Pastor Ralph Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Q31. (Ephesians 3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jezemeg Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Because of our 'human-ness' we lack the infinity of a divine Christ, in that when someone hurts us or does something to threaten us, our fear or feelings of resentment prevent us from 'loving' our aggressor in the way that Christ does us, despite our faults and actions. The closest to Christ's love, I believe is the love of a parent for his/her child, although even that is difficult to encapsulate at times. I believe few parents actually gets to the stage of 'hating' their child/ren, but they can get to the stage of not liking what they're doing at times. It is this way with any human relationship...no matter how much we 'love' (not **** after) a person, we needn't like everything they do or say. But Christ, as does God, loves us in our entirety inspite of our faults and it is because of this all encompassing love that He sends the Holy Spirit to help us firstly detect, and then surrender everything that is not of Christ; that is hidden even from us; up to God, never to be reclaimed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken7 Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Start with 'soils' of our heart. I once asked our Wed. night prayer gathering which soil type their heart was. I was a surprised by the honesty of many; "It depends on when you ask me". Everyone there is probably a believer - so my assumption was; "We all have good soil hearts". The world ensnares us, our lives and family responsibilities distract us, etc. I study every day for a long while and I still have the world around me and my family seems to need me more not less - even church duties grow. I probably perform these duties and responsibilities much better as a result of this daily time with God. I want more time with God. The balance is these people need me - as God wants to spend time with me. Balance and moderation are the key elements of my "GRASPING THIS". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tabatha Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? My feeling is I have the infilling of the Holy Spirit and I thank My Jesus for that I do have the tongues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. But As I grow in Him It is not the gifts that I covet but it is the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. There is a lot of flesh that is being circumcised from my heart. I believe the chapter of Romans 8 is a good example on explaining our sinful flesh. As I continue to seek God and know His love I desire more and more to be like Christ. Sometimes I do get frustrated because I see self get in the way. To be more like Him. Less of me and more of Christ as Paul cried That is my heart. When I am in His presence I can't get enough of His love. Because I know that love changes me to be more like Him. In grasping the far reaching love of Christ is to know Him ( Philippians 4: 10 ) That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. Dying to self everyday, Pick up the cross daily will only make me more like Him. I still have a long way to go But praise God He is still working in me and changing me so each time I am with Him in a repentent heart He does His work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisbarak Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 The things that prevent me from comprehending the far reaches of God's love are the very things that make me self-centered. One cannot be wrapped up in himself & comprehend His love. When we begin to understand, know this love, we become less self-centered & care more about those around us. My life would be far less self-centered. I would have a burden for those around me who do not know the Lord. My feelings wouldn't be hurt so easily when others say unkind things. I would be able turn it around by loving them back. The Lord has alot of work to do in me re: love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJeff Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 When we wish to truly reap the entire scope of Christ's love we MUST lose our lives. Every thought, every desire must be surrendered to the Lord and replaced by His mind. When we fail to do this, evening clinging to the simplest of lusts, we restrict our growth and inhibit our ability to love in the same unfeigned way as He. To live and love as our Lord is to be able to reach out and embrace anyone, no matter how destestable they seem to be or how much enmity they may feel toward us. To be one who has compassion for the unsaved, the hurting, the addicted, the street people, the poor and needy. To do this, not only as a holiday volunteer, or an hour a week soup kitchen helper or a poor box clanger but, as the Lord did, we must give of ourselves in some way, everyday in everyway, including prayer without ceasing. My life is dung. What matters is serving to please the One who gave His all for me. When we grow to understand His love, love without price, we realize that it is an extoverted, giving love which is what we become, lights that light the whole world. That is what is happening to me. My light is becoming brighter. I am learning to give my all to help others as Christ gave His everything to save me. Acts 11:26 refers to Holy Spirit filled believers as Christians. Jewish tradition believes that Moses received the Ten Commandments on the day of Penetcost. This would be a clear statement by God as only He can make.I pray for those who feel a need to put labels on those who may have a different inderstanding of the Word. We are all supposed to be one body, with many members, Christians one and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masika Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 It is lack of faith and not knowing Christ more that makes us not to comprehend God. When we have Christ , we have evrything we need for salvation and right