“… And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)
At White Sands National Park in New Mexico, my husband and I stood on top of a dune that was about 50 feet high and looked out at the landscape surrounding us. A wide expanse of white gypsum dunes stretched as far as we could see. Each dune was so wide that, at the bottom, before we climbed it, it was hard to tell where the edges were. Every dune was so long that, from the top, we could see around us for many miles. Each dune was so high that it was quite steep and strenuous to climb. Every dune was also tremendously deep, with many more grains of gypsum than we could count shifting underneath us with each step. It was all so overwhelmingly beautiful that we found ourselves in awe!
It’s even more awe-inspiring that Jesus’ love surpasses the limits of what we can see. Ephesians 3:17-19 calls us to embrace this wonderful truth—to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love” so we can be filled with “the fullness of God.” The Apostle Paul prays in this passage that we can comprehend the dimensions of Christ’s love: its width, length, height, and depth. Let’s reflect on each of these:
-Christ’s love is wide: The love of Christ embraces all people. It’s wide enough to include every human being on earth, every sinner and every saint. It transcends barriers of race, culture, and social status. In Christ, everyone is worthy to receive God’s love.
-Christ’s love is long: The love of Christ stretches through eternity. It’s long enough to last forever, from the moment of creation to the fulfillment of all things. Christ’s love endures through every season of life and extends beyond time as we know it.
-Christ’s love is high: The love of Christ lifts us to heavenly places. It elevates us from sin and despair to a position as co-heirs with Christ. This love raises our perspective and fills us with hope as it reminds us of our eternal inheritance.
-Christ’s love is deep: The love of Christ descends into the deepest pits of our brokenness. It’s deep enough to reach the darkest corners of our lives, where it helps us overcome fear and shame. Jesus’ love meets us in our lowest places and redeems us.
In this Bible passage, Paul reminds us that the love of Christ “surpasses knowledge.” It can’t be fully grasped by the human mind, yet it can be known through experience. This paradox invites us into a relationship with Jesus that goes beyond understanding. We can’t understand everything about God’s great love, but we can experience it fully through Christ in ways that inspire us with awe every day.
When we embrace Christ’s love, it completely transforms us. It fills us to the measure of all the fullness of God, making us complete in our relationships with him. Christ’s love is the answer to our deepest longings and the source of our greatest joy.
Let’s pray:
Dear God, I’m in awe of your unlimited love. I confess that I often live as if your love has limits, forgetting that I’m rooted and established in your wonderful love. Please help me to build my foundation on the solid rock of your love so I can stand strong in any kind of circumstance. I want to grasp the limitless dimensions of your love. Help me grasp its width – how it embraces all people. I’m in awe of its length, as it stretches through eternity. I look up to the height of your love, which offers ultimate hope for me, both now and in heaven. I bow down in wonder to you at the depth of your love, which reaches into my deepest brokenness and redeems me. God, I’m opening my heart, asking you to fill me to the measure of your fullness. Help me live in the confidence that nothing can separate me from your wonderful love. Please empower me to love others as you have loved me, without limits. May your love flow through my life and into other people’s lives regularly. Thank you, God. I love you. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ksenija18kz
Related Resource: Anxiety: Practical Steps for Healing in Christ
Anxiety is debilitating and can leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone, and defeated. But what if there were practical steps and biblical truths that could lessen the load and aid us in our freedom journeys with mental health struggles? Pastor and Licensed Professional Counselor Susan Thomas joins me to discuss this today! Like what you hear? Subscribe to Bought + Beloved with Kirby Kelly on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Tuesday, 18 March 2025.
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