“Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ,”
Ephesians 4:13
Walking in the fullness of Christ – what does it mean to attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ? We read that verse and can easily move on with the simple understanding that we possess in our present state ALL we need to walk in the fullness of who Christ is! But, do we truly understand in our daily tasks of life, whether it be as a wife, mother, friend, career person that we are mandated to live a life standard higher that that of our unsaved peers, that we have full dominion, authority and power over the rulers of darkness?
For some time, the word capacity has been ringing in our spirits. The Holy Spirit has been revealing to us that we have the capacity to carry the fullness of Christ and reveal Him completely. What does that look like to walk in the full measure of who our Father is and how do we obtain that?
Now, we are not pastors, psychologists, or theologians. We are two wives, moms, best friends and sisters who have a heart for God and a heart to truly share what God puts on our hearts with our world around us. This is a deep topic that we are still uncovering and learning day by day.
God showed us that He wants to manifest His fullness into His body (the Church) collectively as a whole and that we as a Church need healing. We can’t walk in the fullness of God if we are wrought with hurt, anger, bitterness, unforgivenes – the list goes on.
First, we looked up the definition of the words fullness and capacity:
- Fullness– the state of being filled to capacity
- Capacity– the maximum amount that something can contain
When God says we have the capacity, He is saying that we have the ability to contain all He is, to be filled to overflowing with all that He is. We the church are to be the full and complete reflection of Jesus Christ here on earth. Just as Jesus is the full reflection of the Father to us, we are to be the full reflection of Jesus to the world! But what have we as the church been revealing this to the world? Are we demonstrating the fullness of Jesus’ love?
Ephesians 1:23 – “The church is his body, it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself…”
God wants to fill us with the fullness of Himself; to grow, to stretch our capacity, to be filled with the fullness of God, so that we can become more and more like Christ. There is a process of sanctification (forward progression) to become more and more like Christ – to grow in maturity. It doesn’t happen overnight, but we must be mindful daily of our growth, allowing grace for mistakes and a fervent spirit to continue the race.
“You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ,” Charles Spurgeon
1 Thessalonians 5:23–Now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
In order to walk in the fullness of who He is, we have to allow Jesus to fully occupy us. We cannot just surrender our spirits for the sake of going to heaven, as often times misled in salvation. We must surrender our spirit, soul and body unto Him. Jesus wants to indwell our entire being – body, soul and spirit! God has freely given all! In return, we need to give ALL, too – not just part. For example, we cannot just believe for healing in our bodies, when we are desolate in our beings, as in flesh and mind perhaps. We can’t just believe parts of the Bible and expect God to just meet the direct needs we may THINK we need, without recognizing the other areas in ourselves that are incomplete.
If we have the capacity to be full, why are so many Christians living life half-full? We go to Church, Bible Study – we know how to pray healing and restoration, but we walk around defeated and anxious. We claim the blood of Jesus, but we have back-up plans in our minds. Have we limited the amount/ the measure in which we allow the spirit to work in us? God doesn’t limit us. There are no limits when it comes to all God has for us.
Ephesians 3:16-19– “And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. 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. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! Howenduring and inclusive it is! Endlesslove beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God.”
There is an abundance, a bountiful supply of God’s riches. God’s riches are not just resources, but grace, mercy, love, and His power.
“One of the most glorious and courageous things you could ever do is live in the fullness of what Jesus purchased for you,” Lisa Bevere
We can understand that Jesus is filled with all the fullness of God. We can understand that Jesus is the human form of God Himself and He indwells the complete fullness of God. But what about us? We cannot understand all that Jesus is and see it as solely belonging to Him. We cannot separate ourselves from Christ. If Christ is in us, and Christ is the fullness of God, then we also have the fullness of God dwelling within us.
Look at the disciples. They were very imperfect, yet the were chosen by a God who already knew their faults, insecurities and failures. They followed Him, performed miracles and were still able to be the vessels Jesus used. They had Jesus WITH them, BUT WE HAVE JESUS IN US!!
Colossians 2:9-10 – “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
For as Christ is the fullness of God in human form, we are to be the fullness of Christ here on earth in human form!
Ephesians 3:16-19 tells us, “And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. 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. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God.”
God wants US, the church/ the body to become mature – to attain the whole measure of Christ – to be complete!
Let’s break down Ephesians 3:16-19. Here, Paul is praying for spiritual growth within the Church.
1.Eph. 3:16– “And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.”
- We must allow God’s unlimited riches/resources into our innermost thoughts and believe that His resources are in fact, unlimited as the Word says. We have to truly grasp that concept and walk in it.
- Eph. 3:17– “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.”
- We have to do something! We have to exercise faith! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God – meditate on scripture! As we fully allow God’s unlimited resources to take hold in our hearts and actions, then will we be open and available to welcome Him into our hearts. He has to take root in our hearts before we can fully obtain, understand and walk in complete fullness. We need HIS fullness indwelling in us.
- Eph. 3:18-19– “Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!”
- So, once we have done the first two steps of allowing His unlimited resources in and His complete dominion, only THEN can He be welcomed to make His home in our hearts. To conclude this, we now go even further and are able to fully receive the understanding of how deep His love is. We need to be recipients. We have to be vessels and allow God to pour into us His spirit, His love, His glorious riches.
It’s not His mandates, commandments and laws that move us to disciple and minster and move. It’s His love!! It’s His love that empowers us!
You can heal the sick and pray for the broken-hearted, but if you don’t have love – you are powerless. You can’t change anything without His love. When we are filled with the love of Christ, everything will flow through us! Everything God gives us is not just for ourselves, but for the betterment of someone else, the building of the Kingdom.
“He purposes that we should not only rise into the high places at intervals, but that this should be the normal life of the Christian who is joined to God every day and all the time,” John G. Lake
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