Ephesians 4:7-16; Christ’s work fills all things, part 2. Spiritual gifts.

Class Outline:

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

 

“the fulness of Christ” - every part of our conscience, our lives, our conduct, our passion, our wisdom, etc., are in accordance with Him.

 

He fulfilled all the prophecy about His incarnation, from the virgin birth to His suffering and death. But the promises or covenants that God made with Israel and the world could only be “filled” (same Greek word is used) by the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.

 

MAT 5:17-18

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.”

 

Are His fulfillment of all promises and covenants and His fulfillment of each of us, His people, unrelated? Is it that He will fulfill all promises but His filling of you and me is in question?

 

The same event, His cross and its victory, is the means of both fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant and filling you and me with joy, fruit, love, God’s life, and making each one of us whole.

 

Since we are all predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ, it is inevitable that our fulfillment will be a present reality, and we, in my humblest opinion, would have to conclude that the experience of physical death and passing over to eternal heaven is a part of that process. God offers sight of this great blessing to each believer in their lifetime, but it is abundantly clear that eternal life is not contingent on it, i.e., you can’t lose your salvation if you stumble in the Christian life. There is great reward for seeing it in life and so walking in it, but to see it now, we must strive through learning and living to be pure in heart.

 

MAT 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

 

This makes sense. Katharos means clear or pure. A spoiled or stained heart is looking at self, at sin, at worldly ways and means. Christ cuts to the chase here, knowing that we would come to know from our love of His entire word that purity of heart would only be for believers who learned His word and obeyed His commands and loved Him, and those, being thus close to God as pursuing Him for years, would come to see Him.

 

There is reward in eternity, since we all must stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ. I cannot imagine that any believer who gets even the slightest glimpse of a life of the fullness of Christ, would not want it with all his heart regardless of rewards that might come that are external to that life, and despite how much he stumbles in its pursuit. Paul prays in Eph 1 that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened that we may see the hope of God’s calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. When we see it we will love it, and there is no way of seeing it if you haven’t believed it and pursued it.

 

As it is said, virtue has its own reward. These are the seekers and the true worshippers in Spirit and in truth.

 

“Fill all things” - joy in His people.

 

JOH 17:13

“But now I come to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”

 

He fills the church:

 

EPH 1:23

which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

 

His love fills us with God:

 

EPH 3:19

and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

 

He fills us with righteous fruit:

 

PHI 1:11

having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

 

He fills our every need:

 

PHI 4:19

And my God shall supply [pleroo = fill] all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

 

He makes each of us whole:

 

COL 2:10

in Him you have been made complete [pleroo - full]

 

Christ ascended to the right hand of God above all rule and authority.

 

EPH 4:9-10

(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

 

He gives gifts to His bride after He had given her Himself.

 

ISA 53:12

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.

 

What need or fulfillment should we not expect from Him who has led the captives to glory and divided His own hard-won portion with us? What surprises do we have in store from Him that will fill our mouths with laughter and praise? And how could any who have rejected Him escape judgment? The gospel both saves and judges.

 

JOH 3:18

“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”