The kind of love that God has for us is an eternal love that must be experienced. It’s not the kind of love that can be simply outlined. It’s the kind of love that surpasses every outline. Take a minute and read Ephesians 3:14 – 21 and listen to how Paul prays for us to experience the love of Christ.
Our capacity to thirst for and experience this thing called love is an interesting subject. We will go to great lengths to satisfy our hunger and thirst to be loved. It seems natural to thirst for love. It seems appropriate to desire to be loved.
There’s A Problem With The Human Experience of Love
Something has gone terribly wrong with our concept of love. Something has infected our understanding of love. Our experience of love has been tainted by poison. It has been reduced to a feeling that demands immediate gratification. We not only look for love in all the wrong places and fall victim to cheap substitutes of what love is, but we are also guilty of not expressing love in healthy or wholesome ways.
This Problem Underscores The Importance Of What Paul Prays For
What Paul prays for in verse 19 is vitally important for us to hear today. We desperately need to hear this prayer and apply it to our hearts. In verse 19 Paul prays that we would know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Paul prays that we would experientially know the love of Christ that leads to us being filled with the presence of the person of God. The word that Paul uses for “know” is the same word that is used for describing how a husband and wife are supposed to know each other. Paul is describing an intimate, deep, ongoing, vital, full of life, passionate, desperate kind of experience of the love of Christ.
Do You Know The Love of Christ Like this?
Do you miss the love of Christ when you go through valleys of loneliness or despair? Do you want to experience the joy of hearing Jesus say, “I love you”? Have you lived for so long without a taste of the unconditional love of Christ that you’ve grown bored or indifferent with Jesus? Have you moved beyond head-knowledge to heart-knowledge?
Head Knowledge Is Easier Than Heart Knowledge
Head-knowledge is less scary and it’s easier to map out. The quick fix of figuring something out can be intoxicating. The heart on the other hand is scary. The road maps are blurry and there’s no quick fix to what sickens the human heart. It’s easier to chase cheap substitutes like porn or inappropriate relationships or accomplishments or possessions or cheap thrills through substance abuse or success in your job. It’s hard to fight for the real thing.
What Will Jump-Start Our Hearts Today?
Only the Word of God empowered by the Spirit of God can do this work. Consider the following passages briefly and reflect on how they could jump-start your heart with the love of Christ.
- Psalm 86:15
- Psalm 136:26
- Zephaniah 3:17
- John 3:16
- John 15:9 – 11
- Romans 5:8
- Romans 8:37 – 39
- 1 John 4:9 – 10
- Ephesians 2:4 – 5
Discussion and Prayer…
- What aha moments did you have as you listened to this sermon and read this study guide?
- What caught your attention in the supporting passages at the end of the sermon/study guide?
- What is hindering you from experiencing the love of Christ more consistently? What can you do about this?
- Have someone pray for you in light of your answers to the questions above.