Pretty easy to say, isn’t it? Just love like Christ. Horribly spiritual thing to say. Horribly hard thing to live. How am I to love like Christ? How did Christ love? Ephesians certainly outlines Christ’s love succinctly. In contrast to the brilliance of chapter one is death. My death. For though Christ is the head of all things and everything in the universe is to the praise and glory of his grace, I dead. Dead in my sins. I not only was dead but I was following this world and the powers that rule it. My actions were against the one who is above all things. Actions can be amended though. There was a deeper problem. I was, by my nature, a child of wrath. I was characterized by disobedience. This is me. Sinful. Disobedient. Intrinsically against God. Again, Ephesians gives another contrast. In response to my sin I expect nothing but wrath from the God of justice. And I see nothing less. But the object of his wrath and justice is so astounding. I’m the one that is dead. I am the one that is against him, disobedient to him, and naturally wrathful. Yet God’s wrath is not on me! His wrath is on the one that is above all things! His wrath is upon the name above every name, the power above all powers, and the ruler above all rulers. This is the object of God’s wrath and justice! He is taking my sins! Worst still, the very Son of God is this ruler, king, and name. Oh God, who is rich in mercy, justice and wrath! This is the great love that he loved me with! While I was dead, apart from him, and an enemy he died for me! And now he has raised me together with Christ, made me alive with Christ and has seated me in heavenly places with his son! Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus! Oh! the fulness of this love! No wonder Paul prays in chapter three that we would have the strength to be able to comprehed this great love. He prays that we would know that which is beyond all knowledge–the love of Christ! Too much! This is all too much! God could not love someone like me. But yet his word truely shows this to be true. Well then it must all stop there. That must be the end of it. God’s love stops on earth and then I spend all eternity just praising him! But that is not the whole story! Verse seven says that one of the reasons he did this was so that for all ages to come he can continue to show me this mercy! For all of eternity God will show me this love and mercy! He will see Jesus when looking on me! What wonder! What love! What joy! What peace! I am secure in my Father’s love!
Now, love like that. Hard, isn’t it? Not so cheap any more, is it? Yet that is the calling of Ephesians 5:2. Love like Christ who betrayed himself for us. How am I to do this? The end of chapter 5 reveals the secret to accomplishing this impossibility. I must be controlled by the Spirit. In short, I was nothing. I was dead. God saved me from my sin and punishment by placing it upon his Son. Now I am to love like that! Yet even that love is a gift from his spirit! Truly the arms of God’s love envelop me and hold me for all ages to come. Don’t believe me? Even my ability to love is a revelation of God’s love for me. I can’t love without him moving my hands, mouth, and feet. The very expression of love is a direct effect of his movement in my life. What wonderous love!
