For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
John 1:16
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (fJohn bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace”. John 1:14-16
I can’t escape this concept of “fulness”: that God would choose to dwell in man, to manifest Himself, and to do it fully! This word ~ fullness from Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words ~ has two meanings, (a) “that which fills up” (b) “that which has been completed, the fullness”.
That’s a huge word with a multitude of expressions, and I do a dis-service to simplify, but suffice it to say that we are all ordained to carry His fulness, here and now. How would life look if we were really doing that? I’m always keenly aware of how much more growth there is in Him.
Here are just a few scriptures that express this concept of fullness:
Eph 1: 23 And he (the Father God) put all things under his (Jesus) feet and gave him (Jesus) as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Col 1:19 For in him (Jesus ) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell
Col. 2: 9-10 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Psalm 16:11 In His presence is fulness of joy at his right hand are pleasures forever more.
Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost
Acts 2:4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke…
Romans 15:13 May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We know this; the just shall by His faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. He is good to all. I could go on, but these are foundational truths that we are to hold and have so deeply engrained in our hearts that they shape everything that we have to process. Unshakeable truths that are to be unshakeable realities.
When we talk about fullness, our finite minds simply cannot conceive the totality of this truth. This New Testament reveals the Fathers heart and mind: His will. His fullness is something that we individually are able to partake of and live out on a daily basis. I don’t know about you but I am striving to live from this place of fulness. From His fulness we have all received, grace upon grace. I want to do more than just mentally assent to this, I want to vitally possess it and express it.