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KNOWING THE UNKNOWABLE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 26, 1901

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 48.

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KNOWING THE UNKNOWABLE.

By F. D. Starr

ELDER F. D. STARR.
TEXT: “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Eph. 3:19.
To know that which passes knowledge must be to know that which is unknowable. But this would evidently be an impossibility, and Christianity is designed to do this very thing for its possessor, to enable him to do those things which from a natural standpoint are impossible. In fact, if our religion does not lead us out into the realm of the impossible, the supernatural, and the miraculous, what does it amount to? If it does not lead us to do “more than others” in this as well as in other respects, how are we any better off for having it? We will read the context in connection with this text, beginning with verse 14: “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
The apostle here prays for the Church, that they might be strengthened to do this very thing, and he states that God is able to make them able to do it.
The thing directly under consideration is the comprehending of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Many poor souls go disconsolate through life, not knowing whether God loves them or not; they also imagine that no one loves them. This is a morbid condition of the mind, and such persons need to comprehend the fact that God loves them with an infinite love, and that as far as human love is concerned, quite likely they receive as much as they bestow, and as much as they deserve.
But when we have succeeded in removing from our hearts that hallucination that we are not the recipients of the infinite love of our Heavenly Father and of our blessed Redeemer, and grasp the fact that we do share their love, have we reached the point held before us in this text? — We have only begun to realize the meaning of this Scripture. What was the love of Christ? — It was an active love. His very being was alive with unselfish devotion to the good of others. That love is to be our own, inseparably connected with our own experience. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” This love, active as well as passive, is to be ours. What is its breadth? — As broad as the universe. What is its length? — As long as eternity. How deep is it? — As deep as hell, deep as the lowest depth of perdition to which a poor sinner ever sank. How high is it? — As high as heaven. Is this an extravagant view of the subject? “It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?” Job 11:8.
“God is love,” and it is His purpose concerning us that we should be enabled to reach this divine knowledge concerning himself, by His power who can accomplish the impossible; for with God all things are possible. Through Him man is to accomplish the impossible. He is to see that which cannot be seen, the invisible. Of Moses it is said, “He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” Heb. 11:27. The same thought is expressed in 2 Cor. 4:18: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” To see the things which are not seen, the invisible, would be to see that which cannot be seen. The same experience came to the servant of Elisha. The prophet prayed that the eyes of the young man might be opened that he might see what the prophet himself could already see, the invisible heavenly host; and then the servant could see that which could not be seen by the natural eye.
But the power of not seeing the visible seems almost as astonishing as the power of seeing the invisible. “We look not at the things which are seen.” What! come right up before an object that is as plain as day before your eyes and not see it! not see such a splendid chance to speculate and make money! not perceive an insult offered to us! Remember what the prophet said of Christ: “Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as He that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but He heareth not.” This negative power, if we may so call it, is given to him who is dead indeed unto sin. This power is ours. But not only is the believer to see that which cannot be seen, he is also to hear that which cannot be heard. “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Isa. 30:21. What shall hear the word? Does it say, Thine heart shall hear? thine imagination shall hear? you will think you hear? Ah, it is more real than that. With what do we really hear anyway? — With the ear.
That is it: “Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee.” It is for us to hear the unhearable — the inaudible. Paul says, “They that were with me . . . heard not the voice of Him that spake to me.” The “still small voice,” which appeals so powerfully to the listener, is not discerned by him who will not hearken to the voice of the Lord. Men may not hear the voice of Him that speaks unto us, but it is for us who have ears to hear, to hear what the Spirit says. The unspeakable words are spoken by a power that is sufficient to perform the impossible, and these unspeakable words are heard by him who hears the inaudible utterances of the divine invisible One:
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” If Christ dwells in my heart, then His love will dwell there, and that love is an active love. Let us notice the ways in which the love of Christ was manifested. First, His love for His Father. This was what led Him out into the mountain by night to commune with God. It was this intense attachment to His Father. we know the love of Christ in this respect, then, as the hart pants for the water-brooks, so our souls long for God.
Then Christ’s love for the holy angels, those invisible companions who are constantly about us! We are not much acquainted with them yet, but they are well acquainted with us, and we hope soon to be with them. But while we have not seen them, yet it will be a species of love whose reflex action will give us comfort and joy in this vale of tears to consider all the information the Holy Scriptures have given us about these celestial beings, and it is our privilege to let our affection, though not our adoration, go out toward those ministering spirits.
Next notice the love of Christ for His brethren, for the Church. All His intercourse with them is a constant proof of His undying love for them. “Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” Notwithstanding He knew they were about to deny and forsake Him, yet His love continued the same to the end. How long does our love for the brethren continue? Is it simply till some difference of opinion arises? till they do something that does not suit us? That is human love, that is not the love of Christ. He loved them to the end. Do we know that love?
Then there is the love for the poor apostate, the backslider. It seems as if such were made the special objects of Christ’s love. Listen: “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you.” What wonderful love in the many invitations extended to the backslider! Are our feelings toward the prodigal those of the older brother in the parable, or do we know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge toward the backslider?
Last of all, let us notice the Saviour’s love for the whole world outside in darkness and wickedness. Did love divine extend so far? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And the Son shared in this love. It is for us to know this unspeakable love that passeth knowledge, that it may lead us to the same missionary interest and effort that He showed, for the world around us.
With love going out in so many directions from our hearts, will not our lives be lives of love, and will not this love, the love of Christ, put into the shade all our petty trials and difficulties? — Indeed, it will. And then to crown it all, toward our blessed Redeemer himself, who has brought us into this blessed experience, and is the bond of all love and perfection, shall a constant stream of love flow from our hearts, refreshing our lives and our pathway, and making them blossom like the garden of God.