His Love Has No Limit

(Eph. 3:17-19, 1 Cor. 13:8-13, John 1:29, Rev. 5:6)

Years ago I learned this song.

His love has no limit,

His grace has no measure,

His power has no boundary known unto man,

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He gives, and He gives, and He gives again.

I sing it often.  Few words can say so much.  All else may fail, but the love of God never fails.  It has no end because He is (I am that I am) and love is His nature.  We could say it is His very essence.  Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know the height and depth and width, and the length of the love of God that goes beyond knowledge.  How can we know that which cannot be fully comprehended?  Lord, save us from mere philosophy but may we never cease to consider the wonder of Your love.

To ponder the story of Jesus has great value.  To begin, He was born of a virgin, taking on human flesh, then threatened with murder as a little child, and raised in the traditions of the Jews.  From the incident in Jerusalem at 12, for 18 years He bore with the self-righteousness of the Pharisees every Sabbath.  He saw the way the system of His day oppressed the people.  He knew His calling and what was done to the prophets.  And He came to clearly understand He was sent as the Lamb of God.  What does it mean to bear the sins of the whole cosmos from Adam until that day He was crucified, and beyond?  Who can understand the weight of that?

As we read the gospels we see different perspectives.  We see stories repeated but with different details.  Throughout, the love and compassion of Christ shines through.  He never allowed the religious darkness of His day to stop Him from healing, or casting out a demon.  His motivation was always love.  He delivered people from demonic oppression, healed the sick, restored a dead son to her widowed mother, and so much more.  John tells us He did so many good and wonderful works that all the books in the world could not contain the record of them.  We might say he was exaggerating but I don’t think so.  In one man, God had concentrated His power so that He might touch a nation of people.  But in the big picture, those people rejected Him.

While this love that was extended to His enemies, to those who hated Him, was shown exponentially through Christ Jesus, God had showed it to Israel for centuries.  Read through the prophets.  God saw His people, whom He wanted to know intimately, as a whore.  She was unfaithful in heart.  She wanted blessing she could touch and handle but God was looking for a circumcised heart.  He worked as a surgeon to open her eyes to His ways of lovingkindness and truth but she could not see.  And in love and wisdom, He waited for the fulness of time and sent His Son to display His love.

Now, He has a many-membered body on the earth.  “A body you have prepared for me,” Christ says through the prophet.  He goes on, “It is written in the book.  I delight to do Your will O my God.”  Christ is declaring this to His Father.  Are you listening?  Are you a member of His body?  This is your story.  You may not “feel” like it but His Spirit is echoing in your spirit, the will of God is your delight.  It brings the highest joy you can know.  What is the will of God?  Love Him with all that you are, and love the ones around you as He loves you.  That is how we love ourselves.  Lean back into the love of God for you.  Soak in it.  Remember it.  Meditate on that truth.  He who gave His own Son to draw you to Himself, will give you all you need through Him.