The Father wants each one of us to wear a completely new garment, the garment of love. Too many people take a small bit of the new and try to attach it to what already exists. It doesn’t work.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 2:6-7, 3:1-3 NIV)

Paul tells us in Colossians 2:9 that all the fullness of the Godhead lives in Christ. That means in Jesus we see the fullness of the Father and the complete life of the Spirit all revealed through the Son of God who became a man, someone we could know, see and touch. That alone is an incredible thing - the Trinity being revealed to mankind through a man. In some ways that would be enough. However, there is more.

Through our new birth we are taken into Christ and so our lives become planted in him. He becomes the source of our life, everything we need can be found in him. His love and his life become our life-giving source, we draw everything we need from him.

The fullness of the Trinity lives in Christ, we are in Christ and therefore the overwhelming conclusion is that the fullness of the Trinity is ours. That’s what Jesus encourages us to be fully clothed with a new garment, the garment of love, rather than settling for a small patch to mend our existing way of life.

“Remain in my love so that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11)

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. (Job 36:16 NIV)

These verses are probably not well known yet they describe a recurring biblical theme and that is freedom. Here we are in a place of distress (which can also mean loss, trauma, anguish, torment, suffering or exhaustion) and yet there is a promise of something better. There is hope. We don't have to remain in this very negative place but we are drawn into a wide open space where there is freedom and the things that have restricted us fall away. 

What draws us away from this distressful place? Love. We are wooed; that's an intimate expression of love, gentleness and kindness; it’s a very romantic word. As Hosea writes, we are drawn with cords of loving kindness. 

We are drawn out of our distress, a place where we feel restricted and into a wide open space where we are free from restriction. Not only that, set before us is a table of choice food. This place of refuge is a place of comfort, provision and safety. It sounds a bit like Psalm 23:5 where we see a table of goodness laid out for us in the presence of our enemies. If we are expected to sit at a table and eat whilst our enemies surround us there must be someone else looking out for us. Our Father and his angels are there to protect and comfort us whilst the storm rages around us. 

If you feel in distress (or any of the other words that I mentioned above) then allow your heart to come to a place of rest. Can you trust him to bring you through the storm and into a wide open space of freedom? He will comfort and provide, even in the middle of a storm. And once you’ve been drawn away from the jaws of distress don’t let anything try and drag you back! Stay in and enjoy the wide open space. 

There is something in each of us that longs to be free. We feel trapped in our job, trapped in our financial situation, constrained by our circumstances yet we know that, deep down, there is something more. We want to be free. 

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)

So what is freedom? For many it’s the desire to be able to do what they want without reference to another or being bound by another’s rules. For some it’s the desire to travel, to have possessions or unlimited wealth. This constant desire for more can end up stealing the very thing we thought we were chasing after. 

Just imagine what the world would be like if everyone did what they pleased all the time. It would be chaos. That supposed freedom would lead to the desires of one person clashing with another and instead of freedom we would have dissent and broken relationships. Rather than creating freedom we would have created a prison of selfish ambition. 

Jesus was the most free person whoever lived. He could walk on water, walk through walls, find his tax money in a fish’s mouth. As we look at his freedom we see a life of total submission to the will and desire of his Father. He only did what he saw his Father doing, he only said what he heard his Father saying. On a human level, without understanding, that could be perceived as control but in reality it is the example of absolute freedom. 

Freedom is not pursuing our own agenda. It is living in perfect submission to the Father. As we do, his Spirit finds his home in our heart and causes us to walk in God’s ways. He transforms our heart so we can begin to walk as Jesus walked, in sonship and in freedom. It’s as we find our true identity as sons and daughters that we begin to see what true freedom really is. 

There is only one relationship that the Father has ever wanted with us and that is for him to be a Father to us and for us to know that we are his sons and daughters. In fact, it’s more than that. It’s one thing to know we’re sons and daughters whereas it’s a completely different thing to live as sons and daughters. 

