The Way Unto God's Fullness in Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs

This was originally recorded on January 24, 2018.

My notes:

Isaiah 9:6 - a familiar passage we hear especially around the celebration of the incarnation, the birth of Jesus, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" (Isaiah 9:6). It's easy to just mush these two together and assume they both point to his birth in Bethlehem. "There's a huge gap in the history between a child born and a son given." The child born does refer to His human birth, but the son given refers to Him being given in the person of the Holy Spirit beginning at Pentecost.

As all the fullness of God is in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:19), how is that fullness to be communicated to us as the body of Christ? "That fullness is to be released into the body of Christ by joints of supply" (Ephesians 4:16). "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news (gospel) of good things!" (Romans 10:15). This gospel isn't simply an evangelistic message, but includes Paul's gospel, the revelation of the mystery. "Every member is to be a unique expression of that fullness, and whatever measure they gain Christ in this life. And there's vast differences." Paul states this in 1 Corinthians 15, 'As one star differs in glory from another, so also is the resurrection'. "The entire universe is to be filled with the fullness of God in Christ through the church." "So this goal of all God's fullness in Christ, if it's going to come into the body of Christ, it means each one of you are a 'joint of supply'."

When it comes to inheritance, it's a two-way matter. We are to gain our inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 1:12; 3:24; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:4); and Christ has His inheritance in us (Ephesians 1:11 - not "we have obtained an inheritance", but "we were made an inheritance" - see also Ephesians 1:18). "As Christ is formed in us, that's God's inheritance in us. It's reciprocal. Our inheritance in Christ is God's inheritance in us. It's interrelated and interdependent."

"It's God's purpose in Christ as our High Priest through the indwelling Holy Spirit to mediate - to impart - those virtues to bring us into that fullness."

Jesus Christ is not 'at home' in every Christian heart. Doug explains Ephesians 3:17 "that Christ may dwell in your hearts" is better translated "that Christ may settle down and be at home in your hearts", connecting it to Revelation 3:20, "Behold I stand at the door and knock...". Jesus is knocking on the door of Christian hearts, not unbelievers, seeking intimacy and fellowship with us. Instead of being at home in our hearts, He's on the outside. "Jesus wants to be at home."

Link to Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/1-24-18.mp3

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!