Knowledge That Passes Knowing?

Ephesians 3:14-19

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

 

"To know the love of Christ that passes knowledge."  How can you know something that passes knowing?  Can you say "oxymoron?"  Sure sounds like a contradiction of terms.

 

What is the Holy Spirit trying to tell us?  We're going have to go look at the Greek text to find out. 

There are two different words for knowledge used in this passage.  The first, "ginóskó," means "to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance)."  This is natural knowledge or moral wisdom that all of us have. 

 

 

The second is "gnósis."  Although the two words are obviously related, the second one means, "application-knowledge," gained in (by) a direct relationship."   

You see, God doesn't want us to simply have knowledge "ABOUT HIS SON."  He doesn't want us to have religious knowledge of Jesus.  He wants us to "KNOW HIS SON," in a personal way.  

The love of Christ encompasses the whole world yet He knows and loves YOU AND ME personally!  His love came "DOWN" to show us the "DEPTH" of His love so He could bring us to the "HEIGHTS" of heaven.  God SO LOVED the world, not just Israel.  That is the "WIDTH" of His love! 

He died for all of us.  You and I, Church, are the object of His love.  GOD IS IN LOVE WITH YOU!
He wants us to be with Him.  

You are not people who have failed God.  You are His beloved!

Let's face it:  We all fall short of the glory of God.  But because of what Jesus did, we stand before Him in the righteousness of His Son with the full rights of sonship. 
You don't have to do something to prove your love for Him so that He will accept you.  That's not the God of the Bible.  NO!  He loved you when you were DEAD in your trespasses and sins.  We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand it.

This is the truth:  You are the one whom Jesus loves!  It may not make any sense; nevertheless, it is the Knowledge that passes knowing.