Experience

"I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:18-19 NRS)

In my ministry of preaching and teaching I do a lot of reading -- serious reading. You would think that reading might not be my choice of hobbies. Yet, from elementary school, I have been an avid reader. And for relaxation and recreation, I enjoy Clancy, Ludlum, and Cussler adventure thrillers. Psychologists would claim this is a latent desire to vicariously experience the thrill of adventure.

Of course, vicarious experience is biblical. Christ was our vicarious sacrifice. He was substituted on Calvary as punishment for our sins. By his act of substitution we vicariously experience the righteousness of God. In other words, he took our sin and punishment but delegated his righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

To the Ephesian saints, Paul offers another vicarious opportunity: God revealed the mystery to me and if you will read my earlier brief description of it, you will also perceive my understanding (Eph. 3:3-4). And then he closes his letter by telling them that the mystery of God is exhibited through the Church "in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him" (vss. 9-12). And Paul adds, "I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory" (v.13 NRS).

This is my desire: to vicariously experience the love of Christ in all its facets; to discover the range and scope of his love; and to understand the dimensions of his marvelous love. Yet, some people do not believe this ambitious desire can be achieved (Job 11:7-9). Paul, however, prays that his readers "may have the power to comprehend" and "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19).

The dimensions of an omniscient, eternal, holy God may seem impossible to fathom, but an apparent impossibility doesn't negate the Scriptural exhortation to know and experience him. Philip desired to know the Father and said, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied" (John 14:8). And the Lord replied, "Philip, you still don't know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (v.9). So, the Lord's response dispels the idea that we can't know or experience "the fullness of God," since Christ embodies the fullness of God (Colossians 2:8-10).

And how can we know the love of Christ if it surpasses knowledge? Herein is the key to knowing. Until we experience something, we can only know about it. Until we personally experience the love of Christ, we  do not truly know him. There is an understanding of God that can only be known through experience. This experiential knowledge surpasses or goes beyond the normal knowledge of a thing or person. And the Apostle prays that his readers will go beyond simple knowledge and experience the love of Christ that exceeds their knowledge of him. And going beyond mere knowledge positions the believer on the journey to "be filled with all the fullness of God."

Dear Father, thank you for giving us Jesus that we might truly know you. Empower us to be faithful in our journey to be filled with all the fullness of God. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Fully experience God today,