Father, as we gather here together this afternoon, we are thankful to be able to be present. We ask that our whole being may be energized. You know the weariness of our bodies; You know the weariness even of our minds; and You know our very depths.
So we pray that You would give us grace and enable us, even a little bit here, to behold this: O Lord Jesus Christ, how gracious it is that the Father has highly exalted You and given You a name which is above every name.
That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
O Father, we do come here together to bow our hearts and to utter our voices, calling You our Father. We declare our love for You, Lord, in every area of our lives. We do desire that You have the preeminence in all things. We desire that You have the preeminence in each of our lives and in our lives together.
We commit this time into Your hands. We desire that God will have the birthright in this house. We pray in the precious name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Please turn to Colossians, chapter 1.
For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell;
And through Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath He reconciled
In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before Him.
—Colossians 1:19-22
Colossians, chapter 2.
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
And in Him ye are made full, Who is the head of all principality and power:
In Whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
Having been buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead.
And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did He make alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and He hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
Having put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
—Colossians 2:9-15
The subject concerning us is the subject of fullness. Do you know that God has put all the fullness of God into His Son?
All the fullness of God, in the sense of divine attributes and divine activities, is in Him. If you want to find anything of God in any area, you have to find it in Christ. There is no other place. God is very jealous about this.
We remember the story when our Lord Jesus walked on earth and took His disciples to the mountain. There He was transfigured. He was glorified, and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him.
Peter, James, and John were together with the Lord on that mountain. Somehow they were overwhelmed with sleep. I think when they saw our Lord Jesus transfigured, with Moses and Elijah appearing, it was a great moment. They saw the glory of the Lord, and also Moses and Elijah. I do not believe anybody would like to go to sleep at that hour, yet somehow they were overpowered by sleep.
The glory was too much for them. In spite of the fact that they desired to stay awake, they could not. It was only toward the end, when Moses and Elijah were ready to leave, that the disciples woke up.
When Peter woke up and thought that this experience was about to pass away, he was very unhappy about it. He was really desperate. He did not know what he should say, but he felt he had to say something.
So he said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He thought that by saying this, our Lord Jesus, Moses, and Elijah might remain. Probably he thought they would be constrained to stay. But he did not know that, because of what he said, God removed Moses and Elijah.
A cloud overshadowed them. Moses disappeared; Elijah disappeared; and a voice came from heaven, saying:
This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
—Matthew 17:5
Then they looked up and found no one but Jesus only.
Dear brothers and sisters, this tells us that God is very jealous concerning His Son. All the fullness of the Godhead has made its permanent home in the Son. Who is Moses? Who is Elijah? Moses is the representative of the law, and Elijah is a representative of the prophets.
When Peter desired to put Moses and Elijah on the same level as the Son, God said, in effect, “No. Moses must go. Elijah must go. My Son stands alone and forever.”
Very often in our lives, unknowingly, we try to draw in someone or something else. We try to find something or someone other than the Lord Jesus. We try to put our Lord Jesus on an equal footing with someone or something else. Invariably, you will find that the Father is most jealous about it.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily. This is significant. Moses is important only in relation to the Son. Elijah is important only in relation to the Son. Moses in himself and Elijah in himself have no place in the kingdom of God. Their place in the kingdom of God is based upon their relation to the Son.
So, dear brothers and sisters, let us remember from the very outset that in the Son dwells all the fullness of God. Every fullness of God is in Christ and nowhere else.
But the question is this: all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him, but how are we to see it and experience that fullness?
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
And in Him ye are made full.
—Colossians 2:9-10
Paul says that we are complete in Him. We are made full in Him. But, in our personal experience, or even in our experience together, we often do not feel that fullness.
The Bible says we are complete in Him; we are made full. Yet we do not feel it. Quite properly, very often we feel that we are very empty. Even if we have something, it seems to be only a little bit. We feel that we need that fullness which is in Christ.
