The All-conquering Love of Christ.
On bended knees the Apostle prays for those who are accepted in the Beloved-who have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:6,7), " that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."
" To know the love of Christ." Surely their hearts were glad and their voices often rising in praise and thanksgiving to Him Who had gone into death for them. He had borne all the awful judgment which was their due, and now seated at the right hand of God, He was their representative there, they made nigh to God in Him. (Eph. 2:13.) They knew where they had been brought from, but it was needful for them as for the believer to-day, to distinguish between what they had been brought from, and what they were brought to.
The believer is sure that Christ loves him, because His love was proved in that while we were yet sinners, He died for us. Blessedly true this is, yet it is quite another thing to rest on the proof of love, than to rest on the love itself. We may gladly acknowledge what His love has done for us, while there may be a lack of perfect confidence that His love is absolutely to be relied upon, for every step, every trial, every sorrow that may be in our pilgrim path.
This is the secret of failure so often manifested in saints when trials come, when days seem dark and the path is rough. They are so readily cast down in trouble, bowed down, as though they had no resource-the present grace of Christ not known. Surely this is not honoring to the One, to Whom honor, love and confidence are due.
We are brought from darkness into light-to God Himself Who is both light and love. So in Eph. 5:2, the exhortation is to " walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." We are brought nigh, in all the fragrance and perfection of Christ's person and work. We are brought nigh in Him Who has glorified God in His perfect obedience unto the death of the cross, and now we are in Him in the presence of God. Eternal life is now ours, and we are brought into-the circle of divine fellowship with the Father and with the Son. We are the trophies of His grace, objects of His special care and love, and we shall be His great joy when gathered home to be forever with Himself. Destined in the purpose of His love, we are to be co-heirs with Him in all the vast inheritance of bliss, to be His peculiar treasure when all the toil is past, sharing with Himself the eternal joy of the Father's house. What a challenge we have in Rom. 8. What can " separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus? "
The Apostle turns to the Lord, on behalf of the Thessalonian saints, who well knew and rejoiced in the love of God and Christ, in view of the trials and enemies in their path-" The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patience of Christ " Thess. 3: 5), that is into the blessed enjoyment of infinite, eternal love, into the atmosphere wherein the soul can live and breathe, the sweet foretaste of heaven's bliss.
Again, in Eph. 3., he says " To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God; " Christ dwelling in the heart by faith-the love of Christ known-satisfied " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? " Here we have enemies sevenfold. " Nay, in (any or) all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
Think you, will that love let one of His own go, or anything, any enemy, ever be able to hinder its outflow to its objects? In the assurance of such love, the love of our mighty Deliverer and unchangeable Friend, we may echo the apostle's cry.
Yea, not only shall we arise victorious from the trials of the way, or the opposition of the enemy, but we shall come forth with great and glorious spoils of victory. " Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." Our faith will be strengthened, and we shall have a deeper knowledge of the love and power of our Lord and Savior-thus fitted all the more for the trials of the journey. We shall bear sweet fruits of the Spirit, to ripen in the sunshine of that wondrous, precious, all-conquering love of Christ.
Do you know that love?