Eph.3:18,19 – AMPC – That 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]; [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]!
The Lord has always visited His people in various ways over the years in special seasons of outpouring of His Spirit. I have been favored to have lived through two of those special seasons in my lifetime. The first one was in the 1970’s which was a combination of the Charismatic Renewal and the Jesus Revolution that majorly impacted my generation. I was born again during that season and was brought into a powerful relationship with Our Lord. The very essence of the Jesus movement was knowing the Lord in a personal way. We asked everyone all of the times things like “have you been born again?” We would also ask people if they “knew Jesus” or “do you have a personal relationship” with the Lord?
The second outpouring I experienced was after I had become a pastor. There was an outpouring that affected our church often referred to as “the River” and was characterized by extreme joy and an a strong awareness of the presence of God. I remember a guest speaker by the name of Russel Evans of Planet-shakers who preached a powerful message from this verse in our church. He was connecting the dots that day for all of us, a personal intimate relationship with the Lord results in being filled to overflowing with God Himself. As Paul said, “[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]!”
So that pretty much sums it up, the more you know Him personally then the more of His presence fills you. We can never recognize His presence as finite, there is always more of God for us to receive. After all, He is endless.
