221. Measuring The Immeasurable.

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19.

THE ability to comprehend and measure described in our text was the subject of the apostle's prayer, and therefore we may be quite sure that it is a most desirable attainment.

Observe how he prays and how wisely he arranges his petitions.

He would have us measure the immeasurable, but he would first have us made fit to do so.

We shall make our chief point the fourfold measurement, but we shall note that which comes before and that which follows after.

I. THE PREVIOUS TRAINING REQUIRED FOR THIS MEASUREMENT.

1. He would have their spiritual faculties vigorous.

· "Your inner man." Understanding, faith, hope, love — all need power from a divine source.

· "Strengthened." Made vigorous, active, healthy, capacious.

· "With might." No low degree of force will suffice.

· "By his Spirit." The power required is spiritual, holy, heavenly, divine, actually imparted by the Holy Ghost.

2. He would have the subject always before them: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."

· "In your hearts." Love must learn to measure Christ's love. It is revealed to the heart rather than to the head.

· "By faith." A carnal man measures by sight, a saint by faith.

· "May dwell." He must be ever near that we may learn to measure him. Communion is the basis of this knowledge.

3. He would have them exercised in the art of measurement: "that ye, being rooted and grounded in love."

· We must love him ourselves if we would measure Christ's love.

· We must, by experience of his love, be confirmed in our own love to him, or we cannot measure his love.

· We must also have a vital grip of Christ. We must be rooted as a tree, which takes many a hold upon the soil.

· We must settle down on his love as our foundation on which we are grounded, as a building.

· We must also show fixedness, certainty, and perseverance in our character, belief, and aim; for thus only shall we learn.

II. THE MENSURATION ITSELF.

This implies a sense of the reality of the matter.

It includes a coming near to the object of our study.

It indicates an intimate study and a careful survey.

It necessitates a view from all sides of the subject.

The order of the measurement is the usual order of our own growth in grace: breadth and length before depth and height.

1. The breadth. Immense.

· Comprehending all nations: "Preach the gospel to every creature."

· Covering hosts of iniquities: "all manner of sin."

· Compassing all needs and cares.

· Conferring boundless boons for this life and worlds to come.

It were well to sail across this river and survey its broad surface.

2. The length. Eternal.

We wonder that God should love us at all. Let us meditate upon:

· Eternal love in the fountain: election and the covenant.

· Ceaseless love in the flow: redemption, calling, perseverance.

· Endlessless love in endurance: longsuffering, forgiveness, faithfulness, patience, immutability.

· Boundless love, in length exceeding our length of sin, suffering, backsliding, age, or temptation.

3. The depth. Incomprehensible.

· Stoop of divine love, condescending to consider us, to commune with us, to receive us in love, to bear with our faults, and to take us up from our low estate. Stoop of love personified in Christ.

· He stoops and becomes incarnate, endures our sorrows, bears our sins, and suffers our shame and death.

Where is the measure for all this?

Our weakness, meanness, sinfulness, and despair make one factor of the measurement.

His glory, holiness, greatness, and deity make up the other.

4. The height. Infinite.

· As developed in present privilege, as one with Jesus.

· As to be revealed in future glory.

· As never to be fully comprehended throughout the ages.

III. THE PRACTICAL RESULT OF THIS MENSURATION. "That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

Here are words full of mystery, worthy to be pondered.

· Be filled. What great things man can hold!

· Filled with God. What exaltation!

· Filled with the fullness of God. What must this be?

· Filled with all the fullness of God. What more can be imagined?

This love and this fullness will lead to the imitation of Christ's love.

Our love to him will be broad, long, deep, high.