TO BE FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD
By W. G. Guy
Jesus, the Son of God, was filled with all the fullness of God since He is the express image of God His Father.
Hebrews 1:1-3a – God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
Jesus is indeed the very fullness and revelation of all that God is.
Colossians 1:15-19 – (Jesus) who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
This is why Jesus said to His disciples that if you have seen Him you have seen the God the Father.
John 14:8-10 – Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Now let’s take this to the next step in God’s divine plan for us. The fullness of Christ is to be formed in us, His believers, who have received Him as Savior and LORD.
John 1:12 & 16 – But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
This means that His light, and His Spirit, now abides in us. This divine light transcends from the Father, through Jesus Christ, into us. This is plainly described in the Word of God.
1 John 1:5 – This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
The light of God is passed unto His Son who then became “the light of the world”. (Note: the word world comes from the Greek word cosmos and refers to the social order, or mankind.) Jesus declared this fact:
John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 9:5 – As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Thus, the light of God, the Father, shinned in and through Jesus Christ, His Son, because Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Now comes the heavy part that we need to understand in the plan and purpose of God. This same fullness of God is to be formed in us as His children, who will be gathered together with Him in heaven and in His Glory. Since we have this to look forward to, how should we then be living now? Jesus identified it this way.
Matthew 5:14-15 – Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Jesus, who has the light of God, and whose light is now in us who believe, calls us to show forth His light (God’s love and benevolence), to all around us. The life of Jesus, God’s Son, is to be seen in us.
Colossians 1:26-27 – the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
This life, light, and the fullness of Jesus, should be formed and seen in us now. We are not to wait until we get to heaven because this world is in deep darkness, and the light of Christ, that we now possess, needs to be seen in us here and now.
1 John 3:1-3 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The fullness of God, and Christ, is to be formed in us now. This is the purpose of discipleship; becoming a disciple of Christ,
not of man, not of a church, or a denomination. This fullness is His divine nature that is formed in us as we walk with Him in obedience as a true disciple.
2 Peter 1:4 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Ephesians 1:22b-23 – (Jesus who is the fullness of God), to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:19 – and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Note that the love of Christ has a unique role in the fullness of God as you will soon see; it is part of being built up to spiritual maturity in Christ.
Ephesians 4:13 – till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
What is the fullness of God, and Christ? It is His holy and righteous character and nature that is called the Fruit of the Spirit. This is what was lost in the garden due to sin; but is to be fully restored back to us through Jesus Christ who redeemed what was lost. It is His glory, (doxa in Greek), which means dignity, and refers to His divine character and nature that is to be restored in us as His children. His character and nature is His image and likeness that was lost due to sin. His character and nature is referred to as the Frit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-24 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Note that the very first Fruit is LOVE. This is because God is LOVE and His love is the foundation of the Kingdom of God: it is also the environment of heaven. In addition love is the basis of the Ten Commandments. The first for commandments are about
loving God: the next six are about loving others. Then understand that love fulfills the law and the prophets.
Romans 13:8-10 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Consider that love is the main command of God that Jesus declared as conditions of the New Testament.
Matthew 22:36-40 – Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This list of divine character is repeated again in 2 Peter, but in reverse order, as in building blocks that are added to bring us to full maturity in Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-8 – And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Note that the final level to be achieved is charity, or love that is benevolent, caring and giving for the benefit of others. Then we are warned of the consequences of not having received His divine nature.
2 Peter 1:9-10 – But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The fullness of God is revealed by LOVE, which is commanded of us as His children.
1 John 4:7-11 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
God is looking for His divine fruit, His character and nature to be formed in those who have received Jesus Christ as Savoir and Lord. This fruit is rooted in, and expands from LOVE: which is the fullness of God, because He is LOVE!
John 15:1-10 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
This Fruit that God is seeking is love and is only produced by the life of Christ flowing in and through you! Will you obey and be filled with His fullness; thus you will be seen and recognized as one of His children!
The greatest message Jesus preached was the Sermon on the Mount - (Matthew 5-7). The Sermon on the Mount can be summarized in one word – LOVE! Love is the revelation of God through Jesus Christ: this is the gospel message to the whole world – LOVE!
John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Thus you too can be filled with the FULLNESS OF GOD, but only through JESUS CHRIST, and obedience to His Word! God wants you to be a partaker of His divine nature too, a true child of God!
