Comprehending the Incomprehensible...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles called the book of Ephesians. Wednesday, we saw Paul reveal for us the timeless truth that Our identity as a follower of Jesus should provoke us to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us.

Paul wanted followers of Jesus throughout history to somehow be able to comprehend and wrap their minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ. So Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit would be at work in our lives in such a way that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ.

Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave, if the love of Christ is incomprehensible, why would Paul even bother praying that God would help us to comprehend the love of Christ? I mean that seems to be a waste of time? Why pray something that cannot possibly be answered?” Today, we will see Paul himself provide the answer as he concludes this section of his letter in Ephesians 3:20:

 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

You see, Paul prayed that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ because Paul believed that God was capable of doing infinitely beyond all we could ask for.

Paul prayed that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ because Paul believed that God was capable of doing infinitely beyond all we could even think or imagine.

Paul did not put God’s capabilities in a box when it came to what God could do in our lives. Paul did not put God’s capabilities in a box when it came to what God could do in our lives because Paul knew that as followers of Jesus, we have the mighty strength of the Holy Spirit within us.  

And because of who God is, and because of all that God had done through His Son Jesus that resulted in our relationship with Jesus, Paul wanted God to receive the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all eternity. Paul wanted God to receive the honor and recognition that He deserved for all that He had done through His Son Jesus that resulted in our relationship with Jesus and the movement called the church as the vehicle that God uses to reveal His Son Jesus to the world for all eternity.

You see, for Paul, his identity as a follower of Jesus provoked him to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us. And as followers of Jesus our identity as a follower of Jesus should provoke us to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us.

So here is a question to consider: Does your identity as a follower of Jesus provoke you to ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to comprehend Christ’s love for you? Does your identity as a follower of Jesus provoke you to want to wrap your mind around how wide, how long, how tall, and how deep Jesus love for you must be to willingly allow Himself to be treated as though He lived your selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat you as though you lived Jesus perfect life? Or are you provoked to ask elsewhere when it comes to trying to find your identity?