Sometimes I think we are all like those six stone waterpots standing at the entrance of the house in Cana of Galilee. You remember the story of the wedding feast. Our Lord Jesus was invited, and there were six stone waterpots standing at the entrance of the house for the purpose of purification.
Perhaps, because there were so many guests, they had used up all the water for purification. So these waterpots were standing there empty, or nearly empty.
The word of the Lord was, “Fill the waterpots with water.” The servants drew water and poured water into those waterpots until they were filled to the brim. Then the Lord said, “Draw out now.”
The water became wine, and there had never been such good wine. Very often I feel that this is our condition. We are like the stone waterpots, standing there, feeling greatly empty and wanting to be filled.
We need to be filled to the brim. All the fullness—the life of Christ, the power of Christ, the love of Christ, the mind of Christ, the wisdom that is in Christ—may become our experience. We may be filled to overflowing. How we long for that!
So this afternoon we would like to consider this one thing: how the fullness which is in Christ is to be communicated to us. By what means can the fullness which is in Christ become ours? We are made full in Him, but how?
I believe our brother is going to give us a series of messages on the cross. Of course, we know that the way of communication is the way of the cross.
Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead. Oh, He is so full, full to overflowing, full beyond measure. Here we are, so dry, so weary, so empty. It is just like digging a well: we dig and dig and dig, trying to draw up a little water. Finally, we are so dry, so barren, so empty; and there in Christ is fullness.
How can that fullness come to us and become our experience? It is by the way of the cross. There is no other way.
In eternity, He is the Son, the image of the invisible God, the very representation of God. In the beginning of creation, we find that He is the firstborn of all creation, because all things were created in Him, through Him, and unto Him. He was the Designer, He was the Builder, and He was the Lord of His creation.
There in Him dwells the fullness of God: full of power, full of wisdom, full of life. But, dear brothers and sisters, something happened to this creation.
Everything was created out of the fullness of God. Every created thing, in one way or another, reflected the fullness of God. Yet something happened to this creation.
We remember the first chapter of Genesis:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
—Genesis 1:1-2
Waste, void, and darkness are the very opposite of the fullness of God. In fullness there is efficiency; in fullness there is purpose; in fullness there is light. Yet here you find waste, emptiness, and darkness.
Of course, we know the reason. In the beginning there was that archangel who began to develop pride in his heart. He wanted to usurp God’s place. He wanted to be equal with God. He was not content with the place God had given him. He became ambitious, self-centered, and proud. Because of that, he rebelled against God, was cast down, and became Satan, the devil.
Later, God created man and put man in charge of the earth. Adam was tempted to rebel against God. Sin came into the world by one man, and death through sin.
Today the whole earth is waste and void. Though it is not submerged in water, darkness prevails upon the earth. When you see this creation, you cannot help seeing how far away the whole creation is from God’s purpose.
In Romans 8, Paul tells us:
For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of Him Who subjected it, in hope
That the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
—Romans 8:20-22
The whole creation is now brought into vanity. There is no purpose, no aim, no meaning. It is under the bondage of corruption. Everything is corrupted. The whole creation is groaning.
If we have spiritual ears, we shall hear groaning going on day and night, everywhere. The whole creation is not willing to remain under vanity and corruption. It longs to be delivered, to be set free into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. It is waiting for redemption.
Here you find a picture totally opposite to the picture of God’s fullness: waste, darkness, vanity, corruption, and groaning. These are not expressions of fullness.
Not only do we find this condition in the world and in creation, but we find it within ourselves. How often people try to discover the meaning of life, but there does not seem to be any meaning. There does not seem to be any answer. There is sighing and groaning going on day and night, everywhere, and darkness.
The whole world has fallen away from the fullness of God.
Here in Colossians, chapter 1, we read that through Him God is to reconcile all things unto Himself. The whole universe has lost its peace with God. The whole universe is out of order. It is in a chaotic condition, and that includes everything.
