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Fullness of God ...

Friday, July 21, 2017. What is our image of God? Do we think of him as the big creator? Do we see him as some strange figure, who has a white beard, but is not good for anything? What is it that we think if we hear the word God, or Christ, or Jesus? Is our image shaped by some films we have seen? Is it shaped by church services?

It is important to look critically into our own image of God. The reason is not that we would like to destroy faith, but we want to strengthen faith. God is fantastic, but he is different from the many images which are floating through parts of our everyday cultural heritage. There is a lot to be discovered here for you and for me …

Surpassing Knowledge …

Let us read a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians, which talks about God's abundant love, and about the fullness of God …

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family3 in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (from Ephesians 3)

Paul sees faith as a journey of discovery. We find out what the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of God is in and through Christ Jesus. But we need to explore it. We need to live it. We need to find out by believing and doing. We need to live in faith!

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Abundantly more than …

God can do abundantly more than all we ask or think. This includes the experience that his wisdom is better and deeper than our wisdom. When we ask for this or that, we usually think very short sighted! We have our own needs and our dreams and our ideas of what would be good for us. And God wants us to have our own ideas. But he also wants to talk to us, and to show us a fantastic world beyond our current viewpoint.

Faith is the invitation to explore God. He comes, and when he comes we can learn his fullness. That will take us a lifetime - and then eternity! It will never end. The good news is: there is a fantastic God, a majestic God, a great and huge God, a deep God. There is more good news. There is a forgiving God, there is healing, restoration, hope, future. The gospel, “evangelium”, it means good news, and indeed it is - much better than we could ever imagine.

God knows more. And since he loves us, since he has accepted us into his family in Christ Jesus, he will do much in our life, he will continue to be there, to help, to heal, to guide, to bless. There is so much to be found. Let us explore it, day by day, in prayer, in community, in sincere work, in truth, in love, in hope, … in him! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts