Do You Comprehend The Love of God?

God wants you to comprehend just how much He loves you!

Ephesians 3: 13-21

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

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 fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout the ages, world without end. Amen



VS 13 - 17 Paul here was writing to the people at Ephesus from prison. He did not want them to be troubled or disheartened over their new-found Christian faith because of what had happened to him.

It was natural that they would be upset, but he wanted them to dwell on the good things of God rather than the bad thing that was happening to him right now.

He wanted them to dwell on everything Christ was and is, and wanted them to comprehend it with much clarity so they could live a victorious Christian life.

Pay special attention to the meanings of these words in Greek:

to be strengthened (krataioo - pronounced krat-ah-yo-o)

to empower, that is, increase in vigor; wax strong

with might (dunamis - pronounced doo-nam-is)

force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power, ability, abundance, meaning, strength

that Christ may dwell (katoikeo - pronounced kat-oh-keh-o)

to house permanently, that is, reside

in your hearts by faith (pistis - pronounced pis-tis)

persuasion, credence, moral conviction or religious truth, or the truthfulness of God, reliance of Christ for salvation

that ye being rooted (rhizoo - pronounced rhid-zo-o)

to root, to become stable

and grounded (themelioo - pronounced them-el-ee-o-o)

to lay a basis for, erect, consolidate, lay the foundation, settle

in love (agape - pronounced ag-ah-pay)

affection or benevolence, dear, a love feast



VS 18-19 Paul wanted them to comprehend in every way how much God loved and cared for them. He used every example of high, wide, deep, and long so that they could understand that God is greater than anything they could ever imagine.

which passeth (huperballo - pronounced hoop-er-bal-lo)

to throw beyond the usual mark, to surpass

knowledge (gnosis - pronounced gno-sis)

the act of knowing

filled (pleroo - pronounced play-ro-o)

to make replete, to cram a net, level up, to furnish, satisfy, finish, verify

fulness (pleroma - pronounced play-ro-mah)

repletion or completion, what fills (as contents, supplement, multitude; or what is filled (as container, performance, period); which is put in to fill up



VS 20 - Paul wanted them to show them that they couldn't even understand the extent to which God wanted to work in their lives. God also wants to do that in us today.

unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly

over and above; a primary preposition that denotes origin, (the point whence motion or action proceeds); superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality), implies excessiveness beyond measure

ask (aiteo - pronounced ahee-teh-o)

to beg, call for, crave, desire, require

think (noieo - pronounced noy-eh-o)

to exercise the mind, observe, to comprehend, heed

power (dunamis - pronounced doo-nam-is)

force, miraculous power, ability, abundance, might, strength, mighty work

worketh (energeo - pronounced en-erg-eh-o)

to be active, efficient; be mighty in, work effectually in

From Comprehend back to Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living