Being filled with all the fullness of God

Devotional

“to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19

Good morning, dear friends. As believers, we are all longing for more of God; more of his presence in our quiet moments, more of his strength when we are weary, and a deeper sense of his purpose for our lives. This “more” is what the Apostle Paul describes as being “filled with all the fullness of God”. But how do we actually get there? According to the bible, it is in knowing a love that “surpasses knowledge”. Our text invites us to know the love of Christ that “surpasses knowledge” to be filled with all the fullness of God that keeps our hope not being put to shame because the Holy Spirit pours God’s love directly into our hearts.

According to Colossians 1:19, the fullness of God was pleased to dwell fully in Christ Jesus. While you may already have Christ in your life, the knowledge of his love is something that must continuously grow. As the Gospel of John suggests, we obtain grace upon grace (John 1:16) as we grow in the knowledge of his love for us.

This fullness is not dependent on your own actions or even your personal love for God; it is actually the love that Christ has for you. Having Christ in us is essentially an expression of his love residing in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17). This is why the Apostle Paul prayed so fervently for believers—people who already followed Christ—to have Christ “fully formed” within them, as seen in Galatians 4:19. Even if you are a child of God, there is a dimension of his love that “surpasses knowledge” and must be experienced. You cannot truly love God until he “circumcises your heart” (Deuteronomy 30:6), giving you the spiritual capacity to experience a mutual, loving relationship with him. That why 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.

The disciples understood this through experience, declaring in 1 John 4:16 that they had “known and believed the love” God has for us. In Ephesians 3:18, Paul prays that you, too, may truly comprehend with all the saints the breadth, length, depth, and height of this love. The more aware you become of this love, the more your faith is strengthened because faith works by love (Galatians 5:6).

We are not just talking about an intellectual argument. While one can argue that he is loved as “God loves the world” because Christ died for it (John 3:16), the scriptures point to a sweet experience given by the Holy Spirit where God’s love is poured directly into our spirits.

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 that something that happened because of an experience.

Just as a bride seeks the daily affection and affirmation of her bridegroom (Song of Solomon 3:1-2), we need the constant affirmation that we are loved. This morning, I encourage you to say to yourself: “I am loved by God.” Behold the incredible manner of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God. Because of His love, that is exactly who you are.