living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiqstart Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? I think it is when we try to be in control is when we prevent ourselves from Christ's love. If I could just completely turn my life over everyday and step out in faith things would be smoother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 The kind of things that prevent us from understanding the fullness of Chrisst love among others are: = our inability to avail ourselve to the power of the Holy spirit to enable us know Him better, hence Paul's prayer for the Ephessians. = Indulging in sin drives away the Holy Spirit from us. Consequently we are left without the source of power that will open our inner eyes to understand the magnitude of His love for us. When we comprehend, know and experience the extend of His love for us, we will love Him and love one another better and deeper. We will live to please Him and live fulfilled lives full of joy as we walk in His way. Our lives will be Christ like, more meaningful and more fulfilling as we grapse this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Rupert Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? Selfishness, control, power, ****, fleshly desires, etc. prevent us from comprehending how much Christ really loves us. The willingness to COMPLETELY (without reservations) surrender to God's will. Believing that his will is not the same will as man's will upon this earth. When we finally (completely) surrender to Christ something inside changes. Your worldly desires seem to diminish. You begin to thirst more, to nourish more on the Word and less on the World. If I could finally become more Christ like in the way I live my life I know I would be better to serve as my father wants me to. I would love unconditionally without judging. I wouldn't desire the things of this world that will not benefit me. I would be able to understand how easy it is for God to love me and for me to share this love with the rest of the world. I would not fear the things that are going on in this world because I would know in my heart that God is in control and it is all to benefit his will not the will of man. Because it is God's Will that will prevail in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sahala p.s. Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? The kinds of things that prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love are: firstly, we restrain the Holy Spirit permeate our entire being and remove our sin and selfishness hidden, so that Christ can not live fully and freely in us and can not know his love better and better. Secondly, we do not pray and effort to have power to grasp Christ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissioned Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? We are prevented from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love when we look to mortal love instead of looking to God. Time after time we see failure in human love and the tendancy to think that real love has no boundary escapes us. So that, when we try to comprehend Christ's love we are hampered by that which we are acustomed. What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? When we experience Christ's love we ourselves will love beyond the natural. We would love as Christ love. What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? I would give more, do more, reach out to more people that need real love. OBEY HIS COMMAND TO LOVE. Lord, help me to love as you commanded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? Our owna human frailty of sins, jealousy, greed, envy, unforgiveness. All keep us from the real deep love that God has planned for us to have for each other. We would become more the people that God deisres for us to be. We would become more like Christ loving our neighbor like the "good Samertain" with out any judgements giving with out question and forgiving like it was the only choice. I would be a totally differant person for making judgement of other even before I know them is one of my own worse faults. I would have to love all people the same and for me this is hard especialy for those who have harmed me in some way. I would be closer to bieng like Christ and that would make me truly happy for like Paul the things that I hate I do and the things that I should do I don't. I need the full measure of Gods love in me and the fulness of the Holy Spirit to show me the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 This is an important question for me because I find that in the practical living out of my life, I continue to wrestle with this phenomenal concept of how much I am personally, individually loved by the LORD. I think, in general, our human flaws and deficiencies keep us from comprehending the vast completeness of Christ's love. And it's so much bigger and more perfect than we can put our puny little minds around. In the human realm, genuine love is misrepresented because of pride, lack of compassion, imperfect motives, inconsistency, selfishness, even fear, and just plain inability to be a sufficient channel. We are naturally emotion-driven creatures who misunderstand love, thinking it to be some particular feeling. It's hard to believe true love is a stable decision, not impulsive or fickle. We don't know how to truly be impartial and unconditional. So what we see and experience (and offer) of love in our world makes it hard to grasp that there really is such a thing as love that is wholly pure, consistently perfect, and unfailingly trustworthy. We must desire to understand and reflect this kind of love because the LORD says it is the defining mark of the transformed Christian - and it reflects the essence of His character (1John 4:7-8). When we begin to comprehend, know, and experience real love it genuinely is life-changing. As I trust God's love more and more, I have become more confident that His will for me really is good and perfect. I believe that He can be trusted with my needs and desires. My healthy sense of value and worth has been enlarged and strengthened. And the way I view others is being changed. Love is a choice that seeks the welfare of others, desires no harm to anyone, and searches out opportunities to do good to all. Love is active, flowing, building, and giving. Heaven help us, doesn't our desperate world need such "love, sweet love"?