There’s a word sometimes used by Christian theologians and scholars to describe the qualities of God: “ineffable”.  It means “beggaring description”, it’s said of something too great, or too extreme to be described by any words available to humans.

  Truth be told and accepted, ALL of the aspects of the One and only God – the Great “I AM” -- are ineffable; this is why scripture, praise and worship music, the Psalms, Christian testimonies, and conversations are all filled with so very many words and phrases that attempt to somehow describe the indescribable Being that touches us with His Holy (HOLY, HOLY, HOLY!) Spirit, Who came to earth as a fellow human being, and yet simultaneously, eternally, INEFFABLY, remained, and remains, on His “throne” as the All-Father (apologies to the pagan Norse).

  He is the Creator of all that is good and right and worthy in the universe, or universes (the latter plural is a nod to the physicists and “naturalists” trying to explain what is inexplicable – ineffable – in terms the mathematically disinclined or merely secular humans may claim to understand, but who’re still failing to address the uncaused, ineffable, source of all that is worthy, good, ordered and living, in however many versions of existence may actually be). 

  However, He was also a mewling, puking infant, a boy, a man, and a condemned teacher (Rabbi) of Loving Grace, who fellowshipped with the “unclean”, the sick, and the broken, that they might be made whole and (someday) pure, that they might be sanctified and Holy as He himself was holy – Holy enough to survive standing in His presence as the Father-God -- and sanctified enough to be touched and filled with His Holy Spirit. 

  That man proved Himself also God after His cruel, unlawful, unjust, and undeserved tortuous-beyond-words execution on a Roman Cross; such a thing is ineffable, indeed.

  But, we get lazy and thoughtless – forgive the redundancy – in bandying about the words and phrases of our “church talk” using them as if they were anything approaching adequate to describe the Triune God who is Father, Son, and Spirit, all in One, and yet, three persons, who “…is Love” and issues forth “Amazing Grace”.

  I simply can’t find words to describe “…Such Love, Such Wonderous Love…” and amazing, mind-boggling, ineffable Grace, such as “…saved a wretch like me”. 

  It is a Love and a grace beyond the understanding, and perhaps will always be (although I can’t and don’t understand, much less put into words, all that is possible or impossible for my Lord), beyond the understanding of such a one as I am. 

  I am one that He keeps forgiving, keeps inspiring, keeps sustaining, keeps drawing closer to Himself, despite my almost complete inability to keep in check my inadequacies, selfish self-centeredness, mistakes, and downright sinfulness.  Any restraint on my sinfulness and willfulness is also a gift of His saving Grace and lovingkindness.

  I must simply try to be grateful for that that He has revealed to me, and to any of us that “have ears to hear” and “eyes to see”, that I might begin to become something more than the “thing” that I am, and worthy to become one of His adopted children, while acknowledging that is still, merely the expression of His ineffable Love and Grace. 

  I cannot “lean on (my) own understanding”, or claim any adequate goodness of my own (my so-called goodness is no more than “filthy rags” – “used menstrual cloths” in the Greek of the Apostle Paul), or any redeeming deeds or “works”,  as compared to He who is ineffably Good and Holy, and as compared as the things He has done for me.

  Hallelujah!  He has come and is coming again.

  He will redeem and sanctify and make Holy as He is Holy (beyond words), and resurrect, even as He first did for Himself, all those who believe in their hearts, and proclaim with their words,  that He is who He said He was so that they “follow Him” as Lord and Savior.  He may even give us more and better words to go with our renewed minds and tongues, so that we may praise and glorify Him better and more thoroughly, as He deserves.

  But as I am now, I can’t explain, nor do I have the words to glorify Him enough, even though I am a man with many words to share (as you can see), but I know beyond explanation (ineffably) that these things are so and that He is worthy of all glory and praise, having experienced the Loving and amazingly grace-filled, saving (how pitifully inadequate are those words) touch of His Spirit.

  I pray that if you haven’t, you may come to know these things for which there are no words; and that if you do know even a little of them, you will join me in wordless praise and worship, contemplation, and actions that may express the ineffable joy and gratitude of knowing our ineffably Great, Gracious and Holy God; Amen and amen.