A Smart Love

A VERY SMART LOVE My wife was writing me one day from school. She had a friend that had some deep theological questions. He had a strong faith but a lot of questions. And it seemed like every answer I gave was not good enough. A couple of weeks later I fell upon the passage in Ephesians 3, which focuses on a love that surpasses all knowledge or understanding. Paul prayed a prayer for spiritual strength to the believers of Ephesus. This prayer is so intense and full of golden nuggets. So lets see how these golden nuggets inspire us to dive into a love that surpasses all knowledge... Ephesians 3:14–21 Reformers like Calvin called Christian gatherings “Coram Deo”—“in the presence of God.” During the Great Awakenings, Puritans spoke of revival as “the manifest/recognizable/transparent/undeniable presence of Christ. When we gather together to Pray for revival, this is an invitation—to something wonderfully beyond God’s “essential presence” (that is, He is always with us), and beyond His “cultivated” presence (that is, as the believer grows to know and walk with God daily). The apostle Paul prayed for believers to know a revival that brings about an intensification of the presence and power of Jesus Christ. In this prayer, Paul prays 1) that Christ would dwell—more literally, “be at home”—in their hearts by faith, that is, that He would move from being an acquaintance to being the center of their church family; (Eph. 3:17) This love conquers the lies of who the world says you are or should be (physical) Our house is fit for the King (The visit of prince Frederik to the F.O. story) 2) that they would grasp God’s love at a spiritual level, beyond intellectual or theological knowledge; and (Eph. 3:18-19); (John 8:32) This love conquers all knowledge that would limit you from access to heavenly wisdom. (mentally) 3) that they would be filled with God’s fullness (full measure, plenitude, completed), that is, that the Holy Spirit would reveal the things of Christ (John 16) more fully, achieving God’s fuller work in each life—unhindered, unquenched, ungrieved. (Eph.3:19); (Col. 2:8-9) This love conquers emptiness (spiritually) We are complete in Him… we are not defined in what we do, or our current circumstances (sicknesses), or our past failures (sins; once a sinner always a sinner). We are more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37)