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia A. Conti Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 God's love is unconditional for all people. Christ loved His enemies as well as His friends. Loving your enemy is a very hard thing to do. Judging, condemning, harboring hatred toward your enemy is much easier than loving them. We all suffer this at times. If we could truly attain or grasp this, we would see past the "faults" of another person and accept and treat them with loving kindness. If Christ could love all people, even those who were putting him to death, who am I to deny, judge, or condemn another person? If Christ loves, I need to love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eudora Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? Being preoccupied with what I can get from God now. I know I am so guilty of that. I have to keep reminding my self that in Him and by Him, I have all that I need or could ever want. What I really need, is to get to know this God. To get to know the depths of Him and the width of Him. To come to know the one whom I have chosen to lay my life down for and that I have surrendered my life to. My desire is to know more of Him. What makes Him tick. What makes Him laugh. What makes Him choose to be with someone like me. Why does He love me so? Why does He care about every single detail of my life. Why does He greet me each morning with His breath? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? When I really take the time to stop and think about the intricate love He has for me, that He should love a fool such as I, That He humbly loves me., I cry. I am in awe. I stand in awe of Him, who would do all that I could ever want or even hope for. That He does this, because He loves.. It make me want to lay down before Him a sacrifice that is worthy of this great love. His loves makes me want to be a holy fragrance before Him. What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? I would not ponder, or meditate, or question. I would just be all that He says I am and will ever be. I would just be. Lord Jesus, help me to just be... teach me Your way. Teach me how to shut up like You did when You were accused. Show me how to just be... In your name I pray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eudora Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 Picadilly, You inspire me. After I read this paragraph, I asked out loud, who are you? The debth in which you have grasped the verse that you quoted, challenges me to think on a higher level, to really seek His understanding. He inspired the words written in the Holy Scriptures. Your translation of just this one single verse intrigues me. I thank God for you in this study. I thank God that He gave you a voice. I thank God that He uses people on this wide earth to impact my spirit in such a way. I thank God that You are on His team. - Eudora We must desire to understand and reflect this kind of love because the LORD says it is the defining mark of the transformed Christian - and it reflects the essence of His character (1John 4:7-8). When we begin to comprehend, know, and experience real love it genuinely is life-changing. As I trust God's love more and more, I have become more confident that His will for me really is good and perfect. I believe that He can be trusted with my needs and desires. My healthy sense of value and worth has been enlarged and strengthened. And the way I view others is being changed. Love is a choice that seeks the welfare of others, desires no harm to anyone, and searches out opportunities to do good to all. Love is active, flowing, building, and giving. Heaven help us, doesn't our desperate world need such "love, sweet love"?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenlymann Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Christ's love isn't natural to the natural mind so I would say our own weak flesh prevents our understanding. We are born and live in a totally depraved, sin filled fallen world and there is none to demonstrate this love but one...Christ Himself... and we, His emissaries, as He imparts this knowledge to us. To that degree which we put into effect what we have been given He imparts more. And the more we do comprehend the all encompassing love of Christ toward us the more the renewed mind allows us to view others, and life, from a completely new perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godsanointed523 Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 The things that can prevent us from reaching out to GOd's love is that we have too much pride in ourselves,we can be lovers of the World,there is greed i mean there is so much that can prevent the Glory of God from passing through to our lives. When we do understand that He loves us and always want what is best for us then we can have anointing and be blessed filled in the calling that God has for us. There would be many different and awesome things that could happen in my life because Christ lives in me and the Holy Spirit as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Posted November 21, 2006 Report Share Posted November 21, 2006 Not seeing the "big picture". Not comprehending that God is everywhere and realiziing His great love for us. We can not knoe the power of God's love for all of His creation. