The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 2:9,
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness."
The Greek word here for "fullness" is "pleroma". Pleroma has its English counterpart as well. In the English, Merriam-Webster defines it as "the fullness of divine excellencies and powers." The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon defines the Greek term as "the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ; that which fills or with which thing is filled... completeness... fulness, abundance... a fulfillling."
Paul observes that all the fullness, the "pleroma" of God exists in Jesus Christ in bodily form. Commonly referred to as the second person within the Trinity, Jesus Christ exists as fully God together with the Father and the Holy Spirit as one God in three persons. As such, there is nothing of the divine nature that does not exist within Jesus Christ. His fulness of deity is complete.
Paul uses this concept of the fullness or completeness of deity in Jesus Christ as a picture of how we are "full" in Jesus Christ. His point is not that we are God as Jesus Christ is, but that the divine fullness within Jesus Christ is like that of a fullness we have received in him.
We know the human condition we live in is fraught with shortcomings and weaknesses. Much in the way of mental and emotional problems some folks struggle with relate to important things that are found missing in their lives. These missing things, like satisfaction in relationships, a perceived meaning or purpose of life here, the acquisition of qualities and dispositions that bring happiness and fulfillment to life, often lead to difficulties. All of these kind of things, these shortcomings and weaknesses, our sinfulness, find their ultimate origin in the estrangement and distance God's judgment for sin in the garden has brought to mankind.
From my perspective, it is those things: the void, the emptiness, a lack of satisfaction, a lack of meaning, purpose and fulfillment in life that this fullness from Jesus Christ addresses in our lives. Peter makes an interesting observation, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 1 Peter 1:3-4. Through this divine power of Jesus Christ, he has given us everything we need for a godly life, "the divine nature." Peter goes on to tell us that believers become filled by this power with things like: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. We are encouraged by Peter, since Jesus Christ provides these things, to make every effort to avail ourselves of them.
In another place, Paul speaks of what the Holy Spirit brings to our lives as those who have embraced Jesus Christ, "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23. These are the things that bring fulness to our lives. How many would not give whatever they have in order to have these riches of Jesus Christ manifested in their lives? These are the things, together with our confidence to approach God and our hope in the coming age that bring fulness to our lives.
Could you use some of this fulness in your life? I know I can! How wonderful it is that God has determined to replace the emptiness our estrangement with him has wrought in our lives with this fulfillment, this "pleroma" when we embrace him in faith!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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