The whole universe has fallen away from the fullness of God. Dear brothers and sisters, you can look at any created thing in this world—and especially you can look at man and at yourself. Can you find any sign of fullness, any sign of the fullness of God, in created things, in this world, or in yourself? There is none.
The harmony is broken. Everything is out of order. Nothing represents God’s fullness.
God sent His Son into this world, and the Word became flesh. The eternal Son became the incarnate Son. In Colossians, chapter 2, we find that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him eternally, even before creation. But in His incarnation, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily—in a bodily form, in a form that we can see, touch, appreciate, receive, and share.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the meaning of incarnation: the fullness of God has come in bodily form, and that is our Lord Jesus.
When our Lord came into this world, His purpose was to reconcile all things.
In some versions you find, instead of “to reconcile all things unto Him,” the words “to reconcile all things unto Himself.” Probably some Greek scholar can tell us better whether the exact word should be “Him” or “Himself.” I do not know; if I am wrong, please correct me.
But whether it is “to reconcile all things unto Him” or “to reconcile all things unto Himself,” I think both mean the same thing. God is to reconcile—to bring everything back into harmony with Himself, with God.
Everything has fallen away from God and fallen into a corruptible, fading, and defiled condition. Now God, through Christ Jesus, is to reconcile, to make peace, to bring everything back to Himself, that all things may express His glory.
Or, if you want to put it another way, all things have fallen away from the fullness of God. Everything speaks of emptiness, vanity, corruption, and purposelessness. Now, through Christ, God is to bring everything back to that fullness, so that once again created things, especially man, may reflect the fullness that is in God.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the work of Christ. His work is to bring all things back to God.
It is not enough merely to be saved. It is good to be saved; there is no doubt about that. But it is not enough, because God’s purpose is to bring us into His fullness, that we may experience the fullness of Christ and be made full in Him.
The means, the way, for such reconciliation is by the cross. God reconciles all things to Himself by the cross, and there is no other way.
Let us see very briefly how the fullness in Christ is demonstrated and communicated to us by the cross. If you want to know more in detail and more deeply, you will have to wait until this evening.
First of all, in Colossians 1:20, we read, “Having made peace through the blood of His cross.” First of all, we find here the blood of His cross.
Why the blood? Because there is sin in the world. Where there is sin, there is separation. Where there is sin, there is distance. Wherever there is sin, there is discord. Where there is sin, there is no peace. Everything falls apart.
Here, brothers and sisters, first and foremost, the most basic problem with us is this matter of sin. We have sinned.
For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.
—Romans 3:23
There is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were placed in an environment that spoke of the fullness of God. You cannot think of the Garden of Eden without gaining a sense of fullness. God planted a garden; all the beauty and abundance of the earth were concentrated and gathered in that garden.
That garden was an expression of fullness. There were all kinds of trees, and in the midst was the tree of life. The Bible says that a river flowed out from it and divided into four different directions. The picture is a picture of fullness.
God put man in an environment of fullness, that he might be filled with the fullness of God. That was the purpose of God.
But sin entered into the world. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God by eating the forbidden fruit, the result was that they were driven out of the Garden of Eden. They were driven away from the face of God. Man had to sweat in order to make a living, and woman had to bear her children with pain and sorrow.
Dear brothers and sisters, sin had come into this world. Because of sin, something came that is beyond us. All we know is pain, suffering, sweat, and a bare living.
So the first thing that needs to be solved is this matter of sin. As our brother said, how can we stand before God? Is there anyone in the entire universe who can stand before God? We have no right to eat the fruit of the tree of life. We find the cherubim there with the flaming sword guarding the way to the tree of life. There was no access, because sin is a fact.
In order that He might reconcile all things to Himself and bring us into the fullness of God, Christ came and died on the cross. It is by the blood of His cross that our sins are removed.
And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.
—Hebrews 9:22
How often we try to do something good, and if we can do something good, we think it may substitute for or cover up the wrong we have done. But the Bible says that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
He is our Passover Lamb. It is by the blood of His cross that we are forgiven all our sins.
