Apicontent

“For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.” —John 1:16

Fullness is such a great word. It brings to mind thoughts of satisfaction, completion, entirety, and contentment. When we read the words “from his fullness” it speaks to all that is found within Jesus.

All that is within Jesus … all the blessings of joy, delight, and satisfaction; all the gifts and endowments of the Holy Spirit; all the favor of God toward us as sinners because of Christ. All this we receive. Just as one wave gets to the seashore and another follows suit, then another and another, in like manner, we receive never-ending waves of God’s unmerited favor. His love, giving, joy, and satisfaction contrasts with human love, giving, joy, and satisfaction in both nature and degree—while human light appears as a flicker, God’s light shines forth as the brightness of the sun. 

Throughout the Bible we find verses that speak to God’s fullness and His desire to fill us:

“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food!” —Isaiah 55:1–2

“On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, “From within him will flow rivers of living water.”’” —John 7:37–38

“I am the LORD, your God, the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!” —Psalm 81:10

“Since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and gave him to the church as head over all things. Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” —Ephesians 1:18–23

Become More

“There is a fullness of blessings of every sort and shape; a fullness of grace to pardon, of grace to regenerate, of grace to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and of grace to perfect. There is a fullness at all times; a fullness of comfort in affliction; a fullness of guidance in prosperity. A fullness of every divine attribute, of wisdom, of power, of love; a fullness which it were impossible to survey, much less to explore … Oh, what a fullness must this be of which all receive! Fullness, indeed, must there be when the stream is always flowing, and yet the well springs up as free, as rich, as full as ever. Come, believer, and get all thy need supplied; ask largely, and thou shalt receive largely, for this ‘fullness’ is inexhaustible, and is treasured up where all the needy may reach it, even in Jesus, Immanuel—God with us.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

In what ways are you currently experiencing the fullness of God’s gracious gifts?

Further Reflections

“Live up to thy privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” —Ephesians 1:3

“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” —John 1:14

The fullness of God in bodily form is difficult for us to get our minds around. Deity coming to earth in the flesh, Jesus’ incarnation makes known the depth of God’s love and concern for mankind. Subjecting himself to all the miseries and calamities of human nature, sharing in our humanity, Jesus truly lived a human life.

Paul tells us in Colossians:

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” —Colossians 1:19–20

Jesus came to dwell with humanity just as God dwelt among the Israelites in the wilderness—with His presence filling the tabernacle and leading the people with the cloud of His presence by day and the fire of His presence by night. We find in Exodus:

“I will reside among the Israelites, and I will be their God, and they will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, so that I may reside among them. I am the LORD their God.” —Exodus 29:45–46

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” —Exodus 40:34–35

God is a “with us” God. From Genesis to Revelation, it has always been His desire to be among His people. He is the One who brings us out of our bondage to sin that we may dwell with Him and bring Him glory. Through the poor choice of sin, man’s fellowship was broken with the Father. Jesus came in human form yet, unlike us, lived a perfect life and became the perfect sacrifice so that through Him we may again experience the presence of our heavenly Father. Jesus’ purpose in coming was to bring us out of our bondage of sin into the glory and fullness of himself. As believers, we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Paul tells us:

“God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” —2 Corinthians 5:21

The rays of divine glory glistened beneath the veiled deity of the God-man Jesus. As the sun is still the fountain of life though at times hidden by a dark mist of clouds, Christ clothed in flesh was fully God though His glory was not apparent to all. The witnesses of His glory were His disciples and followers. Those who were willing to go with Him gleaned more of Him. That is still true today. Those who seek Him diligently will be privy to more of His glory.

Become More

“For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur.” —2 Peter 1:16

The disciples lived life with Jesus—they walked along the road with Him, ate with Him, laughed with Him, ministered with Him, did life with Him. As a result, they claimed, “We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only.” Our faith is not grounded in or built on hearsay or cleverly invented stories, but on truth. Jesus lived his life and allowed his disciples to see his glory.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is still with us today!

Further Reflections

“Christ became what we are that He might make us what He is.” —Athanasius of Alexandria

“God loves you as though you are the only person in the world, and He loves everyone the way He loves you.” —Augustine

“A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.” —John 1:6–9

A shooting star sent forth from God to shatter the darkness of sin by shedding light in preparation for Jesus to shine, John the Baptist came as a witness to the true light. This witness was prophesized by Isaiah and subsequently applied by each gospel writer to John the Baptist—the forerunner of Christ:

“A voice cries out, “In the wilderness clear a way for the LORD; build a level road through the rift valley for our God.” —Isaiah 40:3

John the Baptist was equipped and commissioned by God for this special ministry of pointing the people from the error of their ways to the truth of Jesus. He had a specific message, addressed to specific recipients, intended to elicit a specific response. He came with a call to repentance for those wallowing in the wasteland of life, pointing them to their need for a Savior.

At his birth, John’s father Zechariah states the following regarding his son’s life’s work:

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” —Luke 1:76–79

“One of the keynotes in John’s thoughts regarding Jesus is that Jesus is the Light of the World. It means that Jesus, as the Light of the World, is the One who makes clear the Meaning and Destiny of Human Existence. Jesus was God’s expression of Himself. Jesus was God. Jesus was God’s Message to Mankind.” —Halley’s Bible Handbook

Jesus himself gives us the following information regarding John the Baptist:

“He was a lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time in his light.” —John 5:35

Certainly, John proves to be a wonderful example of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew regarding our light:

“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:14–16

Later in the book of Matthew, Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is! From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. The one who has ears had better listen!” —Matthew 11:11–15

Our light is meant to shine forth giving direction and pointing others to the proper path!

