Ephesians Radio Message #4

By Oscar M. Baker

When John the Beloved was writing his gospel, he spoke of grace that was far beyond, and which outshone all that had ever been revealed before that time. And so he tells us in John 1:14-16: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory as the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth...and of His fullness have all we received."

Now notice, those who received of His fulness were the ones who beheld this peculiar glory of Christ, as the Word made flesh, and the only begotten of the Father. Note the emphasis upon "flesh" and "only begotten" - those are essential! Adam was put here on earth in flesh and blood as a testing, as a trial. That was temporary because we are told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And so our Lord partook of the flesh and blood, too, that He might reveal the glory of the Father, that men might believe, that they might partake of all these blessings. And remember, there is no blessing that anyone can receive except through the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.

But how ever rich John may say that they were when they received of His fulness not filled with His fulness, but received of it - "The Church" - which is His body is filled with "His fulness." Now these two aspects of Eph. 1:23 are brought together in Col. 2:9,10. We read, "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  And ye are complete in Him."

Repeating some of the very things we have here in these last verses of chapter one in Ephesians. Now first we have the statement in Christ dwells "all the fullness of the Godhead." And of course these words are simple. I think the meaning is clear and yet to really get a true concept of it that is just about too much for the human mind to grasp. And then there's one more to add to the, "For in Him dwelleth all the all the fullness of the Godhead," and that is, "bodily." NOW THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

John tells us that the Word was made flesh, and the glory was that of the only begotten, but on resurrection ground; that is, in resurrection the fullness dwells in Him bodily, not while here on earth.

Now the body was necessary, the body in which our Lord lived, for the manifestation of God in man. Whether it was flesh and blood or a spiritual body, He was a manifestation of God before His resurrection as well as after. And this, of course, links the believer with this glorious fulness, for we are said to be complete or filled full in Him as members of His church which is His body. And He Who fills us is the Head of all principality and power, as well as being Head of the church. And of course, both these titles then lift this church into the highest glory. And we do find in chapter two of Ephesians that the church is quickened, raised and seated together with Christ at the right hand of God, "complete in Him."

And so the church today, which is His body and the fulness of the unseen Christ, is making Him manifest Who is hid in the heavenlies at the right hand of God. And so if to be a member of His body is glorious, what shall we say to the revelations that the church is His fulness?