His Fullness

After a month of eating out several times a week, I want vegetables. Not salad. It is too chilly outside and I’ve been eating salad every day. Finally we found a restaurant that serves peas, beans, carrots, corn, asparagus and broccoli. At last, a meal that does more than make me feel full. Veggies make me feel satisfied.

I chuckled when I read tonight’s devotional verse. It is about Jesus Christ and says, “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Of course this is a far different kind of fullness.

Before reading what Spurgeon had to say, I found several other verses about the fullness of Christ. The most important are these two affirming that the fullness of Almighty God lives in Him. Jesus is the Son of God, but also God the Son . . .  

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. (Colossians 2:9)
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. (Colossians 1:19)

My mind tries to connect this with what John wrote, and I cannot wrap my head around it. The fullness of You dwelling in Christ is easy, but the fullness of You dwelling in me? That makes my brain hurt.

By appearances, I cannot see You living in me. Sometimes You do things through me that make me smile or feel amazed because I recognize that it was You, not me. Yet most of the time my life is very ordinary. The fullness of Christ is way more significant than a full meal deal, but how can it be more of a reality in my life?

Paul gives one answer. He wrote how You gave gifted leaders to the church to help each of us live in the fullness of You.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11–13)

Every Christian needs to be taught and equipped to serve You and Your people so that we all become mature — like You and filled with You. It sounds much easier on paper than I find it in actual life.

Paul also thanked You that You are at work to this end. Again, I cannot see it in myself, but I do see it in others and also pray something like Paul prayed . . .  

For this reason I bow my knees before You, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of Your glory You may grant them to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith—that they, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that they may be filled with all the fullness of You. (Adapted from Ephesians 3:14–19)

As John said, the fullness of God is in Christ. Spurgeon calls it the fullness  of essential Deity and adds that in Jesus there is also a fullness  of perfect manhood, for in him You, God, are revealed bodily.

There is a fullness  of atonement for “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” There is a fullness  of justification for “there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” who is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him because He lives forever to make intercession for them.”

There is a fullness  of victory in His death, for through death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil. His resurrection is fullness  too for by it “we are born again into a living hope.”

Spurgeon wrote of more, yet as I read the list, my eyes almost glaze over. What a wonder of all that there is in Jesus Christ — and I know that from this fullness I have received grace. You live in me.

What could be more astonishing, more wonderful? I can only think of one thing — that You not only live in me but my life becomes totally transparent and obedient that You can be seen.

You bid me come and get my need supplied. Spurgeon says to ask largely and receive largely. This fullness  is inexhaustible. It is treasured up where even I might reach it — in Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. God with me.