The physical body of Jesus Christ was filled to the full with the Word, so much so that He could only do what He saw His Father do.
He was and still is the fullness of God!
For IN Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or principalities or authorities; all things have been created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and IN Him all things subsist. And He is the Head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead, so that IN everything has the supremacy. For it pleased God that all his fullness should dwell in him, and through him reconcile to himself all things, both things on earth and things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20
For there to be fullness there must be a complete emptying, and is it possible that instead of waiting on God, it is He who is waiting for us? Waiting for the moment when we finally see the hidden mystery of his fullness, which in fact was his being “poured out” for us!
How else can something be filled with a thing unless it is first completely emptied of the thing it was filled with?
I am “poured out” like water,
And all my bones are dislocated;
My heart is like wax;
It melts inside of me.
My strength dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue sticks to my jaws;
And you put me in the dust of death. Psalm 22:14-15
But even if I am being “poured out” like a libation on the sacrifice and service that comes from your faith, I rejoice and rejoice with all of you. So you too should rejoice and rejoice with me. Philippians 2:17-18
Because I am already being “poured out” like a libation, and the time of my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now is reserved for me the crown of justice, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will grant me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who (NOW) long for his coming. II Timothy 4:6-8
“Although often understood as referring to his impending death, it is more likely that Paul understood the struggles and toils of his apostolic ministry as a libation on the sacrificial service of the churches among which he ministered (see Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians Word Bible Commentary 43 [Waco: Word, 1983], p. 104-6). In the OT, the libation was offered as a portion of the fruits of the worshiper’s labor, so it is fitting that Paul speak of his labor as a libation. His work was OFFERED AS DRINK TO GOD, as wine to gladden his heart. But, as befits a better alliance, it is not only the Lord who drinks the wine of joy, but also the people: that is why Paul says that he shares the joy of his libation-work with the Philippians, and asks them to respond by pouring out their libations upon him (2:17-18).” (Bible Horizons Newsletter)
“Drinks of blood” is used in allusion to the pagan practice of mixing the blood of slaughtered animals with wine or water, and SPILLING THE MIXTURE in the worship of the gods, and the idea conveyed is that the psalmist would not partake of the abominations of the nations.” (Psalm 16:4 Easton’s Bible Dictionary)
Being “poured out” is what happens when the believer finally sees the “mystery” that lies in the power of the Cross. Jesus was poured out as was Paul, so what about us?
How can we see ourselves filled with the fullness of His Son’s pure, whole, unadulterated Life, when there is a danger that there will be some remnant left over from the “mixture” of serving and worshiping another master? Is that unless we allow him to lead us through the Cross? The Cross is the personal revelation (our daily Cross) where we finally see (with the single eye of Faith) that there is no possible way we can serve Him while also serving something (or someone) else, especially ourselves.
The lamp of the body is the eye: so if your eye is “single”, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad (double), your whole body will be in darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters: because either he will hate one and love the other; or else he will cling to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches. Matthew 6:22-24
Or is it possible for us to serve God and anything else?
What was it that made me think of all this?
Recently while praying with Linda and our ministry partner, Joan, I had a picture in my mind of a bottling plant, a pure water plant, like the ones owned by the companies that make Smart Water or Aquafina. And in it I saw all these contaminated water bottles going down this huge assembly line. I realized looking at them that they were not pure water, but a mixture of pure water and something else.
It was then that the Lord said to me, “These vessels were not completely emptied before they were filled, and the result is now a ‘mixture’ that is not fit to drink for me or anyone else.”
In referring to the believer, Jesus used several different examples.
In John 15 He calls the believer IN Christ a branch. I am the Vine, you are the branches. So what is the purpose of the branch, if not the channel or container of the life-giving sap produced by the Vine? We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The church today has developed such a fixation on the outward appearance of the temple that it fails to convey to others its only true purpose, which is to contain God. It also refers to us as vessels. The container, whose sole purpose is to contain what is poured into it, be it water, wine or whatever.
The purpose of the (daily) Cross is the “pouring out” of whatever is in the container, so that it may be filled to the brim with the “New”…which is His very Life!
Because you have died (been emptied) and your life is NOW hid with Christ (in His fullness) IN God! Colossians 3:3
The suffering we endure at the end of our resources is not just for the sake of suffering, as many believe today, but is, in fact, the only “gateway” to see and know the “Glory” of be emptied by God. only to be overflowing with the fullness of God.
And if the Word “became” flesh, it is the Son. (John 1:14) So the Word “made” flesh… are of the adopted Son! The children of the New Covenant, those who are here and NOW no less full of the fullness of the Word of God.
So if anyone is IN Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are “made” new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
We are the earthen vessels, the earthen vessels, that He Himself has chosen to express His own life IN and through the Spirit that is NOW willing and doing within us! (Philippians 2:13)
But until we are completely “poured out” of “Everything” that can somehow taint the pure revelation of seeing Him alone IN all things, what Paul called losing his life, we can never see ourselves as the true containers of the fullness of God!
The institutional church today is like an assembly line of stale containers, polluted by its own independent tendency to try to preserve the life they still dare to call their own, while trying to live FOR God in their own strength. And they do so, not knowing that the One they resist, the One who lives, moves and has his being IN them and through them, is the same one who leads them to be “poured out” at the foot of the Cross.
The fullness of God?
Just as God can only resurrect what is “critically” dead, so He can only fully fill what He Himself has emptied. And while many within the Body of Christ still hold the belief that it is we who are waiting on God, could it be just the opposite? Is it really He who is waiting for us?
And waiting for what?
Waiting for us to finally get to the Cross, without any pretense or strings attached to self-preservation, and in much the same way as the younger (prodigal) son, who finally came to the end of all his “own paths.”
All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each one has turned to HIS OWN WAY; but the Lord laid on him the sin of us all. Isaiah 53:6
There is only ONE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE!!!
There is no righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
They all turned around
together they have become useless;
There is no one who does good,
not even one.” Romans 3:11-12
And He does this “pouring out” not to punish, but for a wonderful eternal purpose beyond anything we can imagine!
We are being completely “poured” out of our own way, and a life focused on “taking a thought for our own life”…SO THAT we may experience the privilege of sharing in the sufferings of the invisible Faith OF THE Son of God. Galatians 2:20
Empty yourself completely to finally know what it is to be filled to overflowing with… the fullness of God!
