THAT WHICH IS PERFECT – Part 2

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 3:14)

The Process
The saints of Ephesus had been saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. For what, then, will Paul pray? Paul is praying for the saints of Ephesus to receive the third great work of grace, the fullness of God.

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (Ephesians 3:15)
God is creating a family. God's family is Israel, His elect, the saints, the brothers of Christ. The whole family is called by the name of God.

Whoever will choose to do so may become a member of the royal family. The Lord Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life of the Father—the Father of the family. The family for eternity will reveal the Father among the angels and the members of the nations of saved peoples of the earth.

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (Ephesians 3:16)

Notice that the moving of the saint from the second area of the Holy Spirit to the third area of the fullness of God is accomplished by the riches of God's Glory. If the maturing and completing of redemption were left to us we would despair. But there is enough Virtue, strength, and wisdom in the riches of God's glory to bring every willing participant to the fullness of God. The Lord Jesus is not only the Alpha, the beginning, but the Omega, the ending.
The beginning of salvation is perfect, having been wrought by the Lord. The process of salvation is perfect, being wrought by the Lord. The conclusion of salvation will be perfect because it will be accomplished by the Lord. The riches of God's glory are sufficient to bring to pass all that God has envisioned concerning each believer.

"To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."

In order for us to be able to receive the fullness of Divine Glory that God has ordained for His sons we must become much stronger in our inner nature. We become stronger in our inner nature as the Holy Spirit enables us to conquer the pressures that come against us in the present world.

If we would gain strength we must eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ. We are given the flesh and blood of Christ in the spirit realm as we obey God and finish the work He has given us.

If we would gain strength in the inner man we must minister and be ministered to. The Holy Spirit has given to every believer a ministry and gifts of the Spirit. We must each day look to the Lord for opportunities to minister to the members of the Body and for opportunities to be ministered to by members of the Body of Christ. We must exhort one another daily and not neglect the assembling of ourselves together for the purpose of giving and receiving the necessary portions of the Spirit.

If we would gain strength in our inner nature we absolutely must turn away from our own life, take up our personal cross, and follow the Lamb wherever He leads us. It is as our adamic strength is brought down to the death of the cross that our reborn inner nature is filled with the Life of God. The Life of God strengthens us so we may receive more of the Presence of God. The end result of this cycle is to be filled with all the fullness of God..

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (Ephesians 3:17)

Christian sometimes find it difficult to believe they do not possess all that God is offering in salvation.

Believers say, "I have been saved. Therefore I have the fullness of Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit." By taking this attitude they cut themselves off from a fuller measure of the Spirit. It is true that when we first are saved we have the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. What is not always realized is that there always is more of the Father to have; more of the Son to have; more of the Holy Spirit to have; more of eternal life to possess. To claim we have all that God intends to give us is somewhat arrogant and also is unscriptural.

If we already have all of God, why should we press forward in the Lord? It is a fact that when we are saved we have Christ, but the Apostle Paul to the end of His life was seeking more of Christ.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win [gain] Christ, (Philippians 3:8)

Are we more spiritual than Paul?
The power that moves us to the fullness of God is faith. The table of God is spread with every delight we could ever need or desire. What we take from the table depends on our faith.

We can hear of forgiveness of sins and receive forgiveness or else choose to walk in our own self-righteousness. We can hear of the availability of Divine healing and believe God heals all our diseases or we can continue in our afflictions. We can read in the Scriptures about speaking in tongues and receive the gift of tongues and the ability to prophesy as well, or else continue to worship God in the strength and wisdom of the flesh. We can hear of the fullness of God and press toward it or else stop at Pentecost and wait to die.

Every aspect of the Divine salvation is an opportunity. We can grasp the opportunity or ignore it. The choice is ours.

Christ dwells in our heart and increases in our heart depending on the faith and obedience we choose to exercise.

When "that which is perfect" is mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians it is in a context of Divine "love."

As we begin to think about the Divine Presence and authority that are available to the believer in Christ, we may adopt an incorrect approach. The incorrect approach is common in our day as the Spirit of God begins to reveal the extent of the salvation and glory that are available to people.

For example, as we contemplate what it will mean to be filled with all the fullness of God we begin to understand the truly awesome power that is to be given to the saints. However, to dwell on or emphasize the potential glory to the individual filled with God can result in our missing the point.


To be continued.


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