Grace for Grace

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

This is part of Paul’s prayer to the Father for the Ephesians. He prays that they would be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in the inner man so that they might know the love of Christ. (Ephesians 3:14-16) The inner man is that part of us that was reborn of God. It’s the human spirit that is in constant communication with the Spirit of God. It’s that part of us that fights the flesh and influences the soul (mind, will and emotions.)

That word “know” means to be aware of, to be sure of and to understand. The love of Christ is beyond what we can understand, but we can be aware of it and be sure of it. It’s the love that took Jesus to the cross in our place.  It’s the love that took death for us so that we could live. Self-preservation in man is so great, the kind of love that would put oneself in another’s place to die is rare, but Christ did. John wrote: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1John 4:9-11)

This is how God’s love is demonstrated in us, in our love for one another.  Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) It’s easy to say you love your brethren or that you love others, but it’s another thing to demonstrate it.  How can we demonstrate it.  Paul instructs us. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:3-5) This was in the mind of Christ, others, not Himself, but the eternity of others. When we meet others, our first concern should be for their eternity.  But many times, when we are concerned about others, we think of their earthly provision, comfort or emotional needs.

When we grow in the knowledge of the love of Christ, we are filled with the fullness of God. Filled meaning fully furnished and perfectly supplied with the “fullness” of God in us. And that fullness is His grace, His undeserved favor and blessing. “And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1:16) That grace come from the Lord Jesus in Whom was all the grace, God’s undeserved favor and blessing for us. Paul explains this grace. “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:9-15) Paul made it plain that God’s undeserved favor and blessing is our redemption through Christ, being sure of it, walking in it with others with complete understanding that we are living by the grace of God. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:10) The grace that we receive from Jesus makes it possible. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)