June 30, 2004
Reading
“For in Him dwells
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him” (9-10)
How would you feel if you went to God and
told Him of all your troubles and problems, and He said, “I’m sorry, but there
is nothing more I can do for you, I have given you everything I can, I cannot
add to it or change it in any way?” We would probably be devastated because we
have always been told, “Bring Him all your cares and woes, He will meet your
every need,” etc. We even read in the Bible, “Casting all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7. Now we find out that Almighty God has
nothing more to give us! With our mouth wide open in astonishment, we would see
Him point to His Son, Jesus, and say, “In Him dwells all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him.”
When we repented of our sin and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, God saved us and established a new relationship between Him and us. At that time He gave us everything He has to give. Whatever those glorious words mean, “all the fullness of God,” He has given to us to make us ‘complete’. All of His attributes, His knowledge, greatness, wisdom, power, strength, etc., all are at our disposal. Therefore, when we go to Him for something more, we are in fact asking for something we already have. On my eleventh birthday my parents gave me a tool box containing all the tools an eleven year old aspiring carpenter would ever need. A few weeks later I asked my father if he had a specific tool I needed, his response was, “Look in your tool box.” How like many of us who ask God for something we already have in our ‘tool box’.
Peter wrote, “His (God) divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature” 2 Peter 1:3-4. This does not mean that God has given us His deity, but that we may be partakers of His attributes. He has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” He has nothing more to give. There are those who teach there is a second work of grace available to us, by this I understand them to mean the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When the Bible tells me God has already given me “all things,” I find it difficult to add to that. How can you add to everything? How can you improve on perfection? How can God make us more complete than complete?
Because of the wonderful truth of our text, we have power to fight the good fight and resist the devil; strength to run the race; wisdom to discern the Will of God; understanding that we may know Him; peace in troubled times, love when hated, etc. All of these Divine attributes are ours to be used and applied as we walk with Him.
“All these (attributes of God) are made the pillars of the temple of salvation by the Lord Jesus; and all, without diminution of there infinity, are covenanted to us as our perpetual inheritance. The fathomless love of the Savior’s heart is every drop of it ours; every sinew in the arm of might, every jewel in the crown of majesty, the immensity of divine knowledge, and the sternness of divine justice, all are ours, and shall be employed by us” C.H. Spurgeon.
Rather than plead with God for that which we already have, let us awaken to who we are and what we have because Christ dwells in us and we in Him.
Lord God, help me to understand who
I am in Christ; enable me to exercise your Divine attributes knowing that I can
do nothing in my own strength, but that “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me” Phil 4:13.