Filled with the Fullness

I closed yesterday’s sermon with Ephesians 3:19, “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.”  I said to you, but please understand I was also talking to me, “Don’t settle for anything short of the fullness of God.”

This morning as I was praying through Paul’s prayers I was once again reminded of the emphasis Paul places on fullness:

Ephesians 1:21, he speaks of the church as His body and says, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

He prays for us to be filled with the fullness of God just two chapters later, but he doesn’t stop there.

Colossians 1:9, “ That you may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Philippians 1:11, “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

In Ephesians 4:13, after talking about the purpose of God giving us spiritual gifts…to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ, he says, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”

In Ephesians 5:18 he tells us, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

Much of the focus of Paul’s prayer was that the church would be full of the Spirit, filled with the fruit of the Spirit, and filled with the fullness of God.  Make that your prayer today for yourself and for those whom you are praying.  Don't settle...be filled!