Fullness in Everything
We can experience the fullness of life in Christ by appropriating His adequacy through faith and relating every situation to His sufficiency.
Major W. Ian Thomas emphasizes the importance of abiding in Christ to bear much fruit, highlighting that without Jesus, we can do nothing, just as Jesus could do nothing without the Father. He explains that Jesus Christ can do everything through us if we make ourselves fully available to Him, as all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him. Thomas delves into the concept of faith that releases divine action, emphasizing the simplicity of taking God at His Word and living by faith.
Text
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). In other words, you can do no more without Him than He could do without the Father. But how much could the Father do through the Son? Everything! for He was available to all that the Father made available to Him. "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands . . ." (John 13:3.) "It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:19).
How much then can Jesus Christ do through you and through me? Everything! He is limited only by the measure of our availability to all that He makes available to us, for "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:9,10). What then is the faith that releases divine action? How may you be saved by His life, as you have already claimed to be redeemed by His death? This is the critical question of Christian experience, and the answer is simple "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).
Faith in all its sheer simplicity! Faith that takes God precisely at His Word! Faith that simply says, "Thank You."
If you are to know the fulness of life in Christ, you are to appropriate the efficacy of what He is as you have already appropriated the efficacy of what He has done. Relate everything, moment by moment as it arises to the adequacy of what He is in you, and assume that His adequacy will be operative; and on this basis in I Thessalonians 5:16 you are exhorted to "rejoice evermore!" You are to be incorrigibly cheerful, for you have solid grounds upon which to rejoice!
Can any situation possible arise, in any circumstances, for which He is not adequate: Any pressure, promise, problem, responsibility or temptation for which the Lord Jesus Himself is not adequate? If He be truly God, there cannot be a single one!
This being so, applying His adequacy by faith to every situation as it arises, will leave you with no alternative but to obey the injunction of I Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks!" In how many things? In everything without exception, "this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Sermon Outline
- I. The Vine and the Branches
- A. Jesus Christ is the source of all life and power
- B. We are the branches, dependent on Him for fruitfulness
- II. The Fullness of Christ
- A. Jesus Christ has all the fulness of the Godhead bodily
- B. We are complete in Him, with all we need for life
- III. Faith and Divine Action
- A. Faith releases divine action and brings about change
- B. We must take God at His Word and trust in His adequacy
- IV. Relating to Christ's Adequacy
- A. We must relate every situation to Christ's adequacy
- B. We must assume that His adequacy will be operative
- V. Rejoicing and Giving Thanks
- A. We are to rejoice evermore and be incorrigibly cheerful
- B. We are to give thanks in everything, without exception
Key Quotes
“In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“The just shall live by faith.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“In everything give thanks!” — Major W. Ian Thomas
Application Points
- We must take God at His Word and trust in His adequacy through faith.
- We must relate every situation to Christ's adequacy and assume that His adequacy will be operative.
- We are to rejoice evermore and be incorrigibly cheerful, giving thanks in everything, without exception.