The blood is primarily not for us; it is for God. Yes, the blood is for us, but first of all, the blood is for God.
You remember the story of Israel. During that night, when the destroying angel was to travel through the land of Egypt, visiting every house and slaying every firstborn, God commanded His people to prepare a lamb and put the blood upon the doorposts and lintel.
When God passed by, when He saw the blood, He passed over. The angel of destruction did not enter the house, because the blood had already been shed.
We have offended God. Before the righteous God, our crimes and our sins cry out against us. There was no peace between us and God. But when God sees the blood, God says, “It has atoned.” So the blood is first for God.
We do praise God for that. Because our Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross, the righteousness of God is satisfied. Our sins are remitted. There is no more condemnation before God. We have free access to God. We are fully, as our brother said, utterly accepted in the Beloved Son.
This is what the blood has done for us.
The efficacy of the blood is not only for the time when we are first saved. Yes, when we were first convicted of our sins, we needed the precious blood of our Lord Jesus. But after we are saved, it is not that only a few sins need to be dealt with. We find that in Christ we are still in need of cleansing.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
—1 John 1:7
Once, when we were convicted of our sins, we had no peace in our hearts. We came to the cross of our Lord Jesus. By faith, we sprinkled His blood upon our conscience, and there we found peace. Our sins were forgiven. We were clean.
But that does not mean that the blood is only for that moment.
Every day, as we walk with God in the light, the light of life within us continually sheds its light upon our path. It is not sunlight that comes from outside. God is light. The life of Christ in us is light: “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
As we live in this light, the light of life continually shines upon our path. Day by day, as we walk with Him, new things are discovered—things that are contrary to God, things that are darkness, things that have shadows and shades, things that do not meet the eyes of God.
Whenever we are defiled, whenever we feel ourselves being defiled, thank God, we can always go to the blood of His cross. His blood is continuously cleansing, that we may be clean and have fellowship with God.
Very often, a child of God, after he is saved, may walk with God and enjoy an open heaven for a few months. Then somehow something happens. He may slip, or something new may be discovered in his life. Then he enters into a cloud. It seems as if his fellowship with God is shut off. He seems to go back into vanity.
Very often people wonder whether they are saved at all, and they themselves begin to wonder.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
—1 John 1:9
Every time defilement comes within us, thank God, we can go to Him in repentance, confessing our sins. The blood of the Lord Jesus is ever ready and efficacious to cleanse us, to remove the clouds, that our fellowship with God may not be interrupted. We may still live in the fullness of Christ.
You remember the story in the Old Testament, in Numbers 19. When the people of God walked through the wilderness, they could not help but sometimes become defiled by death.
God is a living God. If there is anything dead, any contact with death, that person is disqualified from fellowship with God. He has to be purified. If he is not purified, he is to be put out of the congregation of Israel.
So God made a provision. In Numbers 19, God ordered Moses to prepare a red heifer. The red heifer was to be slaughtered outside the camp. This is the only place, if I remember rightly, where the blood was not merely sprinkled or poured out, but the whole sacrifice was burned.
The skin, the flesh, the blood, and the dung—the whole thing was to be burned with fire until everything of that red heifer was reduced to ashes. Then the ashes were gathered and put in a clean place.
Whenever anyone was defiled, they used a vessel of living water, put some ashes in it, and sprinkled that water of purification upon the person who was defiled. Then he was clean.
Physically speaking—not scientifically speaking—the last form of everything is ashes. When you reduce a thing to ashes, that is its final form. Because it is its final form, it is permanent; it cannot be changed any further. Its value is always constant.
Dear brothers and sisters, there is an aspect of the blood of the cross of Jesus in this. In one sense, His blood is fresh. In another sense, His blood is preserved. The efficacy of His blood is always preserved. Whenever you put living water into it, you will be cleansed.
First of all, then, we find that He reconciles all things to Himself, to His fullness, by the blood of His cross.
