The Love of Christ

I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.” Ephesians3:18-19 (CEB)

Ah, February….the month of love! Visions of hearts and chocolates borne by a little guy with an arrow. Love is surely in the air! I love my husband, children and grandchildren – I love my friends and extended family. No one could love them more than me, right?

There is someone who loves me and those I love so much more than I ever could. Look back up at the verse above. The love Christ has for you and me is beyond knowledge! In this verse Paul is praying that the believer (us) would be granted the ability to comprehend with all the saints (KJV) the love Christ has for us.

Certainly, the love of Christ is surely too profound for anybody to even begin to know. Well, we would be wrong to think that way. The love of Christ is not too deep for us; rather our deepest need is to know that love.

The love of Christ can be known in several ways. There three themes which run through all Paul has said to the Ephesians, in leading up to verse 19 of chapter 3. These three themes are the cross, counsel, and coming of Christ. How so? Let’s take a look from simplybible.com:

· In the past, Jesus began the Christian era with his cross.

· In the present, Jesus continues the Christian era with his counsel.

· In the future, Jesus will close the Christian era with his coming

We can know of Christ’s love from the cross. Romans 5:7-8 gives us this truth. “It isn’t often that someone will die for a righteous person, though maybe someone might dare to die for a good person. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (CEB)

Christ’s love may be seen in the knowledge of his counsel as we see in Philippians 2:1-2, “Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united and agreeing with each other.” (CEB)

While you can love Christ now, and know his love by faith, there is a moment coming in which you will know the love of Christ in face-to-face reality. That is the moment of rapture when Jesus Christ will personally welcome you with open arms. Matthew 25:34, “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began.” (CEB)

Boy that promise beats hearts and chocolate and the funny little guy in the diaper all to pieces! Valentine’s Day is a lot of fun and a day set aside to show devotion for those we love, but there is no love like Christ’s love for us.

This devotion is a little long, but I would like to add this poem in closing:

Valentine Divine When Jesus Christ decided to Give us a Valentine, He followed His Father's orders-- The task God did assign. He gave Himself, His life, His all, For this special Valentine, Knowing He would change the world; Real love He'd redefine. It's sacrifice we need to give To a beloved Valentine; When we do that, we get a glimpse Of the holy and divine. Oh Lord, please help us be like you, With every Valentine. When we love each other as You did, It's then that we're really Thine. By Joanna Fuchs