For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form …
Summary: Sometimes we have to experience something to know what it is. When it comes to understanding the spiritual reality of Jesus, tasting is believing.
It is interesting how God’s Spirit weaves patterns in the fabric of our lives (John 3:8). Today, before writing this meditation, I was at a Bible Study discussing a similar question. In this passage, Paul writes:
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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 4:11-13)
The last part of his sentence reads, “… attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
What in the world is the “fullness of Christ?”
Today’s passage in Colossians gives us a clue. Paul writes, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form …”
Talking about God’s Spirit is hard because we cannot “see” the Spirit with our flesh and because spiritual realities don’t follow the same rules we do.
Talking about the “fullness of Christ” is the same. We are discussing something that cannot be seen with human eyes. It is hard for us to comprehend things we cannot see.
The word Paul uses for “fullness” suggests a kind of “completeness” (Strong’s G4138). One way to look at it is that God’s presence in Christ is complete. There is nothing lacking.
As humans, we want to try to quantify what this means. We like to ask questions like, “How much of God fits into Jesus?” or “Which is greater; God or God’s Spirit?” In reality, questions like these are meaningless. Asking them shows a lack of understanding of the difference between flesh and spirit.
Paul wants us to have “unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.” The knowledge of God is a knowing that comes from direct experience. Like tasting food, it is not a knowledge that can be shared through words.
The psalmist encourages us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8). Once we do and we discover how good the Lord is, we want to be full of Jesus. Just as Christ is the “fullness of the Deity” when we have Christ in us we are on our way to “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Application: Be open to spiritual truths the mind cannot understand.
Food for Thought: What are we missing if we only know Jesus intellectually?
We are in really danger of not having salvation if we only have head knowledge but no faith relationship with Christ.
Ephesians 2: 8 – 9: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
John 3: 3: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
James 2: 19: You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You may be missing out on the abundant life Christ has for you through a walk with Him.
John 10: 10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 8: 12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
You might be missing the point by missing out on knowing Christ personally.
Philippians 3: 7 – 11: But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in a Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
* typo – first sentence should have begun with “We are in real danger…”
That was my thought too relationship is needed to actually know someone.
Absolutely, Tim.
We only write letters when we are not able to be there in person.
Thank you, Rich!
I love the words you referenced in Philippians:
“… the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..”
And you are right, “abundant life” does not come through an intellectual understanding of Jesus, it comes through a personal relationship.
Amen! 🙂
What are we missing if we only know Jesus intellectually?
I think first and foremost we have to recognize that our intellect is fallen. We rely on our senses to provide input and then internally decide what “the truth” is. Usually it is a “truth” that involves self-preservation and self-propagation at it’s basic level. We have been given our intellect by our Creator, but if we rely solely on our intellect, we find ourselves on a path of self-righteousness. After that we seek power. When we give our intellect to Christ, He uses it to open us up to His Spirit. In His Spirit, He counts us as righteous in His name, provides us with His power to turn from sin, and have the relationship with Him and the Father that we were created for. It is true that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ,” which does involve intellect. But faith is more than knowledge, more than what our senses tell us. Faith is knowing the truth, even when it defies intellectual reasoning. The truth is a light inside of us. (it’s very hard to explain)
So, if we only know Jesus intellectually, it means we know “about Him” but we miss knowing Him. Only knowing about Him means we have decided who He is, rather than receiving Him for who He is. It would be like me saying I know Abraham Lincoln. I know about him, but I don’t know him.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Chris,
Welcome back!
Ironically, when you write “our intellect is fallen,” your words are, at the same time, true and rejected by the intellect.
“Yeah, yeah… ” it says, and then goes on intellectualizing.
We have to come to the point where we choose between our intellect and that part of our inner being that relates directly to God.
What are we missing if we only know Jesus intellectually?
Most people all over this world know about Jesus, and are choosing to admit he walked the earth, taught people about God, was killed as a young man, but are too busy collecting junk to really pay attention to him.
Jesus requires we stop all our monkey business and come to know Him, to live in reality. We must see ourselves broken, become humble beings convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come, by the Holy Spirit of God. It can be the most frightening experience of a persons life! For a brief moment, the first time in their life they fully realized exactly what they are and where they are headed.
On our knees, before God we confess our sins and ask Jesus to save us. Jesus puts His arm around the untouchable, assures the unworthy of their salvation which He has paid for, and enters the heart providing eternal faith and security.
Believers have become positionally complete and begin the process of becoming more Christlike each day they live on earth, looking forward to full/complete/eternal perfection when He calls us home.
All who choose to reject submitting to His call and authority as the source of eternal salvation will receive their choice.
And experience eternal separation from God in total darkness.
Thank you, Ron.
It is a stark contrast, isn’t it?
The only thing I would add is that in addition to being “positionally complete” we also become children of God.
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)
I appreciate the clarification.
Thanks Brother!
Ron
Thanks, Ron!
Your analysis is amazing! 🙂