November 06 2025

Thursday November 06

Knowing Christ, Living Christ, Loving Christ

Ephesians 3:17-19

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Today we will begin our study in Ephesians 3 and learn more about who Jesus is, what Jesus has done for us, the mystery of the church, and how we serve Him out of love. We minister to a lost world, to people around us that maybe hate us, that mistreat us, but we can love them anyway because Jesus loves us.

As we've looked at this book so far, chapter 1 has taught us that we need to know Jesus. Paul wrote in In Ephesians 1:18, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe according to the working of His mighty power.” Because we know who Jesus is, our position in Christ, we have an understanding of the exceeding greatness of His power that works in us.

In chapter 2, it's about living Jesus. We've been saved by faith through grace (vv 8-9). But then in verse 10, remember: “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” We see now we are to live Jesus because we know Him. We know our position in Christ. We know our calling through Him, from Him and for Him. Now we live for Him. In a real sense it's not us living for Him, it's Christ living in us. Paul said, "I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet not I but Christ lives in me. The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

When we realize that we know who we are in Christ, and we know our position in Christ. And we know our calling in Christ. Then we can live out the life of Christ. He lives His life in us and through us by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Now, in chapter 3, we're going to be talking about loving Christ. In verses 17-19 we read, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Then we can experience verse 20: “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” 

So Paul is now wanting us to know here verse 17 that we are grounded in His love. Christ loves us and we love Christ. When we truly know this then we can serve and minister and work out of love for Christ. Remember what Jesus said in John chapter 15? “If you love Me you will keep My commandments. We will not be like servants but we'll be like friends.” Why? Because out of love, we serve and minister because of His love for us. We have experienced His great love and now we live for Him.

Also in chapter 3, Paul begins to explain a great mystery. That mystery is the church. We're going to be talking about that over the next couple days. Today I want us to understand and have this desire to know Christ, to live for Christ, and to love Christ in that order. To love and be rooted and grounded in His love. This must be the foundation of our life in serving and ministering for Christ in a wicked and evil world. Paul begins this chapter talking about being a prisoner. He's a prisoner in bonds in Rome. The church at Ephesus must be thinking, why is Paul a prisoner? He's never committed any crimes.

But Paul's saying, "No, I'm a prisoner and a bondservant of Jesus Christ for your sake, for the sake of the gospel. Because I love Christ, it's not like I'm in prison. Even here I have greater opportunities to serve and live for Him." When we love Christ, everything becomes an opportunity and a privilege to share His love with the world around us that desperately needs to know the love of God through Christ Jesus.

Today, are you experiencing the love of Christ in your life and service for Him? I pray and trust that you are!

God bless!