For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell….” Col. 1:19
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily and you have fitted in Him…” Col 2:9
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16
Helps Word Studies on ‘fullness,’ 4138 plḗrōma – "sum total, fulness, even (super) abundance,”
How does indwelling fullness even work?
We live in constant tension between the legal truth found in Christ and the vital aspects of daily living. Legally, we have the position of ‘fullness’ in Christ. Vitally, we live in the reality of what we personally know and believe.
We have been writing about the Greater One living in us. Living and moving in Him increasingly becomes our goal in life; to be vitally united with Him in all things, at all times. Living a life conscious of His presence is essential to express His fullness.
Growing up into Him, in all things, is to allow His fullness to permeate every fibre of our being. This is why we are told to love God ‘fully’. All of our heart, all of our mind, all of our body, and all of our strength are to be engaged in and with Him.
Recently, I wrote about boundaries, and I will remind you that while we have our boundaries set and determined by God, we inevitably create our limitations by what we know and believe. What we know and believe ultimately affects our ability to express Him fully.
Legally, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, we find His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his glory and excellence. His glory and excellence have granted us precious and very great promises. Through these promises, we may become partakers of His divine nature. This is the legal truth.
Vitally, our first-hand knowledge of Him and His promises creates greater confidence. Growth is a necessity for the manifestation of fullness. Jesus grew in the wisdom and stature of God, and we must too.
The tension between legal and vital is resolved in more of Him, less of me.