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can have God's power working in us and fullness of God. We have a greater love for mankind and show it in the way we live. We would realize that we can not exist without God's love and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCHRIS Posted November 21, 2006 Report Share Posted November 21, 2006 I think it's ourselves that gets in the way, our selfishness, our pride, maybe even fear of letting God have total control. As Pastor Ralphs analogy of our hearts being a house and we only let Christ into some of the rooms. For me the picture is myself sitting on the edge of a boat, everyone else was swimming around enjoying themselves in the water but I refused to jump in and join in. It was a picture of stubborness and pride and thats what kept me from Christs impacting love. But the day came when I took the all out plunge into Him and gave my whole being to Him and, man the tears are welling up even now, I felt my entire body just radiate with His love and knew that He loved me for who I was. Sure I still stumble a few times and my 'feet' get dirty walking in this world. Thats when I reach out to Christ and renew myself in Him, feel His strength and love permeate through my being and I am able to portray that love and light out into this dark world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessed Me Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? I would say lack of "faith" would be a major preventive in Christ's love touching our being. Another preventive would not being in the Word; The Word teaches us about "love" and as we read the Word, the Holy Spirit touches our beings with love. What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? Salvation happens the moment we comprehend this love that went to the cross to save mankind. There is no better experience to be had then the day we comprehend, know, and experience this love; what a wonderful gift God has given to us, wrapped in love, sent to Calvary, a gift of God's grace and mercy for us, found in one word, "Love", who is Jesus. What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? I grasped this awesome love the day Christ's love came into my heart and I am different because of it. I am reminded when God said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Following after Him is how Love has made my life different. There are no words to describe this love that lives within me. God's love enables me to look beyond the faults of others, when in the flesh I would like to hang onto them. God's love enables me not to see this person who at times speaks out of anger, or does not always love those who are not loving. When I look through the eyes of "Love" I see this person God loved so much that He gave His only Son, to die on the cross for her, I see that new creation, a new person being transformed, it is because of this great "Love" that I can love myself and can love those around me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbcrna1 Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? Paul talks about the "things" that prevent us from comprehending Christ's love in Eph 6: 12, those would be our struggle against the rulers, the authortities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritiual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. These are the struggles that attack our faith. It is the power given us that gives us victory over the spiritual attacks that keep us from comprehending Christ's love. Faith is love in action. the power to have faith comes from the knowledge of Christ's love. Christ's love is totally "other". I once asked my Bible Study class, Do you know God's love for you? The answer was overwhelmingly "no". They were saved, spirit filled Christians. Knowing his love, for me, has taken time alone with him in prayer, meditating on his word, asking questions and receiving answers. The way we live becomes "other", when we realize the extent to which God went to have us also be his, holy and dearly loved. The sacrifice made for me, while I was yet a sinner, before I made a choice. He died, shed his life and paid for mine. I have become non judgemental, non accusing allowing God access to my whole life. Praying his love would reach through me. I open my heart to the world and ask to used. I accept the sufferings of Christ, so I can be like him. I ask to be a servant only. I would be "more". More like him, less tempted, more victorious, more able to see with his eyes. Essentially better able to love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Stanley Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Things that prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love is the lack of faith.Discouragement ,and dispair set in.We sometimes feel shut out or isolated.We haven't really grasped the fullness of Gods love.We have all the fullness of Gods love available to us,right there for me to reach out and grab,but I let it slip right through my fingers. Gods love is immeasurable and inexhaustible. I believe my faith would be to a higher level if I could really grasp on to how much God really loves me.I would never be lost to Gods love.It is me who becomes distant.Gods love is still there.God is waiting on me to come to him,so He can shower me with his ever lasting love.Why life struggles over powers me at times,putting doubt in my mind instead of realizing how much God loves me and wants to help me in life struggles(trials) Because God loves me I will gain strength,become a stronger person.This is what I believe God is trying to show me.Have you ever cried out."WHERE ARE YOU GOD? I have.Does God answere me? YES !! WHY? Because He Loves Me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelOnLine Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? I believe that our finite minds have a hard time grasping this kind of love. We are so focused on our material possessions and things of this world, that we have a hard time comprehending what Christ has done for us and how much He loves us. What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? Our lives change dramatically. Our focus is on Him instead of us, and we are able to experience and enjoy this Love and share it with those around us. What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? I would not be so self centered and absorbed in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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