Four Dimensions of God's Love - Introduction

With Valentines Day fast approaching my thoughts turn to love. Love is more than an action or a response. It is a decision.

Paul wrote to the church these words. It is a prayer for the believers in Ephesus. In fact, his first prayer for the church at Ephesus is found in Ephesians 1:15-19. In that prayer, Paul prays that the believers might know Chist better . . . that they might know the hope to which Christ had called them . It is a prayer for knowledge and growth. But in Paul's second prayer which we are about to look at, Paul prays that the church would grasp hold of of that which would pave the way for God's work among them. He prays that they would get hold (grasp) of God's love.

Eph 3:14-21 NIV
(14) For this reason I kneel before the Father, (15) from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (16) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, (18) may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (19) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (21) to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

There is a difference between knowing God's love and experiencing God's love. Do you know about God's love or are you experiencing God's love? I know that the molecular structure of water is a combination of two molecules of Hydrogen and one molecule of water (H2O). But knowing that does not do me a bit of good on a hot sunny day in August after I have worked up a sweat mowing the lawn. I could care less about chemical composition of water. My understanding of water does not quench my thirst. My need is much greater than a deeper insight into the meaning of water. What I need is to reach into the fridge and pull out a bottle of Poland Spring water and take a good swig. If you know that God loves you, but you don't know His love, it's like someone who studies water without drinking it.

Tomorrow, we'll look at the four dimensions of God's love as described by Paul in this passage: width, length, height, and depth. Those dimensions describe a cube - a box, if you will. Just how big is this container? How big is your container? Are you boxing God in? or are you allowing God to expand your box of love?