TO KNOW GOD & BELIEVE HIM

You are my witnesses," says the Lord.
And you are my servant. You have been chosen to know me,
believe in me, and understand that I alone am God.
Isa 43:10 NLT

It is a wonderful fact that God has chosen us to know Him, to believe in Him and to understand that He alone is God. The Hebrew word for know often refers to the relationship between husband and wife. This means we are to have a reverent intimacy and familiarity with Him.

Come to Him

In Jhn 6:37 Jesus says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." So, we come to Him, believing He is who He says He is. "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? “I am,” said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mrk 14:61-2 NIV)

Believe Him

I love the clarity found in the New Living Translation. But the NIV phrases our opening scripture differently. Instead of saying that we are to know Him and believe IN Him, it says we are to know Him and believe Him.

Accept What He Says

The more I think about that, the more I see the difference in believing in Him and believing Him. To believe in Him has to do with who He is. To believe Him is to accept everything He says as truth. While I purpose to practice both statements, I find it more of a challenge to believe everything He says than I do to believe in Him. How about you?

HOW TO BE FILLED WITH GOD'S FULLNESS

…that he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory,
that you may be strengthened with power
through his Spirit in the inward man;

that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith;
to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be strengthened to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know Messiah's love which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-19 HNV

BEGIN BY TRUSTING JESUS

Look at the first verse of this scripture passage as an introduction, as if Paul is saying, "this is how you become strengthened with the Spirit's power:" Everything that follows describes the process that leads us to walking in God's fullness. It is a progression that begins with trusting Jesus, then experiencing his love and then being immersed in it. For this to happen, we must have a mindset of submitting ourselves to God, letting Him live through us rather than our living (and doing) for God apart from submission.

BECOME IMMERSED IN HIS LOVE

Being filled with God's fullness is the result of being progressive strengthened with the Spirit’s power. As we become stronger and stronger in the Spirit and his revelation of Jesus' love, we experience that love to such a degree that we are immersed in it. We become aware that his love is above us, below us, in front of us, behind us, and on each side of us.

INVITE JESUS IN

These verses are a bit complicated but the foundational truth is that this process of strengthening and being filled with God's fullness occurs as we invite Jesus into our lives day-by-day, moment by moment. This is done by faith, not feelings. Faith rises in our hearts as we choose to trust Him one problem and one issue at a time.

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PAUL'S PRAYER FOR US
Ephesians 3:16-19 HNV

…that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,
that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;

that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith;
to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be strengthened to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know Messiah's love which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

HOW TO BE FILLED WITH GOD'S FULLNESS

The object of Paul's prayer is that the church (comprised of believing Jews and Gentiles) is found in verse 19: that we be filled with the fullness of God. I see verse 16 as an introductory statement, as if he is saying, "this is how you become strengthened with the Spirit's power:" Everything that follows describes the process that leads us to walking in God's fullness. It is a progression that begins with trusting Jesus, then experiencing his love and then being immersed in it.

Being filled with God's fullness (verse 19) is the result of what verse 16 promises. As we become stronger and stronger in the Spirit and his revelation of the the knowledge of Jesus' love, we experience that love to such a degree that we are immersed in it. We come to know by our own experience, that his love surrounds us. It is above us, below us, to our left and to our right. process continues until we are filled with His fullness.

The verses are a bit complicated but the foundational truth here is that this process of growth occurs as we invite Jesus into our lives and issues, choosing to trust Him day by day, moment by moment.

BACKGROUND OF THESE VERSES

Previously in this chapter, Paul explains the "Mystery of God through the Ages." He says that it was always God's plan to unite Jews and Gentiles in Christ Jesus and that his plan is now being demonstrated to the angels that rule in heavenly places. This was extraordinary news, for the Jews were known as God's Chosen People and considered themselves defiled by close contact with Gentiles. In fact the word "Gentile" was usually followed by the word "sinner," as in, "Gentile sinners." And everyone who wasn't a Jew was a Gentile.

What was being played out here was a revelation of God's mercy and grace, something new to the world and to the angels. No wonder Paul says in verse 14 that he falls to his knees when he thinks about God's wise plan. No human or angel would ever have thought of - or had the means - to unite these two separate factions. But it was done through Christ Jesus, Lord of all.