COMPREHENDING THE MAGNITUDE -- Tomorrow:
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)
There are expressions in the Word of God that stagger the intellect and challenge our faith. Here is one of them. This is a statement of God's objective for His people in Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, and through their faith--that you "might be filled with all the fulness of God" (v. 19). To finally come short of this is to come short of Divine purpose!
Here is the goal of the Apostle's pray: "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Do you recall the remarkable progression of this prayer? It all leads to being filled with all the fulness of God. This will not be possible if God, according to the richness of His glory, does not strengthen us in our inner man with power by His Holy Spirit. If we are weak within, the appointed objective will not be realized.
But being strong within is not the end of the matter. That strength is required if Christ is going to dwell within our hearts by faith. A twofold objective is realized by this strengthening. First, our hearts become strong and capable of housing Christ. Second, our faith becomes effective in the appropriation of Christ. Both our persons and our faith must be strong if Christ is going to dwell within our hearts. It is remarkable how people imagine Christ lives within them, even though they are weak and faithless.
Christ does not dwell within our heart as a silent and inactive occupant. He works within us, as well as from the right hand of God, to make our roots go deep -- "rooted and grounded in love." Our roots are where our primary interest lies. Roots are the means of deriving sustenance. In this case, our roots are in the life-imparting love of God. If we are not drawing from God's love, we are not rooted in it. It takes strength to be rooted and grounded, and it takes Jesus dwelling in our hearts by faith as well.
Rooting and grounding also has a purpose. The spiritual maturity realized in this process opens the eyes of our understanding so we can see the remarkable extent of God's love, and the greatness of His salvation. There is a breadth and length, and a height and depth to our salvation that can scarcely be imagined apart from being mature in Christ. What is more, this understanding is required if we are to successfully run the race with patience that is set before us.
There is a dimension of knowledge that is not accessible to the human understanding. It involves the comprehension of the love of Christ that surpasses the boundaries of knowledge. There must be a fellowship with Christ, and a harmony of our mind with His, if this love is to be comprehended. Time spent on anything that detracts from this objective is wasted in the fullest extent of the word.
Knowing the love of Christ is a requisite to being "filled with all of the fulness of God." That is the Divine objective for all who are in Christ Jesus. Being "filled with all the fulness of God" is not a one time experience, attended with all manner of bodily sensations. It is an ultimate objective toward which spiritual life leads. Spiritual novices can have sudden sensations, speak in unusual ways, and experience other external phenomenon. But they cannot be "filled with all the fulness of God." That is something that must be preceded by comprehension, rooting, and grounding.
There are all manner of good and legitimate activities in which people who are only beginning to live for Jesus can engage. They range from serving the needs others to seeking the salvation of sinners. As noble as these things may appear, they are not the intent of Paul's prayer. The aim is not for Christ to dwell in our heart by faith so that we can win others! The objective of rooting and grounding is not so that we may feed the sheep. Both of these activities are good, and not to be despised. However, the aim is to be "filled with all he fulness of God."
What does it mean to be filled with God's fulness? It certainly does not mean that you become God, or that you are transformed into His equal. The word "filled" should tell you this is something you receive -- something that is in strict accord with your capacity. To be "filled" with God's fulness is to have no competing influences within. it involves the removal of every vestige of sin and the flesh. Only the Divine nature is found where God's "fulness" resides.
The same thing is found in the person that is "filled" that is found in God Himself. The only difference is The measure we have. Because we are created, our vessels do not have the capacity of the Living God. However, they do have a far greater capacity that men generally think.
It should be apparent to you that this "filling" will ultimately occur only when we are relieved of this earthly tabernacle. But we are working toward that end, seeking now to be "partakers of the Divine nature" by laying hold on God's exceeding great and precious promises (2 Pet 1:4).
This involves being "perfect," even as our "Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt 5:48). It is being "conformed to the image" of God's Son (Rom 8:29), and finally bearing His likeness in every aspect of our persons (Psa 17:15; 1 Cor 15:49). God wants nothing but Himself to be in you. That is His aim, and everything about salvation is calculated to bring that to pass.
The entire remedial enterprise is targeted to produce this condition--being "filled with all the fulness of God." Nothing in Christ tends away from this objective or makes it difficult to attain. It is "the flesh" that "profits nothing" (John 6:53), never the Spirit . . . never Divine strength . . . never faith . . . never rooting and grounding . . . never spiritual comprehension . . . never the knowledge of Christ's love!
Further, it simply is not possible to be so saturated with heavenly matters that you lose your utility or usefulness. The very thought is absurd--more than absurd! It contradicts everything God has revealed and said. God is moving us toward being MORE involved with heavenly life, while much of the church is moving in the other direction. What a tragic circumstance, indeed!
PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son, help me to never be satisfied with anything less than Your fulness.