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Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen! (Ephesians 3:20-21).

We have spent a few days considering the outrageous and audacious requests which Paul makes before he concludes with the doxology of our text. Today, I want to consider the third of these requests, which is \u201cand to know this love that surpasses knowledge\u2014that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God\u201d (19).

Of the three, this may be the most difficult to pray. Its an oxymoron: two things which cannot both be true at the same time. Paul asks God to help us know this love that surpasses knowledge. How can this be? To use an analogy, when Louis Armstrong was asked to explain jazz, he said, "Man, if I\u2019ve got to explain it, you ain\u2019t got it." This is true of many jokes as well. You either get them or you don\u2019t; the humour is lost in explanation.

God\u2019s love for us is beyond knowing with the mind. It washes over us at the most unexpected moments. But in those flashes, we can almost grab hold of it, and we know we are as close to \u2018getting it\u2019 as we are likely to get in this life. Yet, in those glimpses all fear and anxiety is washed away as be bask in the reality that God does truly love us with an inextinguishable passion.

This part of the prayer is also difficult because, knowing this love, we get filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. We end up echoing John the Baptism, \u201cHe must become greater; I must become less\u201d (John 3:30). That is not easy to pray or describe. Paul\u2019s finding it nearly impossible to use words to portray what he means. His image is akin to when you forget that you are pouring tea into a tiny cup \u2013 the tea pours over the cup, fills the saucers and runs over onto the coffee table. And this is the issue for us: so much of God in us, no room left for us.

But that is not quite right either. Its better to say, so much of the life of Christ in us, all the old life of sin and death has been washed out. If all this seems to be a bit much, it\u2019s a good thing that Paul\u2019s friend Peter agrees with him. He put it this way,

[God\u2019s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires\u201d (2 Peter 1:3-4).

And like Paul, Peter indicates that we cannot experience this full Christian life by sitting in our lazy boy. We need to get on with it, so he writes, \u201cFor this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith\u2026\u201d (2 Peter 1:5) and he goes on to list all sorts of characteristics we ought to work on.

At the bright center of the universe there is love. Abounding, unimaginable love. It is the source of all we know. It is the deepest answer to our hardest questions. It is our destiny. We are its object. Paul wants all Christians to be filled up to the brim of as much of this very love as God can pour in. Because when that happens, the end of the matter is never-ending glory. Forever and ever.

I think we often underestimate this apostle. We know him as a preacher and a letter writer and a church planter. But I have a suspicion that he would like to be known as a pray-er. He not only preached but prayed that believers would be strengthened within, established in love, and filled with God Himself. I think we do well, to join him in that.