What a wonderful example John the Baptist set for all in ministry—always pointing to Jesus and not to himself. Indeed, his greatness and humility shine forth clearly through his words as we discover in chapter three of John:

“No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. He must become more important while I become less important.” —John 3:27–30

Become More

“Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone, but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing, and God everything.” —St. Ignatius Loyola

God is the only One who can empower us to become more! It is Him working in and through us that will enable us to experience all that He has for us.

John the Baptist was sent to prepare for the arrival of the Messiah. John baptized with water and Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit—this was the divine order of things and one with which John was comfortable. When Jesus’ popularity began to grow and John began to shrink, John joyfully accepted God’s plan. When the King arrived, there was no further need of the herald. Every believer should have such a mindset as this. It is not about us; it is all about Jesus.

“Every Christian life ought to be a force among men, a witness for Jesus and an influence for blessing and good. I know that there are few people like Billy Graham, whom God calls to do great things for Him. For men like me, and perhaps you, the best thing that we can do in the small time allotted to us in this world is to live out a genuine, simple, beautiful, strong Christian life. In our little measure we can repeat the life of the Lord Himself, doing in our imperfect way a few of the wonderful things He would do if He were Himself in our place.” —Wales Goebel

Further Reflections

“Repentance does not cause a sense of sin—it causes a sense of inexpressible unworthiness. When I repent, I realize that I am absolutely helpless, and I know that through and through I am not worthy even to carry His sandals.” —Oswald Chambers

“John was a lamp, not the true Light. The Jewish nation for a short time was stirred by and rejoiced in his ministry. For a moment they thought the Messianic Age was dawning. Even though his preaching had some stinging rebukes, there was a great popular excitement about his message. The people thought that though Israel might be disciplined, their enemies would be destroyed.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary

“All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.” —John 1:3

Aardvarks, antelopes, alligators, and ants; bumblebees, bullfrogs, butterflies, and birds; caterpillars, chameleons, canines and cats; from the highest angel to the lowest worm. All of God’s creation was created ex nihilo–the Latin phrase for “out of nothing”—by the Word of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit together in this mighty work of creation, our Master Creator.

“Who comprehends the mind of the LORD, or gives him instruction as his counselor? From whom does he receive directions? Who teaches him the correct way to do things, or imparts knowledge to him, or instructs him in skillful design?” —Isaiah 40:13–14

I am reminded of God’s words to Job in response to Job’s questioning of the Almighty’s plans:

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge? Get ready for a difficult task like a man; I will question you and you will inform me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding!’” —Job 38:1–4

God then asks Job a series of questions throughout the next two chapters regarding the many aspects of creation about which, of course, Job was clueless—thus making him painfully aware of his own ignorance and insignificance in the entire matter. He had not been present when the earth was founded and filled; nor had he had any participation in the creation of it—much less the understanding behind it. Why in the world did he think he was capable of advising God now? We would be wise to think this question through for ourselves when we have a desire to instruct God!

C. H. Macintosh wrote, “Here is the divine antidote against the pride and restless ambition of the men of this world. Nothing is more sad than to witness a pushing, bustling, forward, self-confident spirit and style in those who profess to be followers of than to witness a pushing, bustling, forward, self-confident spirit and style in those who profess to be followers of Him who was meek and lowly in heart. It is such a flagrant contradiction of the spirit and precepts of Christianity, and is a sure accompaniment of an unbroken condition of the soul. It is utterly impossible for any one to indulge in a boastful, pretentious, self-confident spirit, if ever he has really measured himself in the presence of God. To be much alone with God is the sovereign remedy for pride and self-complacency. May we know the reality of this in the secret of our own souls. May the good Lord keep us truly humble, in all our ways, simply leaning on Himself and his grace.” —Notes on Deuteronomy, 1869

In Colossians, the apostle Paul gives the following description of our Lord Jesus which affirms John’s words to us in our verses for today:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” —Colossians 1:15–20

Christ came as the perfect visible representation and manifestation of God; He created all things, He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together. Christ is the Head of the body, the church, and Christ has supremacy. He came as the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form, manifesting for us what human eyes were not allowed to gaze upon and live, namely the face of God.

Become More

We must constantly be looking to Jesus in order to experience more of God in our lives, for in the words of H. A. Ironside, “No one has ever lost out by excessive devotion to Christ.”

“We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by ‘looking unto Jesus’. Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! Let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.” —C. H. Spurgeon

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” —C.S. Lewis

How does a focus on Jesus help us to experience more of who God is in our lives?

Further Reflections

“As a blind man has no idea of colors, so have we no idea (how) the all-wise God perceives and understands all things.” —Isaac Newton

God’s thoughts and ways are far superior and above man’s—we see only as a poor reflection, yet He sees fully. God speaks this truth in the words penned by the prophet Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).

“No one can dissuade God from His purposes; nothing can turn Him aside from His plans.” —A.W. Tozer