Free Bible Commentary
“Ephesians 3:14-19”
Categories: Ephesians“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
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The underpinnings of our faith, indeed our very lives, should be love. It is not surprising that Paul would pray that his brethren be “rooted and grounded in love” (verse 17). Just as the root system of a plant or tree supplies it with much needed stability and nourishment, so our faith is firmed up and fed through our love for God and our fellowman. And as the integrity of a structure or building is utterly dependent upon a solid foundation, the framework of our lives in Christ Jesus will surely fall to ruin and destruction unless it rests squarely and soundly upon the foundation love.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37-40 that love is the greatest of all God’s commandments: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12-14 that love is the bond of perfection that unites brothers and sisters together in the body of Christ: “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”
Jesus said in John 13:34-35 that love is the mark that identifies us as true disciple of His: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Please take the time to read 1 John chapters 3 and 4 to see the emphasis that God places upon loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
If we are not very careful, we can allow the ordeals and sufferings of life to turn us into angry, bitter, unloving people. We must let love put down deep roots within our hearts so that we can weather the droughts and storms of life with our faith and hope in tact. If we find our hearts filled with anger, hatred and animosity for the people that God created in His own image, and especially for our spiritual brethren who have been recreated in the likeness of the Savior, then Christ is not dwelling in our hearts through faith (verse 17).
Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8)
Let’s make certain that our love is “abounding” and “increasing” (Philippians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:12), and that we not allow it to fall from the level of first importance in Christ (Revelation 2:4).
One more day for tomorrow in Ephesians 3:20-21.
Have a great day!
- Louie Taylor
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