Friday, October 9, 2015

Christ our Source and Supply (Ephesians 1:22b-23)

“and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22b–23, NASB95)

We also read in this passage that the fullness of Christ “fills all in all.” As I read this I thought of the song, “You Are My All In All.”

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Oh my
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

I knew the song. I knew the names of some who had recorded the song, but I knew nothing about the one who wrote the song. I didn’t even know his name (Dennis Jernigan) until I looked it up. But when I went to his webpage I gained some insight into the life of the man moved to pen these words. On Dennis’ webpage I read, “Having been walking in freedom from his former homosexual identity since November 7, 1981, Jernigan takes great joy in sharing the grace and love of God with any who desire freedom in their own lives. Known for his worship songs, his gift for singing God’s heart over hurting people…. The life message of Dennis Jernigan can be summed up in one word. Freedom. That freedom has come with a price. Jernigan was born again through his faith in Jesus Christ…but the reality is that the battle for freedom from the lies of the enemy regarding his past identity has been ongoing. His greatest joy has come in seeking intimacy with Jesus Christ – and in the process, discovering greater depths of freedom than he ever realized. And he wants everyone else to know about the possibility of freedom in their own lives.” (For more on Dennis and how his life has been transformed in Christ and what God is doing in the process of that change go to https://www.dennisjernigan.com/)

In speaking of freedom we can’t adequately do this apart from talking about what we have been set free from. The apostle Paul wrote, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, NASB95) Then a few verses later he added, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:16–17, NASB95)

We’ve been set free from the bondage of sin and the way to walk in the freedom is to walk by the Spirit. Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit at the time of his or her salvation. The Spirit is in us, and was are expected to walk according to the power of the Spirit in us and not to ignore the Spirit and do things our own way. John MacArthur commenting on Ephesians 5:18, wrote of this kind of influence of the Spirit or being filled with the  Spirit, “He [Paul] is rather giving a command for believers to live continually under the influence of the Spirit by letting the Word control them, pursuing pure lives, confessing all known sin, dying to self, surrendering to God’s will, and depending on His power in all things. Being filled with the Spirit is living in the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, letting His mind, through the Word, dominate everything that is thought and done. Being filled with the Spirit is the same as walking in the Spirit.” (MacArthur Study Bible)

Paul desired that we would know Jesus in us and the continued filling of the Spirit. It is a recurring theme in his letters to the churches, and it is essential for us to know. In the introduction to his letter to the Philippians he wrote, “For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:8–11, NASB95)

Think of this, He gave Himself fully and without reservation for us and He continues to give Himself fully so that we might be abundantly filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes from Him, again to the glory and praise of God. He is indeed our all in all who fills us all.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, NASB95) 

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