The Very Essence of True Christianity
“. . . that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:19b
Every Christian, who has been born again of the Holy Spirit, may be filled with all the fullness of God. To be thus filled is the very essence of true Christianity. The problem lies with the Christian if he or she is not filled with all the fullness of God.
Bible scholar Adam Clarke had some good comments regarding this Scripture, so I thought that I would use them.
“To be filled with God is a great thing; to be filled with the fullness of God is still greater; but to be filled with all the fullness of God utterly bewilders the sense and confounds the understanding. . . . To be filled with all the fullness of God is to have the whole soul filled with meekness, gentleness, goodness, love, justice, holiness, mercy and truth; and, as what God fills, neither sin nor Satan can fill. Consequently, it implies that the soul shall be emptied of sin, and that sin shall neither have dominion over it, nor any existence in it. It is impossible for us to understand these Words in a lesser sense than this. But how much more they imply (for more they do imply), I cannot tell. As there is no end to the merits of Christ, no limits to the mercy and love of God, no limitations to the improvability of the human soul, so there can be no limits to the saving influence of grace, which God will dispense to the heart of every Christian. We may ask, and we shall receive, and our joy shall be full” (Matthew 7:7-8). NOTE: Some of Clarke’s words were carefully revised without losing their intended meaning.
John Wesley also remarked that to be filled with all the fullness of God means to be filled “with all His light, love, wisdom, holiness, power, and glory; a perfection far beyond a bare freedom from sin.”
For God to fill you with all His fullness: (1) you should already be born again of His Spirit; (2) you should be entirely yielded to His will; (3) you should whole-heartedly believe that God can thus fill you; (4) you should pray to Him, in the Name of Jesus, to do it.
“Ask (pray), and it shall be given you; seek (keep praying), and ye shall find; knock (keep praying even more), and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” – Jesus; Matthew 7:7-8
“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” – Jesus; Mark 9:23b
Next blog – How Does God Really View Sin?