It was interesting the other day when the Holy Spirit led me back to the New Testament after studying Chronicles; quite a contrast and yet the bridge between those books and Ephesians is one I never really saw before. And as I began working my way through Paul’s words to not only all the believers in Ephesus but to all the churches in Asia as the letter was to be shared, I paused at a verse and considered a simple statement that I had glossed over dozens of time… thinking that I knew what the terms meant.
Eph 3:18, 19(a) “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height… to know the love of Christ.
In gaining a better understanding of those terms I went, as usual, to the Greek language but I only discovered they mean “exactly” what they mean. So I went to one of my “fail safe” commentators on the New Testament, John Phillips. Let me share what I learned.
The Length of God’s Love
How long is God’s love? When did God start loving us? It never started, it has always existed, is everlasting and is as eternal as He is. And most importantly… He will never stop loving us! Think about that and the fact that He has never stopped loving those who are eternally lost.
The Breadth of God’s Love
How wide is God’s love? It’s wider than the entire universe! It is not narrow, limited or defined by some creed or custom. Think of those He has loved: the rich young ruler, Nicodemus, Caiaphas, Judas, Herod, Pilate… Nero, Hitler, Stalin. His love is wide enough to embrace “everyone.”
The Depth of God’s Love
How deep is God’s love? God came from the highest heaven to the darkness of His tomb and further into the lowest depths of hell. He came from His place as the Creator to take up a life as a carpenter and live among us. He went from heaven to the cross to the grave, carrying with Him all the sin of this world. How deep? As sailors used to say when taking a sounding… No bottom with this line!
The Height of God’s Love
How high is Christ’s love? He has ascended to glory and sits at the right hand of the Father where all of the galaxies of the universe spin about His feet… but He has not forgotten or forsaken us or stopped loving us. In fact, He has already “seated us” in heavenly places with Him (John 14:3)… where He is we are also.
The word that keeps coming up in my mind as I consider these measurements is “infinity;” endlessness, boundlessness, limitlessness, vastness. And until the day He takes me home I will never truly be able to fully grasp the width, length, depth and height of the love He has for me and the fact that it is eternal… has always been and always will be.
Think on that!