Love is Greater Than Knowledge
(week 11/05)
Olubi Johnson
Ephesians 3:14-20 AMP: For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. 16May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit[Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. 17May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
Here we see Paul praying for the Ephesians to be strengthened in the inner man by the Holy Spirit and so become rooted and grounded in love and so come to know the love of Christ which is greater than knowledge and so be filled with all the fullness of God.
It is instructive to study the sequence here:
1. Strength in the inner man by the Holy Spirit produces
2. Rooting and grounding in love which causes us to
3. Comprehend the entire scope of the love of God: length, breadth, height and depth which then makes us to know
4. The love of God which surpasses or is greater than knowledge which will cause us to be
5. Filled with all the fullness of God.
Notice you cannot develop the love of God: having undeserved goodwill to men, without the power of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be done by natural human ability or will and determination alone. Our willingness must reinforced by the power of the Holy Spirit to cause us to be rooted grounded in love.
Otherwise, like Jesus told Peter the ‘spirit will be willing but the flesh will be weak’ and so in times of pressure we will not walk in love but in fear and selfishness, like Peter did when he denied Christ (Mat. 26.41,69-75).
So a vital ingredient in developing divine love for one to become rooted and grounded in it is daily prayer both with your natural language, like Paul did above and in the spirit: in the supernatural language the Holy Spirit gives.
Jude 1:20-21 AMP: But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; 21 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)–[which will bring you] unto life eternal.
In addition to this habitual daily bible reading, study, confession, meditation and practice will give the Holy Spirit the ‘raw’ material with which to give you the necessary knowledge, understanding (comprehension) and wisdom to walk in love in difficult situations.
1John 2:5-6 AMP: But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him: Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.
This will then bring you to knowing the love of God which is greater than knowledge.
So instead of increased spiritual knowledge puffing you up rather it will make you love people better especially when they are ignorant or weak.
1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies
Romans 14:1 NKJV: Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
Romans 15:1 NKJV: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
In fact, you will be equipped to be able to relate in love to all Christians, irrespective of the level of their knowledge, like God relates to them, since you have comprehended the length, breadth, depth and height of the love of God which is greater than knowledge.
John 13:12-15 NIV: When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Your perfected, or developed and matured love which is greater than knowledge will cause you to ‘wash’ their spiritual feet that have been polluted by carnality and lack of knowledge, rather than just criticize and condemn them.
Galatians 6:1-2 AMP: BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
John 13:34-35 NIV: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (35) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 John 5:16 NKJV: If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.
This will lead to a unity of the spirit empowered and motivated by love, which will cause all the fullness of God to flow into the Church. This will happen individually at first, through those who have perfected or matured the love of God in themselves as presently described, and then collectively for the benefit of the whole body. The power and love of God will flow down from Christ, through this leadership that has been matured or perfected in the love of God, to the entire body providing spiritual covering for the entire body.
Psalms 133:1-3 AMP: BEHOLD, HOW good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].
John 17:20-21, 26 NKJV: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.“
So, it is this practice of the mature love of God: by life of God, the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit by a first-fruits breaker company amongst us, that will enforce the unity of the spirit and so begin the manifestation of the fullness of God through the Church causing the world to know that we are His disciples.
This manifestation is imminent, so join this first-fruits company by making the decision to and start practicing walking in divine love as a daily habit.