Secondly, in Colossians 2:13 we read:
And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did He make alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.
—Colossians 2:13
And in Colossians 1:21-22:
And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath He reconciled
In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before Him.
—Colossians 1:21-22
Our problem is more than the problem of sins—the sins that we have committed. Our problem goes deeper than this matter of sins as acts.
Because we have sinned, the principle of sin has entered into our being. Sin has dominated our life. Sin has ruled in our flesh. Even our minds have become enemies of God through wicked works.
This matter of sin is more complicated than we realize. If sin were merely a matter of actions, perhaps it could be solved by higher education and so on. But sin is a matter of principle. It is an inward matter.
It is more than the many sinful acts that we have committed which bring guilt before God. This man is a sinner. It is more than a matter of what I do; it is a matter of what I am. I am a sinner.
My mind is filled with vanity. My will is hardened against God. My emotions are out of order. My whole being is dominated by sin, by the flesh. The greatest enemy is myself.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we go on with the Lord, we will discover that our real problem is not a problem outside of us. Our real problem is a problem within us: this self, this body of death.
You remember Martin Luther said that he was not afraid of all the popes, emperors, kings, and titled people. What he was afraid of was this despot, this tyrant within him—that is, himself.
That is true. This body of the flesh, this uncircumcised flesh—what about that? How can this flesh be put off? It stands in the way of the fullness of God.
Thank God, again we find the cross. Because of the weakness of our flesh, as Romans 8 tells us, our Lord has come in the likeness of sinful flesh, and there He condemned sin in the flesh.
I will use an illustration. You remember that in the tabernacle, between the holy place and the holiest place, there was a veil. It was a very heavy veil, embroidered with figures of cherubim. It was a very beautiful veil.
When our Lord Jesus died on the cross outside the city of Jerusalem, God tore that veil from the top to the bottom into two. We all remember that story.
In Hebrews, chapter 10, we are told that God has opened a new and living way for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.
In other words, the veil which stood between God and man is the body of flesh of our Lord Jesus. The Lord came and put flesh upon Himself; the Word became flesh. That flesh is the veil.
When He was broken and torn in two on the cross, what happened? The cherubim embroidered upon the veil were also torn into pieces. That is a picture.
Often we find Christians asking, “How can I crucify myself? I just hate myself. This flesh is too bad.” In the beginning we think there is good in the flesh, but later we discover that there is no good in the flesh. Because there is no good in it, we want to crucify it.
But the more we try to crucify the flesh, the more active it becomes. So our question is, “How can we crucify our flesh?” Dear brothers and sisters, do not say that you need to do that. On the cross, Christ has already done it.
When He was crucified, when He was torn apart, you and I, who were like the cherubim embroidered on the veil, were automatically together with Him broken into pieces.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me.
—Galatians 2:20
And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.
—Galatians 5:24
Here again you find it is the cross. The cross takes us out of the way, that we may not stand in the way of the fullness of God.
Thirdly, we find in Colossians, chapter 2:
Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and He hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
—Colossians 2:14
Our problem is not only that which is outside of us, nor is it only that which is within us. We have a problem before us, and that is the matter of law.
What is law? Of course, it refers to more than the Ten Commandments, though the Ten Commandments embody the essence and meaning of law: “Thou shalt” and “thou shalt not”—the requirement and demand of the righteousness of God.
The law is holy. The law is good. Yet somehow the law becomes our enemy. Why? Because when we stand before the law, we are found guilty. It is contrary to us, and it is opposing us.
The handwriting in ordinances is like a contract. There is a contract with all its conditions stipulated, and then you sign your name under it. After you have signed it, the contract is valid. As long as it is valid, if you do not fulfill the conditions, you are under a curse. You are obligated to fulfill it, or you have to suffer the penalty.
You remember Exodus, chapter 24. When the people of God came to Mount Sinai, Moses related to the people all the statutes of God. The people said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.”
