Fullness of God

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  -Ephesians 3:16-19 NKJV 

1. The Fullness of God 

   1. Fullness Defined 

      1. Ephesians 4:13 “...till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”

      2. Jesus is the model

   2. Called to be one with Jesus

      1. As He is one with the Father

         1. John 17:20-21 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

      2. This was always the plan

         1. Genesis-image bearers 

            1. Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

         2. Antioch: “Little Christ” 

            1. Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

2. How do we access this fullness

   1. He grants (free gift)

      1. With Terms:

         1. Jesus as Lord and Savior 

            1. Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

         2. Holy Spirit as President and Power Source 

            1. Luke 24:49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

3. How do we walk in this fullness? 

   1. We must allow Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our inner man with His might

      1. What is our inner man?

         1. Our heart - thoughts, feelings, & desires

      2. Empower Us - He is our power source

         1. Church debit/credit card analogy

      3. We can’t do what Jesus commissioned us to do without Holy Spirit’s might

         1. Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe…”

         2. Gifts of the Spirit

      4. He strengthens our inner man so that….

   2. We must allow Christ to dwell in our heart through faith

      1. What does it mean for Christ to dwell in our hearts

         1. Christ is the word made flesh. John 1  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

         2. Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your Word in my heart that I may not sin against you.” 

      2. Roots Us

         1. Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13)

            1. Seed = word of God

            2. Soil = heart

         2. Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

      3. Allowing the word of God to dwell/take root in us brings transformation/bears fruit

         1. Romans 12

         2. Ephesians 5

         3. Galatians 5 - Fruit of the Spirit

      4. Allowing the word to take root in us, also roots us in

         1. The love of Christ

   3. We must comprehend (width, length, depth, height) to know the love of Christ

      1. Comprehend = to lay hold of, grasp, take possession of

         1. To know the love of Christ

      2. His Spirit EMPOWERS us, His Word ROOTS us, and His love MOVES us

         1. We are to be MOVED by His love for us and others

         2. He (Jesus) had compassion

      3. If we as Christian’s are empowered by Holy Spirit, rooted in the Word of God, but not moved by His love for us and others, we lack the fullness of God, and have not reached maturity. 

      4. Ephesians 4:13 “...till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;” (Ephesians 4:13)

4. This is why the Secret Place is so important. This work is accomplished within us there.