Plumbing the Depths of the Love of God (part 2)

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

Title: Plumbing the Depths of the Love of God (part 2) ------------------- Date: 3/2/2001
Keywords:    "love of God"
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passage: Ephesians 3:14-19*

14. For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,

15. from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

16. that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;

17. so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18. may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19. and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Questions

1. The passage quoted above is a long sentence! But, it is at least clear that Paul is praying. Try to boil down the prayer into its major thrusts. For what is he praying? (try and list the three or four major items in Paul’s prayer)

 

2. What does Paul say believers should comprehend about the love of Christ? (v. 18)

 

3. What comment does Paul make about Christ’s love in verse 19?

 

Practical help

There is something about being convinced of the love of Christ that is so energizing and so powerful that Paul considers it essential to the health of the Christian. How "broad" is the love of Christ? It is broad and wide enough to embrace all of your failings and still have room to stretch farther. How "long" is the love of Christ? It is long-lasting enough to out-last time, and long-suffering enough that its supply need never be depleted. How "high" is the love of Christ? It reaches to the heavens - and takes all who trust in Jesus there! How "deep" is the love of Christ? It goes so low that no sin you could ever commit will take you beyond the bottom of the barrel of God’s love.

No wonder Paul says that this love "surpasses knowledge." The love of God is your greatest possession - and you did nothing to deserve it, except place your faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. As you walk through your day, especially at the moment you are tempted to view pornography, remember the surpassing glory of the love of Jesus Christ for you.

eXXit homepage
Index of three-minute studies
Copyright 2001 by eXXit
*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."