Walking in the Fullness of God
God expects us to walk in the fullness (Psalms 82:6-8) “I have said, you are gods
and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men, and fall
like one of the princes. Arise, O god, judge the earth, for you shall inherit all
nations”.
Look at Adam – Genesis 1:26 “and God said, let Us make man in Our image, after
Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fist of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth”. In Genesis 2:7 the Bible says “and the Lord
Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living soul”. The Bible says many times that
things reproduce “after their kind”. God brought to Adam, every beast of the field
and every fowl of the air to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam
called every living creature, that was the name thereof (Genesis 2:19). This he
did before the fall, when the devil tricked them to doubt the word of God and to
disobey what God said to them, and the devil is using the same trickery today,
bringing doubt in, and we know that doubt comes against your faith, so that your
faith won’t work. Before the fall, Adam was covered with the glory of God, and
after their disobedience they made fig leaves for covering because they lost the
glory and realized that they were naked.
Look at Moses – Moses didn’t get afraid like the Israelites did when God attempted
to talk to them all in the wilderness, and they heard thunder and the mountain
burned with fire. The Israelites asked Moses to hear from God and then tell them
what God said; this put their relationship with God in the third person. Moses
spent much time in prayer and fasting and in the presence of God to the intent
that the glory of God shone on his face (II Corinthians 3:13) “and not as Moses,
which put a veil over his face; that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
look”. This sounds like what Adam had before the fall.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “the thief comes not but for to steal, and to kill and to
destroy, but I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more
abundantly”. Jesus made the way for all of us to walk in fullness (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. And of His fullness, have all we received,
and grace for grace”. John’s gospel states that the “fullness of Christ” is received
by all believers. The Greek word for “fullness” here indicates totality and
completeness. John like Paul, used the word to described Christ as the fullness of
God because all the attributes of God are contained in Christ (Colossians 1:19
and 2:9). Since all of God’s fullness dwells in Christ, every spiritual necessity is
found in Jesus Christ. In Christ, Christian believers lack nothing. Believers do not
need to seek any other source but Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-15 tells us “and He gave some, apostles, and some prophets, and
some evangelist and some pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we hereafter be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ”. That’s why the Bible tell us “not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so
much the more, as you see the day approaching”.
Jesus said in John 14:12 “verily, verily, I say to you, he that believes on Me, the
works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do cause I
go to My Father”. He commissioned us in Mark 16:15-18 “and He said to them, go
you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned. And
these signs shall follow them that believe. In My name shall they cast out devils,
they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents, and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover”.
Look at the Apostles – John, Peter and Paul had the testimony that “they turned
the world upside down” (Acts 17:26). It is likely that Paul, with his Jewish
background, would understand the term in light of its use in the Old Testament.
Paul used the term in reference to “complete obedience to God’s will”. Christ’s
love fulfills everything that the law of the Old Testament was attempting to do. In
the same way, Paul desires that his own life be a full expression of the gospel of
Christ (Romans 15:29).
In the book of Ephesians, the Christian church is referred to as the “fullness of
Christ” (Ephesians 1:22-23 and 4:13), and “the fullness of God” Ephesians 3:19).
A variety of interpretations have been offered for this phrase. For example, the
church is filled, and made complete by Christ, the church possesses the attributes
of Christ, and the church is the agent through which Christ does all His work. The
church is full of Christ because it is the complete and continuing expression of His
words and works (Colossians 2:9-10) “for in Him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality
and power”.
We have to believe the word of God and proclaim it (Psalms 68:11) “the Lord
gave the word, great was the company of those that published it”. Jesus said “I
only speak what I have heard My Father speak”. We are to do the same, the Bible
is the word of God. Jesus said “the word is seed”, as we plant the word of God in
our heart, it will spring forth and you will want what God wants and do what God
said. God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 “this book of the law, shall not depart out of
your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to
do according to all that is written therein, for then you shall make your way
prosperous, and then you shall have good success”.
The fullness is in God’s presence (Psalms 100) tells us how to enter His presence,
“make a joyful noise to the Lord Yahweh, all you nations. Serve the Lord Yahweh
with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know you that the Lord
Yahweh, He is God; it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His
people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and
into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord
Yahweh is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations”.
Paul reminds Timothy in II Timothy 1:6 “wherefore I put you in remembrance that
you stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of my hands”. And he
reminds Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus “that the communication of your faith
may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in
Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:6).
We have to die to our will and come to the point that Jesus came to in the garden
of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39,42) “and He went a little further, and fell on His
face and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me,
nevertheless not as I will, but as You will. He went away again the second time,
and prayed, saying O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me except I
drink it, Your will be done”. God’s word is His will (Romans 8:29a) He
predestinated us to conform into the image of His Son.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 4, 2008
God expects us to walk in the fullness (Psalms 82:6-8) “I have said, you are gods
and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men, and fall
like one of the princes. Arise, O god, judge the earth, for you shall inherit all
nations”.
