The energy, the motive behind the mystery Paul writes about is love. God IS Love—God loves us and He always has. He loves us enough to became one of us. He choose to die on the cross rather than compromise His love. To the surprise of His grieving disciples and to His enemies, chagrin, Jesus’ love was so pure and strong that it couldn’t die. After a brief visit with death, the unbroken love of God in the power of the Holy Spirit energized His being once again. The Holy Spirit of God lifted him out of death into a new life in a new, undying spiritual body. Apart from a few moments on the cross (and perhaps in his brief descent into hell), when Jesus identified with you and me in our separation from God, He was never, never separate from His Father-God.

Since Jesus’s love was capable of bridging the immense gap between us and God, it’s no surprise that His love can also bridge the gaps between old and young, rich and poor, intelligent and mentally challenged. It can reconcile differences between siblings and spatting spouses as well as Jew and Gentile, black and white, easterner and westerner.

This amazing love of Christ was unprecedented in human history. It is life changing. Paul, one of the New Testament writers, was a proud Pharisee who persecuted Christians. One day, while riding to Damascus to persecute Christians, Jesus’ love came in blinding light and knocked Paul off his saddle onto the ground. When Paul got up, he was never self-important again; he was broken, contrite and walked in the humility of love for the rest of his life. His only boast was in God, his only purpose was to do God’s will, his only will was God’s will. He loved those he once persecuted.

The power of God’s amazing love changed Paul from a man filled with murderous rage against Christians, a man who had been taught from childhood that he was better than the Gentiles, into a humble servant of Jesus who was willing to be beaten, imprisoned and die so that “Gentile dogs” might know the love of Jesus.

This love of Christ is God’s will for all of us. It is His solution to d all prejudice, bigotry, racism, and superiorities. It tears down dividing walls as if they were thin and fragile paper. Remember the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10? Peter said to Cornelius,

You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him;— and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. . . .but I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.

This love of Christ is the only energy on earth that is able to bring about true healing for the nations! The mystery of God’s love in Christ is the only power able to bridge forever the gaps between families, clans, breeds, tribes, ethnic groups, nations and races.

(Remember this, teach this, if you are still alive, when the anti-Christ brings another answer. The solution to enmity between nations will never be found in national or global political security. The only lasting solution to enmity between peoples must be born within human hearts at peace with themselves and others, at peace with the created world and at peace with God.)

This love of Jesus is lasting; it is an enduring, everlasting love, unconstrained by time. Before the earth’s beginning,

God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him Eph 1:4.

After this world, as we know it, has come to an end—when we reach the New Jerusalem, we will see a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,. . . on either side of the river is the tree of life. . . and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Rev. 22:1-2.

Jesus’s love is a purposeful love.

In love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will Ephesians 1:5.

He purposed to join us together in one family with men and women from every nation, and tribe and tongue and people — all in one family, the family of God.

This amazing love of Christ that was unknown known to men before Jesus rose from the dead and gave His Holy Spirit to men  is a free, unmerited love; it is unasked for and undeserved love.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Ephesians 2: 4-5 

The amazing, life-changing love of God is full of fruit and blessing; it gives us access to the very love of Father God; it gives us belonging in His family. God’s love blesses us with every spiritual blessing—redemption, forgiveness, the riches of a glorious inheritance; it gives us life and takes us out of the course of this world of death and disobedience and lifts us up to sit with Christ Jesus in heavenly places.

It is impossible to measure this purposeful, life changing love of God. It is fathomless. It is more powerful than trillions of Niagara Falls. Unleashed, God’s power would exceed countless Big Bangs. His knowledge includes everything everywhere all at the same time.

What might God’s love do in and through us— if unleashed ?And what will this love of Christ do one day, when we are judged by His love. His innocent blood will bring eternal judgment and justice to every human for every drop of blood shed upon this planet, to every failure to love.

Consider every drop of blood that has stained this earth—every rape, every abortion of innocence, every family abuse, every gang fight and war, every martyr’s death, holocaust, pogrom, concentration camp— every attempt of man to annihilate another human being and destroy or control life—be it by scornful demeaning words, threats, lies, cold shoulders, bows and arrows, fires, poisons, surgical knives, bullets or bombs—consider every indifference to God— every eye rolled in contempt, every thoughtless act, every greedy choice—Consider that two paths stand before each one of us today— if we choose, the path saying, “God, I need your love, be merciful to me, I am a sinner. I need Your help to forgive and be forgiven” God will give us His love and choices that lead to life. If we choose the path saying— “I don’t need You, God, or I’m too bad, or I don’t believe You, or There’s no forever or I can’t forgive” or some such choice, well, God will let us go it on our own and sooner or later we will end up dead—forever.

Accepting God’s amazing love for us in Christ Jesus reconciles us to God and to one another in one body through the cross. It dissolves all hostilities. Jesus

. . . Came and preached the glad tidings of peace to those who were afar off and peace to those  who were near. For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] have access by one Holy Spirit to the Father. . . .Therefore we are no longer outsiders . . . but share citizen ship with God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself: we belong to God’s own household.   Eph. 2: 1 17-19 (adapted from the AMP)

This love of God brings peace to all men who receive.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3: 16-17

This amazing love of God flows continually from the Heart of God seeking to find its home within our human hearts. Can we receive it? Oh Lord! Help us receive. Teach us to love. Kindle Your love of God within our souls, may it burn as a living flame within our hearts. Today, may our anxieties melt away before the peace of Christ in us—the hope of glory. O Father, please unleash the power of Your amazing love in Christ in us. May Your Kingdom come and Your will to be done in us today —and for the rest of our lives. May we fully partake of Your promise in Jesus Christ and find grace to extend His love to all we meet. OH live in us, Amazing Love!

Oh, love of God how rich and pure,
How measureless and strong
Oh, love of God, that will endure,
When other loves are gone.
           Frederick M. Lehman