Filled with All the Fulness of God

Last evening I conducted a Bible study on the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-19. I zeroed in mainly on the petition of verse 19:

Ephesians 3:19 …that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

After the Bible study I had a lively discussion with Elder Conrad Jarrell and my grandson, Justin Sperry. In this discussion I gained a further insight that I would like to add in this blog.

By means of the auxiliary verb might Paul is letting us know that the Christian has both the capability and the opportunity to be filled with all the fulness of God. But how can this be, given that we are finite beings and God is infinite? Not even the universe can contain the immensity of God.

1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

It is obvious from this that we cannot be filled with all the immensity of God quantitatively considered. So I used this illustration to make the point of how we can “be filled with all the fulness of God.” Take a drop of water out of the vast ocean. That single drop of water has the same composition as all the water in all the ocean. Quantitatively considered, it is not the fulness of the ocean. But qualitatively considered, it is fully all that the ocean is. Elder Jarrell elaborated on that illustration in our discussion by suggesting that you take that single drop of ocean water and drop it on a tiny ant. In doing this the tiny ant becomes filled with all the fulness of the ocean in that he is overwhelmed in all that the ocean is in terms of its character and composition. Remember, one drop of water from the ocean is fully all that all the water in the ocean is. Take one drop of that ocean water and you have what every other drop of ocean water contains individually and collectively.

So to apply the illustration, while we cannot “be filled with all the fulness of God” quantitatively, we can “be filled with all the fulness of God” qualitatively. Whatever of God fills us, is fully the same in nature and character as all the immensity of the infinite God. The God that fills me is the same God that spoke creation into existence, the same God that brought Israel through the Red Sea, the same God that thundered from Mount Sinai and gave forth the Ten Commandments, the same God that caused a virgin to conceive and bear His Son, the same God that indwelt the body of Jesus Christ and bled on the cross of Calvary, the same God that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, the same God that empowered the church with His Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and the same God that will judge the world at the end of its history. And this same God that can fill me can at the very same time fill you so that we both are “filled with all the fulness of God.”

Oh, to “be filled with all the fulness of God”! That is, for all of God to have all of me. No life is empty and meaningless that is “filled with all the fulness of God.” For as God fills me, my life takes on His character so that I become more and more godly, which means to be like God. I can never be like God in the infinity of His Person, power, knowledge, wisdom, holiness, and goodness. But to the limited extent that my finite being is capable, I can be strong, knowledgeable, wise, holy, and good like God. The difference in my godliness and God Himself is the difference between finite and infinite. My little finite self when it is filled with all the fulness of God can be a testimony of God in this world so that men can see God in and through me by seeing the likeness of God in my character and conduct. Imagine God, all the very fulness of God in me, in you, in us! And imagine God so much in us that men can see and testify to His presence in us.

Isaiah 45:14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

1 Corinthians 14:24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

The Third Manifestation of the Risen Lord

In reviewing and editing my past blogs I happened across this one that I never submitted. It deals with one of the manifestations of our Lord to His disciples after He had risen from the dead. This manifestation is recorded in John 21. John 21:14 informs us that this was “now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.” For today I want to zero in on the following passage:

John 21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

The statement is made that “Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias.” Then in the next verse these disciples are named with the exception of two. They are simply called “two other.” I can do no better than cite the following words of G. Campbell Morgan found in his book Searchlights from the Word. Dr. Morgan was commenting on the “two other.”

Who were the men? They were Simon Peter and Thomas, and Nathaniel, and James and John – all outstanding figures. But there were “two other,” and they are unnamed, and I believe purposely unnamed. They represent the anonymous and hidden multitudes of faithful souls, whose names are never published in human documents, and whose deeds are never recorded in human reports. To these He manifested Himself, as surely as to the others. Those “two other” represented the majority of the saints. Let all such remember that of His fullness they also receive.

Now that is profound and well worth pondering! At this time our risen Lord manifested Himself to the “two other” unnamed disciples just as He did to those who were named.

We have additional information recorded in the Bible respecting those disciples who were named. For example, a good deal of information is recorded in the New Testament about Simon Peter, James, and John. We also have more information about Thomas and Nathanael than is recorded in this chapter. But of these “two other” we know nothing more than that they were disciples of our Lord and that He appeared to them at this time. But the fact that He appeared to them just as He did to those who are named, shows that He has the same regard for them as for the others.

Those disciples who are named are no more the disciples of our Lord than those who are not named. The named disciples are examples of the multitudes of unnamed disciples. As we study their lives we see the same struggles and the same triumphs that we experience as followers of our Lord. Peter had his moment of cowardice when he denied his Lord (Matthew 26:69-75). Thomas had his moment when he doubted (John 20:24-25). Nathanael doubted the claims of Jesus at first (John 1:45-46). James and John in blind zeal shot off at the mouth one time and had to be rebuked by our Lord (Luke 9:51-56). That the named disciples could have such struggles and yet be disciples of Christ should give hope to the many unnamed disciples. And that Christ would manifest Himself to the unnamed disciples as well as to those who are named should give them encouragement. Our Lord does not forget those who are unnamed.

The following passages assure us that although we may not be named in historical records of the disciples of our Lord, our Lord has a record of us and although we see Him not now, we shall see Him in His glory as surely as every disciple that is named in the word of God.

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

2 Timothy 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.