superabounding love...

artwork by Tamara Peterson

Something about Tamara Peterson’s beautiful work of art posted on our Artful Story—Journaling Facebook page, came to my heart when I first heard this anointed new hymn, Good, Good Father, by Pat Barrett and Tony Brown of Housefires, a group of musicians from Atlanta, Georgia…I've heard a thousand stories of what they think You’re like, but I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night, You tell me that You’re pleased and that I’m never alone. You’re a Good, Good Father. It’s who You are, It’s who You are, It’s who You are and I’m loved by You, It’s who I am, It’s who I am, It’s who I am. I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide, but I know we’re all searching for answers only You provide, because You know just what we need before we say a word. Love so undeniable I can hardly speak. Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think, as You call me deeper still...into love, love, love. You’re a Good, Good Father. It’s who You are. It’s who You are, It’s who You are, and I’m loved by You. It’s who I am, It’s who I am, It’s who I am. You are perfect in all of Your ways, You are perfect in all of Your ways, You are perfect in all of Your ways to us...
I was stunned (wrecked, in Tamara’s words) by the simple beauty and authenticity of this hymn, which speaks literally of God’s goodness, and paints a simple picture of His identity, even as it underscores our own identity in Him. Any person who’s ever felt lonely or unloved will be ministered to by this hymn, because it declares something we’ve always wanted: identity and purpose. We are loved with a superabounding love by our heavenly Father...drawing my heart back to Ephesians 1:18-19…

Amplified:  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), and [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength.

NLT:  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power.

Phillips: That you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realize how great is the hope to which he is calling you—the magnificence and splendor of the inheritance promised to Christians—and how tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.

Wuest:  The eyes of your heart being in an enlightened state with a view to your knowing what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the superabounding greatness of His inherent power to us who are believing ones as measured by the operative energy of the manifested strength of His might.

Young’s Literal: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, for your knowing what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of His power to us who are believing, according to the working of the power of His might.

A word study of surpassing or superabounding [huperballo from hupér (above) bállo (cast)] which literally means throwing beyond the usual mark and figuratively referring to a degree which exceeds extraordinary, a point on an implied or overt scale of extent. Expressing a degree beyond comparison. Extraordinary, extreme, supreme, far more, much greater, to a far greater degree. To transcend. Immeasurable. To overshoot, outdo, surpass, prevail over, to go beyond, exceed, absolutely to exceed all bounds, to go on further and further.
God's power goes far beyond all other power. The power of Christ applied in the believer’s behalf can't be defeated because the Creator's power exceeds all. Huperballo is in the present tense (present-active-participle) indicating that this is a power which is continually surpassing or excels all other power. There will never be a day when it is not sufficient to accomplish what God purposes in us and through us to the praise of His glory. What He does in and through us will be seen by others ,who give Him praise and glory because they realize that it is a supernatural, not natural, work. Join me in praying daily that we surrender to the authority of the Spirit of Christ, Who dwells in the innermost part of us, energizing our walk, elevating it from a natural to a supernatural walk.

As Greek scholar, Dr. Kenneth Wuest translates, the superabounding greatness of His inherent power to us who are believing ones as measured by the operative energy of the manifested strength of His might. It is difficult to give a clear distinction between the three Greek words that expand on the meaning of the surpassing greatness of His power, but in simple terms it pictures the piling up of similar terms in an attempt to convey the magnitude and capability of God's incomprehensible, infinite power. God's surpassing, superabounding power is available to believers because we are in Christ and He is in us, these positions picturing a union, a oneness, a solemn and binding covenant relationship. Commentators tell us that they can distinguish differences of meaning between the words, in that the first of them is the more active and outward, and the last of them is the more inward, comparing them to fruit and branch and root. The surpassing power which God uses in ministering to our spiritual needs is in accordance with, commensurate with, His infinite, immeasurable divine energy. Praise His Holy Name!

Pastor Adrian Rogers is quoted as saying, “Now, I want to ask you a question: Are you sitting in this auditorium, this morning, or are you sitting in heavenly places? The answer is yes, yes, yes. Physically, we are here; but, in Christ, we have been raised. When He died, we died. His death had our name on it. When He was raised from the grave, we were raised from the grave. When He ascended, we ascended. When He is seated at the right hand of God, so are we, in Christ. If I were to put you in a barrel and put that barrel in the Mississippi River, where would you be? In the Mississippi River, right? Well, if you're in Christ, and Christ is at the right hand of God, where are you? Seated with Him…as the Apostle Paul wrote, I am praying that your eyes will be opened, that you will be enlightened, that you will understand this (Ephesians 1:18)… surpassing, superabounding, exceeding greatness of His inherent power in and for us who believe (Ephesians 1:19)"…

He’s a Good, Good Father…it’s Who He is, and we’re loved with a superabounding love by Him…it’s who we are…it's Whose we are…in Christ...

Previous posts from Ephesians Chapter One…

Ephesians 1:3-4

Ephesians 1:5-6

Ephesians 1:7

Ephesians 1:8

Ephesians1:9-10

Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:15-17

Weekly LinkUps…