Thursday, February 12, 2009

Fullness

The last week before the New Year, I began to hear the following phrase resound in my spirit—“in the fullness of time.” I sensed the Holy Spirit saying to me that we had entered into “the fullness of time”, and that His desire for us, as believers, was that this time should be earmarked by the revelation and understanding of the “fullness” that is ours through Him.

Galatians 4: 1-7
"Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God."

For too long, His body, the church, has continued to function as a child and therefore, no different than a slave. Just as Jesus was born in a season known then as the “fullness of the time,” we have once again entered into a fullness of time when God’s sons, His brethren are to come forth. It is time for them to come out of childhood—slavery—and enter into the fullness of the son-ship into which they have been born again.

Jesus was born in “the fullness of the time” as The Son of God to bring forth the adoption of many sons of God. He is the prototype—the first born of many brethren. All creation has been and still is longing for the revelation of ALL the sons of God. Those who walk as they were predestined—conformed to His image.

Romans 8:18-22 & 29-32
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ….For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called ; and these whom He called, He also justified ; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

The time we have entered into will be known for much suffering and the shaking of all that can be shaken; but just as this passage of scripture declares, it will pale in comparison to the glory that God desires to be revealed through His sons. We have been predestined to walk just as Jesus walked on this earth—in love, power, and authority bringing freedom to all those who have been held in bondage or oppressed by the enemy. We are to walk in the glory of being a son of God—bringing glory to Him, knowing that He has freely given us all things—and as we have freely received, therefore, we can freely give.

In Ephesians chapter one, Paul tells us,

“In love He (God) predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Paul continues on to tell us that God made known this mystery of His will (don’t miss this) “WITH A VIEW TO AN ADMINISTRATION SUITABLE TO THE FULLNESS OF THE TIMES, that is a summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.”

God actually predestined us to this adoption through Christ with “the fullness of the times” in mind. He has chosen us to be those who bring His administration to bear upon this earth for the praise of His glory. Paul, fully comprehending this destiny and its importance, continues on in prayer, in this chapter, for the release of the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may fully know the following truths:

· What is the hope of His calling
· What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
· What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

These are some of the truths that we must come to understand and believe if we are going to walk in this destiny that He has for us. They will propel us forward into becoming the church which Paul refers to at the closing of this prayer— “the church, which is His body, THE FULLNESS OF HIM who fills all in all.”

Look at John 1: 16-18

“FOR OF HIS FULLNESS WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

Jesus walked in grace (power, gifting, and favor) that exceeded anything that had been known or seen up to that time ("grace upon grace"). It was a grace and truth that explained the unseen God. This fullness, this same grace, has been given to us. Just as it was given to Jesus to explain His Father, it has also been given to us to explain this same Father, our Father, to the praise of His glory and grace.

Paul continues in Ephesians3:14-19, knowing that this is our destiny, and he prays that God,

“would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED UP TO ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD.”

In this prayer, Paul reveals to us that the knowledge of “the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” is essential to our being filled with this “fullness” that God has for us. It is no coincidence that Matthew 24:12 tells us that in the last days,

"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.”

We, as sons of God, have been destined for this time to walk in stark contrast to the world. We are to be those who walk in the fullness of God—in the fullness of Christ’s love. We are to be God’s light of love in the midst of one of the darkest times on earth.

Look at Ephesians 4:7-16.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ ; until we ALL attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

The goal is for us ALL to attain to "the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." We are to “mature” and “no longer to be children.” We are “to grow up in All ASPECTS into Him.” This destiny is not just for a few, but for all of us.

Since Jesus embodies this fullness, and is the firstborn of many brethren, we can look to Him as the pattern. It is a pattern in character, and it is a pattern in practice. Hebrews 1:3 states that Jesus is “the exact representation of His (God’s) nature”, and 2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us that we have been made partakers of this same nature by the power of God.

“Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

Philippians Chapter 2:5-8 is just one example of the attitude that was in Christ, and we are instructed to have this same attitude in us—the attitude of a bondservant who in humility is obedient unto death. Beloved, we will need this kind of "fullness" for where we are headed in this present age. There are many other passages describing the nature that is to be ours, and I would encourage you to seek them out and make them your prayer for yourself and others. (See Galatians 5:19-26; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Peter 1:3-11.)

We are also to look like Jesus and His fullness in practice. Jesus came only to do God’s will (Hebrews 10:7). Acts 10:38 tells us,

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

And Jesus tells us in John 14:12,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”

This is the fullness into which we are called. It is the fullness of being and doing all and even greater works than Christ did because of His fullness that we have received. It is the fullness of being a faithful son as Jesus was faithful—to do all the will of God and work the works of God. For Beloved, like never before, we have entered a time when it is imperative that we heed the instructions of Jesus given to us in John 9:4.

"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”

2 comments:

  1. I didn't read it all (yet), but it *looks* good! :)

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  2. It's like what Jesus wrote me in my dream "Marriage is inevitable, because it is the only way to experience the fullness of godliness."

    and marriage with God does mean to know His thoughts, to be intimate with all of His ways.

    ReplyDelete