How Great is the Love of the Father

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength 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, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

I don't know about you, but I get so easily sidetracked that I so often fail to simply seek God. I love to study his word and delight in his sovereignty, but in daily retrospect, considering days and weeks prior, I see that I delighted so much in God's sovereignty and in his wisdom and in his word, that my mind was not on him. I seem to routinely enjoy the attributes of God rather than to enjoy, most basically, his presence.

It is good to acknowledge God's sovereignty and to delight in his wisdom, but so often I think we love to know about God. Just knowing 'about' God is baffling because of how great and awesome he is. However, God wants us to pursue him, not the knowledge of his attributes. It all boils down to love - ours for him, yes - but more-so, his love for us.

His love is mighty and his love is great. But the words alone do not prompt us to seek him, at least it doesn't prompt a whole-hearted seeking. When I consider God's holiness, while taking a step back to view myself as a fallen man who was enslaved to sin and not deserving of life nor forgiveness, I am in awe.

To think that this God - the creator of all things, the ultimate good, the almighty God who is eternally gracious and infinitely powerful - thought it good to love a sinner like me, I am reminded just how big and wide and deep and high and completely unfathomable his love is for me.

Knowing this love is exactly what prompted these words from the Apostle Paul:

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What blessed assurance and amazing comfort to know that I am loved with this kind of love. Not because of any merit of my own, but because God saw fit to include me in his eternal plan. I am forever grateful for this love and now joyfully know what is meant by "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life."

I am indebted to God's goodness as a "slave to righteousness." What great love this is, to find me in my fallen state, restore me to freedom, love and chasten me, and to conform me to Christ! "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.." I can be confident that God has chosen to make me like his son. I seek Jesus, to delight in Jesus, and to know more deeply his love for me. Such a love is great motivation to honor a great God.

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Suggested reading:

From the Bible: John 15, Ephesians 3, Romans 6, Romans 8

Set Free from Sin to be a Slave to Righteousness - John Piper's Blog