The Power of His Fullness
Ephesians 1: 22-23 (King James Version)
[22] And [GOD] hath put all things under his [Jesus] feet, and gave him [Jesus] to be the head over all things to the church, [23] Which is his body, the fullness of him [Jesus] that filleth all in all. (King James Version)
Ephesians 1: 22-23 (the Message)
[22] He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. [23] The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. And [GOD] hath put all things under his [Jesus] feet.
Jesus is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything .
Hebrews 2:8-9 (New International Version)
8 and put everything under his feet? In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Power Demonstrated
The world fears the power of the atom, yet we belong to the God of the universe who not only created that atomic power but also raised Jesus Christ from the dead. God’s incomparably great power is available to help you. There is nothing too difficult for him.
The point of the power of God is to exalt Christ and lift Him up and to recognize Jesus as the ruler over all. Acts 1:8 says we will receive power to be witnesses for Christ.
Having been raised from the dead, Christ is now the head of the church, the ultimate authority over the world. Jesus is the Messiah. God’s Anointed One, the One Israel longed for the One who would set their broken world right.
As Christians we can be confident that god has won the final victory and is in control of everything. We need not fear any dictator or nation, or even death or Satan himself. The contract has been signed and sealed; we are waiting just a short while for delivery. Paul says, in Romans 8:37-39 that nothing can separate us from God and his love.
Power in Action
“God placed ALL THINGS under his feet, and appointed him to be head OVER EVERYTHING”. Not only are the spiritual forces under Jesus’ control, but everything.
We know that there was a lot of magic practiced at Ephesus, there was a huge temple to a goddess named Diana/Artimus – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and a lot of spiritual rituals and sorcery and divination. Note that Paul claims Jesus is not only stronger, that He is over them, but that Jesus is “far above”.
“The ruler of the kingdom of the air” was understood by Paul’s readers to mean Satan. They believed that Satan and the evil spiritual forces inhabited the region between earth and sky. Satan is thus pictured as ruling an evil spiritual kingdom – the demons and those who are against Christ.
Satan means “the accuser.” He is also called the devil (4:27). In the resurrection, Christ was victorious over Satan and his power. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the permanent ruler of the whole world. Satan is only the temporary ruler of the part of the world that chooses to follow him.
Hopefully this is encouraging to you also. We need have no fear, because Jesus, whom we know and love and serve, is far above any other spiritual force.
Jesus reigns. Stay focused on Him. Know that He is stronger than any rule, authority, power, dominion, demon, or temptation to sin. Let the power of His power and love flow through you.
When Jesus Christ truly takes charge of our minds, bringing our every thought captive to Him,
We become spiritually invincible.
We operate with super-natural power.
We walk in God’s complete control.
Christ rules the church.
[Jesus] “to be the head over all things to the church.”
The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence, (Ephesians 1: 22).
He is head of the church or the church has no power. Christianity is not bound up with the infallibility of the church, whether in Pope or Councils, it stands or falls with the reality of the facts of the gospel, with the risen life of Christ, and his presence in the Spirit amongst men. (Findlay).
What is it that proves the authenticity of Christ?
He was bodily raised from the dead or your faith is worthless.
Christ is head over everything. Ephesians 1:23 (New International Version) .…which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Look at how we are described: “the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
We, who are the church, are the purpose of Jesus’ reign. Jesus reign is for us, the church. We, who are the church, are filled with the fullness of Christ.
It is in the church that God has chosen to reveal His power. The church is full with the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way so that we can know God’s power. So all divine power/glory found in Christ is also to be found in the church.
Perhaps the Scriptures will best clarify this.
John 1:15-17
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. [16] And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. [17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Col. 1:18-20
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. [19] For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; [20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col. 2:8-10
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Ephesians 3:18-20
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [19] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. [20] Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Ephesians 4:12-13
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Fullness refers to Christ filing the church with gifts and blessings. The church should be the full expression of Christ, who himself fills everything (see 3:19). When reading Ephesians it is important to remember that is was written primarily to the entire church, not merely to an individual.
Christ is the head and we are the body of his church (Paul uses this metaphor in Romans 12:4,5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; and Colossians 3:15 as well as throughout the book of Ephesians). The image of the body shows the church’s unity. Each member is involved with all the others as they go about doing Christ’s work on earth. We should not attempt to work, serve, or worship merely on our own. We need the entire body.
Power for Us.
Keep in mind that all this description of the power of God comes out of Paul’s prayer that we would know this “incomparably great power for us who believe.”
We have some powerful misconceptions – that keep us from knowing the power of God. Scripture clearly teaches that when we are open to God, letting Him be in control and us seeking to be obedient, the result will be the fullest life possible.
The power of God is available to us, purposed for us to live in and to know. We need to constantly keep in mind that the power Paul is describing is for us who believe. Keep that in mind…strange –miraculous – “supernatural” , but regardless, it will be full. It will be powerful.
As Christians we may be compared with a reservoir for producing electrical power, like one of those you see when you drive down the canyon. A reservoir is a man-made body of water (it is replenished by rain and river or stream flow), which is formed after a dam is built on a river, and is used for the collection and storage of water. It is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. Surveyors have to find river valleys which are deep and narrow; the valley sides can then act as natural walls. If necessary, humans have to be re-housed and/or historic sites have to be moved.
A reservoir may also be a term used by engineers to describe an enclosed container for a fluid; often, but not always, as part of a system of piping in which the contents are under pressure. In thermodynamics a reservoir is something that can be the source or sink for the transfer of heat into or out of a system, without appreciably changing its own temperature.
A reservoir can also be any container for storing a reserve (generally of a liquid), such as the ink reservoir of a dip pen, or that which is stored, as in "retirees are an untapped reservoir of talent".
Yet another meaning of reservoir is an accumulation of oil or gas beneath the Earth's surface - see oil field.
When we accept Christ, the construction of our reservoir is complete.
We now have the potential to be useful and to affect lives. But until the flood gates are opened and the cascading river waters pour through, no power is realized.
So it is when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. We open our lives to God and the Holy Spirit pours into us and through us. It is then we become most effective in God’s service.
As with the reservoir, this power-generating experience is not intended to be a one-time occurrence. It is to be an ongoing process. When our spiritual power runs low, we need to return to the source and let the blessed Holy Spirit pour into us again, pour through us again, bringing fresh power.
This happened to the early followers of Jesus. Peter and John they had already been baptized in the Spirit; but later on, when persecution arose, they needed a new surge of spiritual power; so they prayed to the Lord once again and "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit"
Acts 4:5-37
[5] And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, [6] And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. [7] And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
[8] Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, [9] If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; [10] Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. [11] This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. [12] Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
[13] Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. [14] And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. [15] But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, [16] Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. [17] But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
[18] And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. [19] But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. [20] For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
[21] So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. [22] For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
[31] And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
[32] And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
[33] And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Where is the Power?
1) What is keeping you from allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life just like He is of all creation?
2) Why is His power not spilling over?
3) What is closing the gates of your soul refusing to allow you to experience more of the power of God?
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