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The Effect Of Surpassing Love

and this I pray that your love abound more and more, in knowledge and all understanding to the extent you prove that to carry you through, so that existing of the light and not stumbling to the extent Christ's day (Philippians 1:9-10) 

We are to walk in the Light as He is the Light, we are to walk as Jesus walked, not stumbling, tossed to and fro as children, but truth in love we come into existence, growing up into him, becoming mature, to the extent of the full measure of the stature of Christ. Truth in love we grow up into him. In unity of faith and in knowledge of him, the body the church grows into maturity. Faith is active or works or is energized through love, so when love abounds with truth (in knowledge and understanding in knowing Christ more and more) it will carry us through so that we exist mature like Jesus in the world. When the child does not grow or in the same sense the church is not growing though truth is spoken, then faith is not active because love is missing.

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

To be filled to the fullness of God is to come into existence to mature adulthood, and the measure of that maturity is to the extent of the stature of Christ. So how does one get to the place of maturity? "I pray that your love abound more and more, in knowledge and all understanding to the extent you prove that to carry you through." While we might use surpassing to mean incomparable it also means greatly exceeding others. Surpassing love, is that it carries you through. In Ephesians 3 Paul shows us more of what this looks like. 

so that you have strength to receive together with all the saints these the breadth and length and height and depth both to know the love of Christ... (Ephesians 3:18-19)

You need strength to receive this greater love of Christ, that without bounds, and when love is abounding more and more, in all knowledge and understanding or in truth then the child or the body of Christ grows. Truth increases faith so there is a building up in unity of faith as knowledge of Jesus increases. But truth by itself doesn't cause the body to grow, no, truth in love does. Faith is energized or activated or works or faith is made effective though Agape Love.* So faith without Love is dead.* 

James writes that faith without works is dead and he is correct and if you read what he mentions of works they are deeds of love, like not showing favoritism to the rich while ignoring the poor within the church and not loving is comparable to not doing anything when seeing your brother in need. John reiterates this truth, if you do not love your brother, seeing him in need and doing nothing when you have the worldly goods to help him, you are not walking in the Light but darkness. This kind of faith has no works and is dead. Faith without love is nothing, dead, not activated by love. Love is the bond that leads to maturity.* So those not loving are not mature. 

Here is the process that matures, "love abound more and more, in knowledge and all understanding to the extent you prove that to carry you through, so that existing of the light." There is something that will carry you through so that you come into existence mature in Christ and that something is the effect of a surpassing love. Or said another way, a love that surpasses all things. In the parable of sowing Jesus mentions two things that the mature have besides receiving the word with joy, and that is being deeply rooted and having understanding. Understanding comes as we grow in knowledge of Jesus. 

for this reason I bow my knees before the Father... so that according to the riches of his glory he gives you ruling power through his Spirit in your inner man (Ephesians 3:14-16)

Paul writes a few things root us.* Or as he says another way, what counts is being a new creation, what strengthens is faith working through love. He writes in Colossians we are rooted in faith and built up and established in Christ. And in Ephesians 3:17 he writes Christ dwells in our hearts through faith and we are rooted and found in love. Also we need God to give us ruling power through the Spirit. So we see three things that are essential; being a new creation in Christ where God is giving us ruling power through his Spirit dwelling in us, being rooted in faith, and being rooted in love. This is the foundation or first part of the process that matures. Then you have strength for something surpassing...

so that you have strength to receive together with all the saints these the breadth and length and height and depth both to know the surpassing love of Christ so that you are filled to the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19)

In Ephesians 1 Paul is praying that God would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ more and more so the eyes of our hearts are enlightened to the power that is available to us, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. So three essential things are given to us, these are foundational so that we have strength to receive a greater love of Christ that will carry us through. This love abounding more and more is needed in the second part of growth. First, we are founded, we have deep roots but now the thorns are trying to choke out or growth. So secondly, having been founded, now we need what is essential to carry us through so we grow into the fullness of God. What is essential in this phase of growth is love.

Do you see? We need a foundation to have strength to receive a love in Christ that will surpass all things. This surpassing love of Christ abounds more and more, as we grow in knowledge and all understanding in Jesus, and this is needed so we endure and can prove that which is good and acceptable and pleasing, that essential, that which will carry us through, so that we exist of the light and not stumbling, no longer children but growing into maturity, truth in love. Love bears all, believes all, and endures all.

What can separate us from the love of Christ? tribulation either distress, either persecution either famine, either nakedness, either danger, either sword... rather in all these we are winning a most glorious victory through the one loving us. For I am convinced neither life, death... [nothing] has power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39)

So when the church is not growing, when the child is rebelling, when we do not endure the persecution, or fall prey to the love of money and the cares and anxieties of this world, or become a church that forfeits grace and bitterness defiles us... What is the problem? First, the child must have entered the kingdom of God through new birth of the Spirit, as without being a spiritual being the child has no power to submit to spiritual things of God. Secondly, the child must be rooted in faith and love, built up and established in Christ. Lastly, because he has a proper foundation he can now lay hold or take in hand or receive a surpassing love (a love that abounds more and more) that will carry him through to maturity. Nothing can separate him from the surpassing love of Christ. Surpassing love sees him through, keeps him, it is the bond that leads him to maturity in Christ. 


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