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ZOOM OUT

I love visual representations of things.

Sometimes we might say things like:

  • "The sun is 'x' amount bigger than earth."
  • "The national debt has grown 'x' since 'y' year."
  • "Compound interest is exponential when you compare 'x' amount of year to 'y' amount of years."

HOWEVER, these kinds of stats can't fully be comprehendedd until someone creates a visual representation and you are able to "zoom out," then you get the full picture.

Something similar is happening in Ephesians 3:18-19

EPHESIANS 3:18-19

Paul is writing regarding this great mystery of Christ - that he is bringing everyone (Jew and Gentile) into the household of faith.

Then he says in Ephesians 3:18 that he wants people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, living lives of faithfulness, and rooted in faith that the church:

"18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge..."

When Paul talks about the "love of Christ" it's really in the context of his faithful work to welcome in everyone (not just Jews) into being:

  • NOT separated from Christ*
  • Participants in the commonwealth of Israel*
  • Familiar to the covenants of promise*
  • WITH hope and WITH God in the world*

*See Ephesians 2:11-13

In other words, you can read Ephesians 3:18-19 as:

"18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the [faithfulness of Christ to assemble everyone into the presence and promises of God] that surpasses knowledge..."

MEDITATION ZOOM OUT

King David was famous for "meditating" on God's word "day and night."

The purpose of this meditation was to create mental, visual pictures of the goodness, glory, and and grandeur of God when compared to everything else.

We are invited to do the same thing, but now under the new covenant with a new, refreshed, revealed revelation from God.

We are to meditate on the Old Testament, the Gospels, and other New Testament writing to create mental, visual spaces in which we enabled (along with the church at large) to comprehend the height/depth/breadth (ie - personal/relational/national) plan of God to bring every person, tribe, and nation into the presence and promises of God.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit helps deepen our comprehension of Christ.

Thank God for Pentecost.