◄ The LENGTH of God’s Superlative Love - Character and Attributes of God (13) ►

STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD 

For God so loved the world that he GAVE His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life
John 3:16

May you… being rooted and grounded in love… experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:17-18

Eternity to Eternity

How is it possible to describe the length of God’s love? Some consider that the length of His love stretches from eternity… to eternity…  and indeed it does! Jeremiah points out that: God loves you with an everlasting love. Jer.31:3, while Paul reminds us that: nothing that can separate us from His love. Rom.8:38. Both tell us that no earthly or heavenly boundaries can divide us from this greatest of love.

Four Dimensions

And in consideration that there are only three dimensions of measurement, Paul gives us four! – "breadth and length and height and depth." Even in this, Paul points out the superlative love of God, for His own.

Superlative Gemstone

But eternal love only scratches the surface of the length of God’s deep love. Everlasting love is only a minute facet of the span of God’s devotion. His infinite love is just one jewel in a casket of brilliant, superlative gemstones. For He yearns with unfathomable, unselfish, tender passion for your love. He longs with a profound, mysterious yearning for the love of His creation.

Penetrating Love

Your impoverished love for Him has scarcely scratched the surface of your soul, and yet the length of His penetrating love for you is without human comprehension. For He SO Loved…. that He GAVE you all…. He gave you His all!  Yes – He gave you His all!

Invisible Unknowing

He gave everything that was precious and dear in His sight… to you. He gave you Himself.. and you blithely give back the meager crumbs that fall from your empty plate! What love is this, that He should forever give up His invisible 'unknowing' for you. What deep attachment that He forever should take on the form of man, for you.

Worldly Offerings

Contemplate the fountain of His love that longs to flood through your heart, and blush with shame at the paltry way you seek solace in other broken cisterns. For shame that you should so lust after the world's trifling offerings. Weep with embarrassment that you should deem Satan’s trite bits so worthy.

Die to Self

Turn away from your foolish boasting and dismount your elevated self-image, and put on Christ and Christ alone – nailing Self to the blood-stained tree. For no man has known God at any time, save the Lord Jesus. And He it is that has made the Father known to you – dear believer.

Measureless Span

Until you begin to search to know and understand the extent of God’s love for you.. or until you start to examine your heart and grasp the measureless span of His giving.. you will remain in the mists in unknowing and uncaring and ungiving and unloving.

Oswald Chambers

Oswald Chambers put it this way: "When the supreme Love of God in the giving of Himself has truly got hold of me, I love myself in the power of His love: that means a son of God being presented to God as a result of His effectual Redemption, in bringing many sons to glory. That is a gratification to God, because it is the returning back to Himself – the Love in expressed reality. When the redemption is effected in me, I am a delight to God, not to myself, I am not meant for myself, I am meant for God."

Live to Christ

Self-gratification, self-indulgence, and carnal lusts must be nailed to the cross, as through Him and not by implementing your own feeble efforts you die to self – yes, you die to self.. for when you die to self you finally start to live to Him.

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer Precious Lord
To the Cross where Thou has died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer Precious Lord
To Thy pierced and wounded side.