TO BE FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD
By W. G. Guy
Jesus, the Son of God, was filled with all the fullness of God since He is the express image of God His Father.
Hebrews 1:1-3a – God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
Jesus is indeed the very fullness and revelation of all that God is.
Colossians 1:15-19 – (Jesus) who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
This is why Jesus said to His disciples that if you have seen Him you have seen the God the Father.
John 14:8-10 – Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Now let’s take this to the next step in God’s divine plan for us. The fullness of Christ is to be formed in us, His believers, who have received Him as Savior and LORD.
John 1:12 & 16 – But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
This means that His light, and His Spirit, now abides in us. This divine light transcends from the Father, through Jesus Christ, into us. This is plainly described in the Word of God.
1 John 1:5 – This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
The light of God is passed unto His Son who then became “the light of the world”. (Note: the word world comes from the Greek word cosmos and refers to the social order, or mankind.) Jesus declared this fact:
John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 9:5 – As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Thus, the light of God, the Father, shinned in and through Jesus Christ, His Son, because Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Now comes the heavy part that we need to understand in the plan and purpose of God. This same fullness of God is to be formed in us as His children, who will be gathered together with Him in heaven and in His Glory. Since we have this to look forward to, how should we then be living now? Jesus identified it this way.
Matthew 5:14-15 – Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Jesus, who has the light of God, and whose light is now in us who believe, calls us to show forth His light (God’s love and benevolence), to all around us. The life of Jesus, God’s Son, is to be seen in us.
Colossians 1:26-27 – the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
This life, light, and the fullness of Jesus, should be formed and seen in us now. We are not to wait until we get to heaven because this world is in deep darkness, and the light of Christ, that we now possess, needs to be seen in us here and now.
1 John 3:1-3 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The fullness of God, and Christ, is to be formed in us now. This is the purpose of discipleship; becoming a disciple of Christ,
not of man, not of a church, or a denomination. This fullness is His divine nature that is formed in us as we walk with Him in obedience as a true disciple.
2 Peter 1:4 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Ephesians 1:22b-23 – (Jesus who is the fullness of God), to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:19 – and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Note that the love of Christ has a unique role in the fullness of God as you will soon see; it is part of being built up to spiritual maturity in Christ.
Ephesians 4:13 – till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
What is the fullness of God, and Christ? It is His holy and righteous character and nature that is called the Fruit of the Spirit. This is what was lost in the garden due to sin; but is to be fully restored back to us through Jesus Christ who redeemed what was lost. It is His glory, (doxa in Greek), which means dignity, and refers to His divine character and nature that is to be restored in us as His children. His character and nature is His image and likeness that was lost due to sin. His character and nature is referred to as the Frit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-24 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Note that the very first Fruit is LOVE. This is because God is LOVE and His love is the foundation of the Kingdom of God: it is also the environment of heaven. In addition love is the basis of the Ten Commandments. The first for commandments are about
loving God: the next six are about loving others. Then understand that love fulfills the law and the prophets.
Romans 13:8-10 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Consider that love is the main command of God that Jesus declared as conditions of the New Testament.
Matthew 22:36-40 – Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This list of divine character is repeated again in 2 Peter, but in reverse order, as in building blocks that are added to bring us to full maturity in Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-8 – And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Note that the final level to be achieved is charity, or love that is benevolent, caring and giving for the benefit of others. Then we are warned of the consequences of not having received His divine nature.
2 Peter 1:9-10 – But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The fullness of God is revealed by LOVE, which is commanded of us as His children.
1 John 4:7-11 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
God is looking for His divine fruit, His character and nature to be formed in those who have received Jesus Christ as Savoir and Lord. This fruit is rooted in, and expands from LOVE: which is the fullness of God, because He is LOVE!
John 15:1-10 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
This Fruit that God is seeking is love and is only produced by the life of Christ flowing in and through you! Will you obey and be filled with His fullness; thus you will be seen and recognized as one of His children!
The greatest message Jesus preached was the Sermon on the Mount - (Matthew 5-7). The Sermon on the Mount can be summarized in one word – LOVE! Love is the revelation of God through Jesus Christ: this is the gospel message to the whole world – LOVE!
John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Thus you too can be filled with the FULLNESS OF GOD, but only through JESUS CHRIST, and obedience to His Word! God wants you to be a partaker of His divine nature too, a true child of God!
