“TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST”

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

God our Father has fully equipped us as “sons” with the doctrine of His will and His Selfless Godly love to operate upon as “Sons” who are “being conformed to The Image Of His Son,” and we being members of the “body of Christ,” are given the ‘progressive edifying stages of growth and establishment’ in our epistles. Therefore by the time we reach the pages of Ephesians, we are introduced to the doctrine of God the Father’s overall plan for both the earth and the heavenly places in “ages to come.” Furthermore we also come across the Father’s desire and Paul’s prayers for the saints that we will be filled with “all the fullness of God.” And as we see in verse 19, when the saint reaches the point where he has learned the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of HOW The Father Loves Out of pure Selflessness, and We WILL understand the Father’s will for the “Son” as he is filled with “all the fullness of God,” and it is this particular point in his edification where he is able to “know the love of Christ,” and thereby “Know” How Christ Himself acted out of Godly selfless Love.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Growing up “into him in all things” is what the son does when he successfully follows the proper ‘milk-to-meat’ design that we are given by our Father so that we as “perfect” sons can operate as members of his body the way that God intended that we should. Likewise verse 16 shows how the body “maketh increase,” and that we as “members one of another” “supplieth” each other by the doctrine of “the head.” And so as verse 16 shows there is a ‘building up’ concept with the saints with the objective that the saints become “rooted and grounded in love.” And only a son that has been fully taught “all the fullness of God” can fully understand and appreciate “the love of Christ.”

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Therefore as we “grow up” by the doctrine for the saints edifying, we learn how we should value and esteem others more than ourselves, and how we ought to not only “walk in love,” but that we eventually learn how to constantly “abound” in love toward one another as well as all mankind. Notice in the above verses we are taught Christ’s selflessness, and over and over His Selflessness is used as example and a pattern for our sanctified living unto The Father, and unto other Members of His Body. And as “followers of God” in selflessness, this is an ‘Identity’ that we have “In Christ” that oftentimes goes unnoticed, and not valued and appreciated as it should. 

Php 1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Php 1:10  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

And as we “abound yet more and more” in love, it will start to have an effect upon our “judgment” and our decision making as we progress through our lives. Therefore our “judgment” in all the matters of our life will be based upon the same godly selfless love of Christ by the “knowledge” that we have received, and that is working “effectually” within the believer. And it is the Father’s desire that our love ‘simulates,’ or ‘follows’ His selflessness, we as parents desire the same for our children; that they take upon our traits of emotion, love, ways, and how we treat this world. And as we can see in verses 9&10, true godly abounding love is HOW the “perfect” Man will judge the “things that are excellent” in the sight of God, whereas he will have the godly knowledge to be able to “approve” the affairs of this life with perfected knowledge of His will, because he has now learned God’s selfless Love.

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Being “members one of another” we are not to think more highly of ourselves, but to give up of ourselves out if love, just as Jesus Christ Himself gave of Himself for the members of His body. Furthermore this type of godly thinking is what having the love and the mind of Christ is all about, and this type of thinking should be something that comes to us naturally, instead of doing it out of guilt, or any other selfish reasoning, it should be dwelling effectually within us and always abounding more and more daily. When we “esteem other better than” ourselves, we HAVE the “mind of Christ” in ‘Full Operation’ within us, we think LIKE Christ, which in turn will have the Saint to do things His way, and eventually WORK TOGETHER with Him, and “Suffer with Him” as well.

1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

First Corinthians 13 gives the definition of what the “more excellent way” is all about, once these saints received “that which is perfect” (perfect knowledge), then they would come to understand what “charity” is all about. And this is exactly why Paul compares having spiritual gifts to possessing “charity,” because until the full knowledge of God came in, the saint had partial knowledge, and was in the ‘milk’ stages of his edification, and the spiritual gifts (which was the ‘less excellent way’ for the saint) were in operation until “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” But the saint HAS TO grow spiritually by His Word, and as he grows, he will see the ‘Doctrine of the selfless Love of God’ is essential to being “Perfect” in knowledge, and godly decision making.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

And Oftentimes, when we view 1^st Corinthians chapters 12 thru 14, we only see the temporary spiritual gifts that were given to the church BEFORE His completed written Word was given to Man as we have it today. But what God would have us to understand is; He would have us to obtain the knowledge of His COMPLETED Written Word within us, and in possessing this “treasure,” we WILL operate upon “Charity.” But at the time Paul was writing the Epistle, man had partial knowledge of His Word, Will, Way, Life, and Love. It Is the design, Will, and Desire of The Father that each and every Saint “in Christ” be a “perfect” Son, and that we are not only ‘just justified unto eternal life.’

Phm 1:5  Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

Phm 1:6  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Phm 1:7  For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

Phm 1:8  Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

Phm 1:9  Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Phm 1:10  I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

Phm 1:11  Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

Phm 1:12  Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

Phm 1:13  Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

Phm 1:14  But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

The epistle Philemon is one of the shortest books of the bible having only 25 verses, but there is a large amount of bible information found within the epistle. The Apostle Paul knew that the Thessalonian saints “abounded” in love toward one another, but he also knew that Philemon not only “abounded” in love, but he also had an effect on others so that they also learned by his example, and because as a “fellowlabourer” he taught the brethren as one that had learned how to work together with God in His will in adding “increase” to the body of Christ. Likewise the Apostle Paul asked of Philemon to “receive” Onesimus as he would Paul himself, the Apostle Paul knew that Philemon operated upon godly love, and that he would use the proper “judgment” in this decision, just like he has done in the past. Therefore as we “grow up,” we should want to ‘be like’ Philemon as a saint who has learned what having the “mind of Christ,” and the “love of Christ” is all about.

Phm 1:20  Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Phm 1:21  Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

Rod Jones