Greetings,
Another meditation from the great English preacher from the beginning of the 20th century, Charles H. Spurgeon.
And of his fulness have all we received (John 1:16a, KJV - quote as used by Spurgeon).
From his fulness we have received, grace upon grace (John 1:16, NRSV - FYI).
These words tell us that there is a fullness in Christ. There is a fullness of essential Deity, for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. There is a fullness of perfect manhood, for in Him, bodily, that Godhead was revealed. There is a fullness of atoning efficacy in His blood for “the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). There is a fullness of justifying righteousness in His life for “there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him; seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). There is a fullness of victory in His death, for through death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. There is a fullness of efficacy in His resurrection from the dead, for by it, “we are begotten again unto a lively hope” (I Peter 1:3). There is a fullness of triumph in His ascension for “when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:8). There is a fullness of grace to pardon, of grace to regenerate, of grace to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and of grace to perfect. There is a fullness at all times, a fullness of comfort in affliction, and a fullness of guidance in prosperity. A fullness of every divine attribute, of wisdom, of power, of love; a fullness which is impossible to survey, much less to explore. Come, believer, and get all your need supplied.
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Spurgeon enumerates the grace upon grace, or gift upon gift, we receive from the fullness of Christ without using the phrase. We tend to isolate the actions of God into specific “seasons” or “events.” However, the actions of God are all part of a whole. Charles Wesley’s great “Christmas” hymn, ”Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” is just as much and “Easter” hymn. There is so much which the incarnation of Christ does for us. The incarnation has its reality in Epiphany and Lent and Easter and Pentecost. We are truly blessed. We need to be truly thankful, and to express that thanksgiving not only with our words to God, but also with our actions on behalf of God, those actions which bring glory to God.
Yours & His,
DED
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