Look at Adam – Genesis 1:26 “and God said, let Us make man in Our image, after
Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fist of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth”. In Genesis 2:7 the Bible says “and the Lord
Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living soul”. The Bible says many times that
things reproduce “after their kind”. God brought to Adam, every beast of the field
and every fowl of the air to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam
called every living creature, that was the name thereof (Genesis 2:19). This he
did before the fall, when the devil tricked them to doubt the word of God and to
disobey what God said to them, and the devil is using the same trickery today,
bringing doubt in, and we know that doubt comes against your faith, so that your
faith won’t work. Before the fall, Adam was covered with the glory of God, and
after their disobedience they made fig leaves for covering because they lost the
glory and realized that they were naked.
Look at Moses – Moses didn’t get afraid like the Israelites did when God attempted
to talk to them all in the wilderness, and they heard thunder and the mountain
burned with fire. The Israelites asked Moses to hear from God and then tell them
what God said; this put their relationship with God in the third person. Moses
spent much time in prayer and fasting and in the presence of God to the intent
that the glory of God shone on his face (II Corinthians 3:13) “and not as Moses,
which put a veil over his face; that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
look”. This sounds like what Adam had before the fall.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “the thief comes not but for to steal, and to kill and to
destroy, but I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more
abundantly”. Jesus made the way for all of us to walk in fullness (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. And of His fullness, have all we received,
and grace for grace”. John’s gospel states that the “fullness of Christ” is received
by all believers. The Greek word for “fullness” here indicates totality and
completeness. John like Paul, used the word to described Christ as the fullness of
God because all the attributes of God are contained in Christ (Colossians 1:19
and 2:9). Since all of God’s fullness dwells in Christ, every spiritual necessity is
found in Jesus Christ. In Christ, Christian believers lack nothing. Believers do not
need to seek any other source but Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-15 tells us “and He gave some, apostles, and some prophets, and
some evangelist and some pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we hereafter be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ”. That’s why the Bible tell us “not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so
much the more, as you see the day approaching”.
Jesus said in John 14:12 “verily, verily, I say to you, he that believes on Me, the
works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do cause I
go to My Father”. He commissioned us in Mark 16:15-18 “and He said to them, go
you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned. And
these signs shall follow them that believe. In My name shall they cast out devils,
they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents, and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover”.
Look at the Apostles – John, Peter and Paul had the testimony that “they turned
the world upside down” (Acts 17:26). It is likely that Paul, with his Jewish
background, would understand the term in light of its use in the Old Testament.
Paul used the term in reference to “complete obedience to God’s will”. Christ’s
love fulfills everything that the law of the Old Testament was attempting to do. In
the same way, Paul desires that his own life be a full expression of the gospel of
Christ (Romans 15:29).
In the book of Ephesians, the Christian church is referred to as the “fullness of
Christ” (Ephesians 1:22-23 and 4:13), and “the fullness of God” Ephesians 3:19).
A variety of interpretations have been offered for this phrase. For example, the
church is filled, and made complete by Christ, the church possesses the attributes
of Christ, and the church is the agent through which Christ does all His work. The
church is full of Christ because it is the complete and continuing expression of His
words and works (Colossians 2:9-10) “for in Him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality
and power”.
We have to believe the word of God and proclaim it (Psalms 68:11) “the Lord
gave the word, great was the company of those that published it”. Jesus said “I
only speak what I have heard My Father speak”. We are to do the same, the Bible
is the word of God. Jesus said “the word is seed”, as we plant the word of God in
our heart, it will spring forth and you will want what God wants and do what God
said. God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 “this book of the law, shall not depart out of
your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to
do according to all that is written therein, for then you shall make your way
prosperous, and then you shall have good success”.
The fullness is in God’s presence (Psalms 100) tells us how to enter His presence,
“make a joyful noise to the Lord Yahweh, all you nations. Serve the Lord Yahweh
with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know you that the Lord
Yahweh, He is God; it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His
people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and
into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord
Yahweh is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations”.
Paul reminds Timothy in II Timothy 1:6 “wherefore I put you in remembrance that
you stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of my hands”. And he
reminds Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus “that the communication of your faith
may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in
Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:6).
We have to die to our will and come to the point that Jesus came to in the garden
of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39,42) “and He went a little further, and fell on His
face and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me,
nevertheless not as I will, but as You will. He went away again the second time,
and prayed, saying O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me except I
drink it, Your will be done”. God’s word is His will (Romans 8:29a) He
predestinated us to conform into the image of His Son.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 4, 2008