God’s desire is actually very simple and we read it in the following verse:

I myself said, “How gladly would I treat you as sons and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me.” (Jeremiah 3:19 NIV)

That’s it! God’s desire is that we would call him ‘Father’ - why? Because that’s who he is. The promises and blessings of taking such a step are immense. 

These blessings are three-fold. Firstly, when we know God is being a Father to us we discover our true identity; we are treated as sons and daughters. Treated the same way as the Father treats his son, Jesus. Secondly, we find our place of true belonging, our ‘pleasant land’. There is a place for us to call home when we know God has made his home in our heart (John 14:23). And thirdly, we live in and receive our inheritance. A master does not give his inheritance to his servant but a father gives it to his children. 

This is what the Father longs to do for each of us. Yet as I read this verse in Jeremiah, I feel the pain in the Father’s heart as it is like he is unable to do what is the desire in his heart. His desire seems thwarted and is only fulfilled once we turn and see him for who he truly is. Father. That turning opens the door for us to step into this three-fold blessing. 

The Father’s desire is satisfied by a simple promise, the assurance of his word back up by all of the authority of Heaven. 

I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor 6:18)

An orphan feels unloved. No matter how much their adoptive parents or family show love they are unable to receive it. 

An orphan has to make a name for themselves and push themselves forward in order to be noticed. They are often independent and see God as their master or judge. An orphan will always seek to impress others and God. 

They regard love as being conditional, the result of pleasing others and having their own needs met. 

For them, contentment is far away. Do not see themselves as sons or daughters but rather slaves or servants. They don’t feel they belong. 

John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 

I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love (and do not doubt My love for you). V9 AMP

Whereas an orphan lives for themselves, a son lives for another. 

We can’t abide in love unless we truly know who we are, the beloved sons and daughters of the Father. The first step into sonship is knowing that we are loved, not with a human love but a love that originates in the heart of the Father. He IS love and any love which we may express is an imitation of the love we have first received from him. 

The revelation that changes everything is:

I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (John 17:26 NIV)​

We are loved by the Father, just as much as he loves Jesus (v23).

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9 ESV)

We must never lose sight of our true home which is finding the place of absolute contentment in the centre of the Father's love.

As we do we discover that it’s a love that knows no limits to how far the Father will go to rescue us from the orphan hearted ways of the world. 

There are no situations that are beyond the reach of his love. 

The generosity and kindness of his love for us is endless. 
He is constantly rescuing us from ourselves and whenever we settle or become side-tracked he always offers more. 

This is the fulness of the gospel to live loved. 

We must never think we have found those limits or boundaries of love because there are none. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:17-19 NIV)

The Father’s love goes beyond our knowledge: it's bigger, deeper and more intensive than we can ever think. And even if we ever think we have it measured we discover it still goes beyond our wildest dreams or imagination (Eph 3:20)

His love is greater than all that we’ve experienced so far. It’s greater than we can ever imagine or dream about.

This is the love we are invited to abide or remain in. This is the love we can keep coming back to. 

Every now and then it's good to remind ourselves of the main thing. The substance of love which is being poured into our heart through and by the Holy Spirit. Not only do we need reminding, we also need to give ourselves the opportunity to receive.

And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us! (Romans 5:5 TPT)

Jeremiah tells us we are loved with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). All of the love that was in the Father's heart before the creation of the world, all of the love that runs through time and all of the love that will run through eternity future is being poured into our heart by the Holy Spirit. That's a lot of love. It's very reassuring for us as this means there has never been a time when we've not been loved nor is there anything we can do (or not do) that will take us outside the love of God.

Sometimes we doubt God's love. Sometimes we feel condemned and unworthy of love. Other times we feel that our sin stops the flow of love until we prove ourselves through our works. All of those feelings are real to us and they affect what we think or believe. They don't, however, determine what God thinks or feels. He does not change; he is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our behaviour may not be in accordance with his will but it does not change the fact that we are loved.

