn how we should value and esteem others more than ourselves, and how we ought to not only “walk in love,” but that we eventually learn how to constantly “abound” in love toward one another as well as all mankind.
Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Php 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
And as we “abound yet more and more” in love, it will start to have an effect upon our “judgment” and our decision making as we progress through our lives. Therefore our “judgment” in all the matters of our life will be based upon godly love by the “knowledge” that we have received, and that is working “effectually” within the believer.
Php 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Being “members one of another” we are not to think more highly of ourselves, but to give up of ourselves out if love, just as Jesus Christ Himself gave of Himself for the members of His body. Furthermore this type of godly thinking is what having the love and the mind of Christ is all about, and this type of thinking should be something that comes to us naturally, instead of doing it out of guilt, or any other selfish reasoning, it should be dwelling effectually within us and always abounding more and more daily.
1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
First Corinthians 13 gives the definition of what the “more excellent way” is all about, once these saints received “that which is perfect” (perfect knowledge), then they would come to understand what “charity” is all about. And this is exactly why Paul compares having spiritual gifts to possessing “charity,” because until the full knowledge of God came in, the saint had partial knowledge, and was in the ‘milk’ stages of his edification, and the spiritual gifts (which was the ‘less excellent way’ for the saint) were in operation until “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Phm 1:5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
Phm 1:7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
Phm 1:8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
Phm 1:9 Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Phm 1:10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
Phm 1:11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
Phm 1:12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
Phm 1:13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
Phm 1:14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
The epistle Philemon is one of the shortest books of the bible having only 25 verses, but there is a large amount of bible information found within the epistle. The Apostle Paul knew that the Thessalonian saints “abounded” in love toward one another, but he also knew that Philemon not only “abounded” in love, but he also had an effect on others so that they also learned by his example, and because as a “fellowlabourer” he taught the brethren as one that had learned how to work together with God in His will in adding “increase” to the body of Christ. Likewise the Apostle Paul asked of Philemon to “receive” Onesimus as he would Paul himself, the Apostle Paul knew that Philemon operated upon godly love, and that he would use the proper “judgment” in this decision, just like he has done in the past. Therefore as we “grow up,” we should want to ‘be like’ Philemon as a saint who has learned what having the “mind of Christ,” and the “love of Christ” is all about.
Phm 1:20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
Phm 1:21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
Rod Jones