"But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ."
Ephesians 4:15
We're grafted into him, we're branches from him, of him. The scripture tells us to grow IN EVERY WAY into him. There is no room for being blown around by the winds of cleverly designed teaching. Being grafted into him means we're not allowing ourselves to be nuanced by human cunning. We're to be imitators of God, not innovators tossed about by the waves of evolving cultural norms. We're all expected to reach a unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son (vs. 13). Were not to fellowship with the unfruitful spirits of darkness. Jesus descended into hell, preached the good news to the captive people there, and he expects those who are in him to take captive their carnal natural-selves. Christ expects us to live holy, perfect, and he is equipping us in grace according to the measure he gifts to us to help us become the people he expects.
How does Christ perfect the people?
"Christ gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ"
Ephesians 4:11-12
What does it mean, "stature measured by Christ’s fullness?" (vs.13)
God's emphasis is on spiritual health—quality, not quantity. He is the head of the church. He is the gospel root of the vine. He is not setting up personal empires, or mega-congregant flocks of sheep following a charismatic politician or leader. The fullness measured by Christ's fullness is the totality of everything God is—His attributes. His perfection, His holiness, His power, His love. His complete nature.
It pleases God the Father for all the divine nature to dwell within Jesus Christ. The fullness, or totality, of God is found in Christ. Everything that can be said of God can be said of Jesus Christ. He and the Father are One. And therefore, in Christ, we ourselves have been “brought to fullness” (Colossians 2:10).
So don't get off track by this teaching, we are not gods. Obviously, none of God’s creatures can achieve the fullness of God in the sense of becoming equal with God. What we are is God's people being filled to all the fullness of God described in this promise...
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23)
God indwells the believer and they become "partakers" of the nature of Christ, they are being made into imitators from the inside out (2 Peter 1:4). He enables them to live holy by filling them with The Holy Spirit. This living water spirit baptism is meant to be a never-ending source of life and satisfaction and spiritual abundance. And those who genuinely remain in Him will receive day by day this infused gift of holiness. This indwelling was not intended to impart just some part of the gift; like love alone, or knowledge, or strength of faith. This indwelling is given to bring about "the fullness" of Christ's nature. And so we should not pray for anything less. The goal of every Christian is to be filled up completely, reflecting Christ, so that His character, His attributes, and His love define our very existence.
In C.S. Lewis' story about the demonic influencer world, The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape,(the elder demon) is writing to his young nephew (Wormwood), attempting to explain God’s grand plan for humankind: “One must face the fact that all the talk about His [God’s] love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself—creatures whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His”
He nailed it!
The demons know what's really going on. The followers of Christ are not just innocent bystanders falling prey to God's overlording will.
What does it mean to believe? Believe and be saved? It means to surrender your will to Christ's fullness. To welcome his Spirit into your heart and allow him to fill you up in every way. No rooms left to hide those hidden schemes and lies. This isn't dogma, it's the indwelling fullness of Christ's nature completely restoring and conforming you unto holiness in Him.
So now it comes to it, doesn't it?
Are ya feeling it? You feeling filled up? Is your faith authentically bearing the fruit of righteousness within you...completely?
Know this:
Philippians 1:6
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus."
What God wants from us more than anything else is righteousness. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" Jesus said. The implication is first and foremost, not just first in a dogmatic chronology of works. This want from God is foremost, it's necessary, and binding. Nothing can grow from us and follow this unless first this happens.
Seek first God's righteousness, and then in our sanctification, if our faith is genuine, then our lives will begin to reflect His righteousness. Showing our faith by the fruit of The Holy Spirit's works growing and restoring within us. Not resurfacing, but resurrecting. Genuine rebirth.
Go in peace friends, have a blessed day and may you grow in the faith in every way.