Enduring Love

For I am convinced because neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor that at hand, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing has power to separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 13:38-39)

There will be things that come against us that will challenge our faith but none of these things has the power to separate us from the love of God. There is nothing more important for me to understand about God right now, than that of his love. The love of God in Christ Jesus roots and founds and brings us into the fullness of God. It is enduring love, it never ends,

For I am convinced... powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing has power to separate us from the love of God...

There is a knowing of agape love that God wants us to be rooted and founded in "... that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith rooted and founded in love" (Ephesians 3:17). In the parable of sowing Jesus said some receive the word with joy but when suffering and persecution comes they will only last for a short time (Mathew 13:21). Jesus goes on to say they had no roots. In other scriptures the comparison is to a foundation. Paul mentions we are rooted and founded in two things; faith and love (Colossians 2:7; Ephesians 3:17).

I believe without this foundation in faith and love we can be separated. For a short time, as I believe the parable speaks of a continuing process not a one time thing. So if the trial comes and you do not last, love endures. Like Peter who denied Jesus three times, who had bragged about his faith, how he would go die with Jesus, but the testing of the genuineness of his faith and love proved otherwise. But God did not let him fall away but strengthened him and from this he strengthened the brethren.

[agape love] bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Agape love believes or has faith. Faith without love is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). We are both rooted and founded in faith and love, they are inseparable and dependent upon one another. "Now, abides faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). When Paul writes we put on the new self, love is an essential part that we clothe ourselves with (Colossians 2:7). It is essential because what strengthens us is faith working through love (Galatians 5:6). Paul writes we are to seek the greater gifts like prophecy, teaching, healing, miracles, tongues... but there is way beyond comparison (1 Corinthians 12:31). Love is the way beyond comparison (1 Corinthians 13). Love will bring more people to Jesus than any other gifts.

put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of our hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

Paul writes love is something you clothe yourselves with before you put on armor in Ephesians. So if faith without love is nothing then the shield of faith, in Ephesian 6, must operate in love. Paul specifically writes that faith and love is armor, it is a breastplate in the verse above. Love and the word which increases our faith, are intrinsically connected. Like Spirit and Truth. Love is a sign of our maturity in Christ. "Purifying your souls in obedience to the truth to the extent a sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently from a pure heart," (1 Peter 1:22).

nor height, nor depth... is able to separate us from the love of God

There is a knowing of agape love that God roots and founds us. But it doesn't end there, love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:8). This rooting and founding allows us to move into a deeper love of Christ, giving us strength so that we can grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth both to know the love of Christ, and to be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19). This fullness of agape love is what will never separate us from God when the trials of this life hit us, "... nor height, nor depth... is able to separate us from the love of God."

both to know the love of Christ, surpassing knowledge so that filled to the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).

We will operate fully in our gifts when we overflow with the fullness of God, of knowing of his love. We love God because he first loved us. Jesus said the world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). This kind of love surpasses knowledge, but without it I do not believe we will make an impact in this world.

In the Church agape love works together with unity of faith, as love is the bond that leads us into maturity or fullness in Christ (Colossians 3:14-16). Gifts are given to the Church so it grows into maturity in Christ, growing up truth in love (Ephesians 4:7-16). Paul writes laying hold of this love will bring us into fullness. But he also writes this love surpasses knowledge. How in the world can we know of it?

Now. the one powerful to do abundantly above all that we ask or imagine according to the power that working in us, to him be the glory in the church... (Ephesians 3:20-21)

The love of God in Christ that surpasses knowledge is not of this world but such experiential knowing of it comes through God's power. The power of God is working in us to bring us into the fullness of God and the knowledge of his great love in Christ. The church full of power is the church full of agape love. There is a knowing of agape love that roots and founds us. There is a knowing of agape love that brings us into fullness. This kind of love is enduring love, it is steadfast love, it founds us and allows us to endure all things. When we lay hold of this greater love we know it is a greater possession than anything of this world. And there is neither power, nor authority, nor height nor depth nor any other thing that can separate us from this love.

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