How wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should-how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is! May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully." Ephesians 3:18-19
The love of Christ in its sweetness, its fullness, its greatness, its faithfulness-surpasses all human comprehension. Where shall language be found-which could describe His matchless, His unparalleled love towards His redeemed people? It is so vast and boundless that, as the swallow but skims the water, and dives not into its depths-so all descriptions of Jesus but touch the surface, while immeasurable depths lie beneath. Well might the poet say, "O love-you fathomless abyss!" for this love of Christ is indeed measureless and fathomless; none can attain unto it!
Before we can have any right idea of the love of Jesus, we must understand His previous glory in His height of majesty-and His humiliation upon the earth in all its depths of shame.
But who can fathom the majesty and glory of Christ, when . . .
He was enthroned in the highest heavens;
He was very God of very God;
He made the heavens and all the hosts thereof;
His own almighty arm upheld the spheres;
the full chorus of the hallelujahs of the universe unceasingly flowed to the foot of His throne;
He reigned supreme above all His creatures, as God over all, blessed forever!
Who can fathom His height of glory then?
And who, on the other hand, can fathom how low He descended?
To become a man was something-to be a man of sorrows was far more.
To bleed, and die, and suffer-these were much for Him who was the Son of God; but to suffer such unparalleled agony, to endure a death of shame and desertion by His Father-this is a depth of condescending love which the most inspired mind must utterly fail to penetrate!
Herein is love! and truly it is love that surpasses knowledge!
O let His love for such unworthy sinners as us, fill our hearts with adoring gratitude.
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The Best Friend! J.C. Ryle, precious article on the friendship of Jesus to His redeemed people.
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