Moses put all these words in writing and read them to the people, that there would be no mistake. After Moses had read all these words to them again, they cried out, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.”
Then the blood was sprinkled upon the book and upon the people. That is the handwriting, the signature.
Even if we are not Israelites, we all have, in our conscience, put our handwriting upon the ordinances of God. Is it not true that every person in this world, however sinful, feels an obligation to do what is right?
We have our handwriting there. In one sense, it is very good. But in another sense, we are brought into bondage.
The law is holy and spiritual, but we are in the flesh. We cannot do the law. The law stands in our way toward the fullness of God. We cannot come to God because the law is against us. We find that our very nature, the nature of the flesh, is contrary to the holy nature of the law of God.
Paul used the illustration of a marriage relationship: a husband and a wife. The law is the husband, and we are the wife. Because there was a marriage ceremony and marriage vows were given, the husband and wife are bound together.
Later, the wife discovers that her husband is very exacting. She cannot say that her husband is wrong. Every demand he makes is a right demand. But he is so exacting and particular that the wife discovers it is beyond her ability. She tries and tries to please her husband, but she just cannot.
She is thrown into depression. She does not know what to do. It is a lifelong contract; she cannot just pack up and walk out. Yet the more she tries to please her husband, the more her husband is displeased. She is in a very nervous state, always breaking down.
Then one day the husband dies. She is free from the law of her husband. Of course, the law never dies, but thank God, we died in Christ. Now we are married to Another, even Christ.
His demands are not less exacting or demanding; they are even greater. But thank God, this Husband is very considerate. He not only demands, but He helps us to meet the demand. He is our very life. He supplies us with the means to do everything that He requires.
Dear brothers and sisters, the handwriting in ordinances He has blotted out, cancelled, put away, nailed to the cross, and taken out of the way, that we may enter into the liberty of the sons of God and enjoy the fullness that is in Him.
Lastly, in Colossians 2:15:
Having put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
—Colossians 2:15
As our brother has already mentioned, we have an enemy. Here you find the principalities and powers around us. How they try to cling to us, lead us astray, and tempt us.
But thank God, Christ has solved that problem. There on the cross He spoiled Satan completely. He defeated all the powers of darkness, principalities, and authorities. He stripped them off on the cross.
You remember Psalm 22: “Many bulls have compassed Me.” It is a picture of the principalities and powers, the evil forces surrounding the cross. They tried to cling to Him who was on the cross. They tried to destroy Him.
Yet the Lord, on the cross, stripped them off from Himself—completely stripped them off. He defeated their purpose, and there by the cross He led them in triumph and made an open show of them.
Today we do not need to be afraid. Many people today live in constant fear, and many Christians are living under a kind of unreasonable, unknowing fear.
But we need fear nothing, because He has delivered us from him who had the power of death. Today we are joined with Him in life and in triumph. We can enjoy the power, the victory, and the life of our Lord.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, I have only mentioned these things in a very superficial way. I believe that, as we go on during these days, we shall hear more and enter into more of the meaning of the cross.
But one thing I want to say is this: all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ, and by the cross He communicates His fullness.
If we want His fullness, we need to accept His cross—not only in an objective way, but also subjectively. We need to accept His cross.
By accepting His cross, all the barriers to His fullness will be removed, and we will enter into the joy of the fullness of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Our Heavenly Father, we do thank Thee that it is Thy good pleasure to place all fullness in Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that nothing may be lacking.
How we praise and thank Thee that it is also Thy good pleasure that we should be partakers of Thy fullness, that we may be filled with the fullness of God in Christ Jesus.
How we praise and thank Thee that it is not something beyond our reach. We praise and thank Thee that Thy fullness has come down to earth in Thy Son, and there on the cross He has released that fullness to the world.
We praise and thank Thee that by the cross we may enter into the fullness of God which is in Christ. Make the cross very real to us, that we may also experience the reality of that fullness.
We ask all in the name of our Lord Jesus and for His glory. Amen.