Do You Know the Totality of God's Love?

This lesson came from a message that I listened to this morning by Pastor David Brock on Loss.  You will find that I use a lot of his teaching in this lesson, as he states it so clear.  The study is from Eph 3:14-19.
The first thing that we should understand is that we should not be identified by our life circumstances, but by who we are in Christ.  This begs the question: Who are we in Christ?  Not quite sure?  By the end of this lesson, we should be able to answer, or at least, understand the question.  So, let's dig in, shall we?
As I said in my mission statement, we all go through trials.  It is how we react to these tests that show others where we stand in our faith.  As Pastor Brock said in his message, "We are not God ~ His plan, His will, His love must be our plan, our will, our love." God's grace is sufficient to see us through the bumps along life's highway if we are faithful to God to the very end!

Eph 3:14 starts with  "For this reason..." (NIV).  Paul is looking back to Eph 1, at the transition that our salvation brings.  We must be prepared for three facts that change our lives.

First Fact (vs 14-17):

Our inner strength is from God, who is sovereign over all. 

(vs 14-15) ~ We are to humbly fall on our knees and recognize that all creation comes before God.  If we are to have that inner strength, we need to recognize that God is sovereign over all.

(vs 16)     ~ Inner strength finds its source from the Holy Spirit, based on God's glorious riches, which are infinite.

(vs 17)     ~ Finally, by faith we must take God at His word and believe all of His promises.

Second Fact (vs 18-19)

Paul is explaining that experiencing God's love is foundational for understanding God's love.

(vs 18)     ~ We are used to love being limited.  We love if (and only if) we are benefited by that love.  Think about it.  How many times have we "gone out on a limb" in the name of love, only to be rejected and/or ridiculed?  This is the kind of love that we, as humans, are used to; the love that has limitations.  However, God's love is infinite, limitless and immeasurable.  Can we even imagine it in our limited minds?  Not until we have experienced it for ourselves.  Then we can be firmly secure in the love of God ~ that we might fully comprehend the unlimited nature of God's love.

(vs 19)    ~ As soon as Paul has us thinking that we understand the nature of God's love, he throws a curve ball at us and admits that God's love "surpasses knowledge" (NIV).

Third Fact (vs 19)

The reality of God's love should control our lives.

(vs 19)    ~ "that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (NIV).  We will tear the phrase apart and examine it.  "Filled" in this sense of the word, means overflowing; that we are to be controlled by it, as there is no room for anything else in our lives.  "Fullness of God" is the totality of who God is.  This requires some meditation.  Who is God? What does He stand for?  Let's throw out a few words that I came up with and you can add your own.  God is:
holy
just,
omnipresent,
all powerful
love
patient, and on and on.

In the end, we do what God wants us to do, because we are controlled by who God is.  Paul wished us to understand God's love, so that we could be controlled by that love, so that we could know who God is.  We must allow the reality of God to fully consume our life.

Implications:

The greater battles of our lives are inner battles, not physical.  We, therefore, must live in total dependence on our faith.

Understanding God fully is based upon His loving and strength.

Knowing God is vital to biblical response, therefore, get to know God!

Our greatest prayer request is not deliverance from circumstances, but to be controlled by God through the circumstances.  Pray for strength and grace through the trial; and that others can see God through your actions.

Being consumed by God can permit you to live out Christian faith.

When we fully understand God, it will be obvious in the way we live from day to day.

Ask yourself: Does God fully consume your life?  Who are you in Christ?