Most translations say the love of God is 'poured' into our heart. I like the Passion Translation's use of the word 'cascade'. It describes a generous and constantly flowing torrent of love. It's similar to John who writes 'see what kind of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God' (1 John 3:1).

Let's make the main thing the main thing. Why not enjoy being loved today! Let the Father lavish or cascade his love into your heart.

Last week I ended by encouraging you to discover the resting place of the Father's love. I am convinced that the enemy seeks to rob us of two major parts of our inheritance: our rest and our freedom. Of course, these are interwoven; the more at rest we are, the freer we are and vice versa. Rest is our inheritance and I'm not talking about sitting on a couch and doing nothing. I'm talking about the stillness and peace in our heart.

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:9-11 NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV)

An inheritance is a gift, it's not a right. A gift is given, but for it to be a gift it has to be received. We are promised a life of rest but we have a choice whether we receive the gift or not. The writer of Hebrews is very clear: we can continue a life of works and religious duty or we can jump from the hamster wheel of works into the resting place of his love. In fact, the writer of Hebrews thinks that this is really important for us to do as he says 'make every effort' - some translations say 'strive' or 'be diligent' to enter your rest.

Paul's pretty clear about this, as he, too, reminds us not to focus on the results of our own works (Eph 2:9) but rather to seek out those things which God has already prepared for us to do (Eph 2:10). This is the point of what Jesus said in Matthew 11. "Come to me, take my yoke upon you, you will find rest for your souls". 
What has been stolen can be restored. As we look to him he becomes the source of our life. We begin to live like Jesus, only doing what the Father gives us to do. It's then that our heart finds its resting place.

We are made alive in Christ! (Eph 2:4) What a glorious statement and its impact has clearly caught Paul's attention. He's so excited about this revelation that once again he pauses and launches into another of his famous prayers. A prayer for us. Just as we saw last week he starts off with the words "for this reason". Because we are made alive in Christ...

"...I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)

Our salvation is a gift, it is not achieved through our works - if it were some would inevitably score more highly than others. No, our salvation is a gift which comes to us through our faith in him. Even our own faith is not self-generated, that, too, is a gift. Everything we need is made available to us and we simply need to appropriate it for ourselves. We are no longer distant but have been brought into the Godhead through Jesus. Not only joined to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but being joined, as a family, with one another. 

This is the backdrop for Paul's prayer. This divine revelation of unity leads to our hearts being strengthened by the Holy Spirit in order that it can become a place for the Father to live. It's a home of love where our heart comes to rest. This love is immeasurable yet it is strong. It becomes the foundation of our lives and therefore everything we do comes from and out of love.
The Passion Translation puts it like this: Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. (v17)​

Today, I encourage you to make his love your resting place. It is safe and secure.

What an amazing list of blessings Paul gives at the start of Ephesians chapter one. As you read this list (and I encourage you to take some time to do so) you feel his excitement and joy as he recites the goodness of the Lord. At the end of this great list he pauses for breath before launching into his famous prayer which starts with these words: "for this reason". Because of all these great blessings...

"...I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people." (Ephesians 1:16-18 NIV)

Paul asks that we would receive two things which will enable us to live in the blessing he's just recounted. First though, we need to note to whom Paul is praying, who is the Giver? Paul makes it very clear that the Giver is the Father. And so he asks that we would receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation which will enable us to know the Glorious Father better than we do at present. Secondly, Paul asks that the eyes of our heart would be enlightened in order that we would know who we really are! The word enlightened means to see with understanding - this prayer is about our heart understanding something profound which has previously been hidden.

When we read this prayer in the context of the whole passage, we see that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is also our Father and that (from before the creation of the world) we were meant to live as sons and daughters. We can only see this by revelation and, thankfully, the ability to receive revelation is a gift from the Father. This is not an intellectual understanding but an encounter that touches and changes our heart. We see, and understand, with our heart.

We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing simply because God is our Father and we are his children.