IN Christ Jesus, there is all fullness, for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness ,dwell. In Him, there is eve,?- thing that is essential to Deity, for in
HIM dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead.” There is also, in Him, the fullness of perfect manhood, for that Godhead was revealed in Him “bodily. ” Partaker of flesh and blood, made in all things like unto His brethren, there was nothing lacking that was necessary to the perfection of humankind in Him. There is a fullness of atoning efficacy in His blood, for “the blood of Jesus Christ... cleanseth us from all sin.” There is a fullness of justifying righteousness in His life, for “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” There is a fullness of Divine prevalence in His plea, for “He is :able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
There is a fullness of victory’ in His death, for “as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” There is a fullness of efficacy in His resurrection from the dead, for by it we are “begotten again unto a lively hope, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” There is, a fullness of triumph in His ascension, for “when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
There is, in Christ Jesus, a fullness of blessings unspeakable, unknown; a fullness of grace to pardon, of :grace to regenerate, c f grace to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and of grace to perfect. There is in Him a fullness at all times; a fullness by day and a fullness by night; a fullness of comfort in affliction, a fullness of guidance in prosperity, a fullness of every Divine attribute, of wisdom., of power, of love; a fullness which it is impossible., to survey or to explore. There is :in: Him everything summed up in a grand total, as Paul says, in writing’ to the Ephesians, “that :in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in One all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him.” “It pleased the ]Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.” In vain we strive to recount the holy wonder; this is a theme which would exhaust an angel’s powers, — the fullness which resides in Jesus our Head, and ever abides to answer our need. We may realize a little what a fullness this must be, when we think of the multitude, which no man can number, all of whom have received of His fullness, grace upon grace. There is not one of them who has received only a little grace; they are all., as Rutherford has it, “drowned debtors to His mercy;” or, as we might put it:, “over head and ears” in debt to Him. They are so indebted that they will never fully know how much they owe to their Lord, but they feel that an eternal song will not be too long for the expression of their grateful praise.
Christ’s fullness is an abiding fullness. John says, “Of His fullness have all we received;” yet he calls it a “fullness ” still, for it never becomes any less, however many may partake of it. It was a fullness before a single sinner came to it to receive pardon; it was a fullness before a solitary saint had learned to drink of that river, the. streams whereof make glad the Church of the living God; and now, after myriads, and even millions,, of bloodredeemed souls have partaken of this life-giving stream, it is just as overflowing as ever. We are accustomed to say that, if a child takes a cupful of water from the sea, it is just as full as it was before; but that is not literally true, there must be just so much the less of water in the ocean. But it is literally true of Christ that, when we have not only taken out cups full, — for our needs are too great to be satisfied with such small quantities, — when we have taken out oceans full of grace, — and we need as much as that to carry us to Heaven, — there is actually as much grace left in Him as there was before we came to Him. Although we have drawn upon the exchequer of His love to an extent so ‘boundless that we cannot comprehend it, yet there is as much mercy and grace left in Christ as there was before we began to draw from it. It is a “fullness ” still, after all the saints have received of it.
There is also an abiding fullness of truth in Christ; after you have heard[it for fifty years, you see more of its fullness than you d:[d at first. Other themes weary the ear, sooner or later. I will defy any man to hold together a large congregation, year after year, with any other subject but Christ Jesus. He might attract hearers for a time; he might charm them with the discoveries of science, or with the beauties of ]poetry, and his oratory might be of so high an order that he might, for a while, draw the multitudes who have itching ears; but they would, in time, turn away, and say:, “This is no longer to be endured; we know all he has to tell us.” All music but that of Heaven becomes wearisome before long; but, oh! if the minstrel doth play upon this celestial harp, though he keepeth his fingers always among its golden strings, and be but poor and unskilled to handle an instrument so divine, yet the melody of Jesus’ Name, and the sweet harmony of all His acts and attributes, will hold his listeners by the ears, and thrill their hearts as nought beside can do. The theme of Jesus’ love is inexhaustible; though preachers have dwelt upon it century after century, its freshness and fullness still remain.
