John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The love of Christ surpasses human understanding. We as humans might be willing to suffer many things for those we love, but not all things; we have our limits. We might even give up our lives for those who love us, our love may endure some things, but not all things. Yet, the love of Christ did not give up its life for those who loved Him, but for those who despised Him. Our love can love the lovely, but His love is for sinners. "He loved us while we were yet sinners." (Rom 5:8) He did not wait until we were cleansed to love us, but while we were yet sinners, He loved us, and gave his life for us! What matchless, unfathomable love is this that loves us in our worst condition, and not a little, but to its fullest extent, for He "died for the ungodly."(Rom 5:6) This was not a love of words but "Of deed and in truth," (1 Jhn 3:18) a love so vast that not all the sins in the world, or separation from God the Father, or the cross, or the whips, crown of thorns, spitting upon, mocking, embarrassment could find its limitation. Truly, charity suffers long and endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), not some things but all things! Thank God that He endured it all for you and me for the great love with which He loved us!" (Ephesians 2:4-5) You, dear friend, it matters not who you are, where you are from, or what you have done, for it was "Not for ours only (the saved) but for the sins of the whole world!" (1 John 2:2) that he was a propitiation. You, dear reader, He died for you because He loved you! Truly, greater love hath no man than this!
My prayer for you this morning, whoever you may be, is the prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, 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 surpasses knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19) This love is not for your inspection but for your experience! Dear friend, have you seen this prayer, not that you might see this love but that you might know this love! (vs.19) Seeing it is grand, like a man who stands on a coastal cliff beholding the sea, but His prayer is that you might launch out into the vast, boundless sea of His love and know it by experience! Reading a love story is grand, but living one is far better; you can know this love! How, you ask? “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” Oh, that I could make you believe! I would do anything to make you believe that He is the grandest, most glorious, and most wonderful person you could ever know, that He is to me everything and He would be to you also; He will be your comforter, your joy, the lifter up of your head, your exceeding great reward, your shield, your buckler, your savior, and more! All of this is delivered to you when you trust in Him! Like life is delivered to cells, tissue, and organic matter the moment a man’s seed successfully fertilizes an egg, so will the life of God, the light of God, and all the fullness of the Godhead bodily be delivered into your heart to dwell there forever the moment the seed of the Gospel is received by faith. This fills us “With all the fullness of God.” If Christ, who is “The fullness of all things” (Col 1:19, 2:3, 3:11 Jhn 1:16), fills you, then, friend, you are full! Never to be empty again, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall never thirst again!” (Jhn 4:13). He is “Him whom my soul loveth” (Song 1:7, 3:1-4) because He first loved my soul.
Do you know Him? Do you know the vast, boundless, enduring, filling love of Christ? Have you at least seen it? If you have, come down from your observation deck, down to the shores of faith where the Love of Christ can be known, launch out into it, be baptized into it; trust in Him today and “Be filled with all the fullness of God.”
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