Embracing the Fullness of Christ: Unity in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Dual Nature of Christ

Understanding the unity of faith involves recognizing Jesus as both fully God and fully man. This balance is essential for a complete understanding of the Incarnation and the divine purpose behind it. By holding these truths in proportion, we can appreciate the full scope of God's plan for salvation. The Incarnation is a profound mystery where God became man, and it is crucial to delve into the Scriptures to grasp this divine plan. This understanding helps us appreciate the roles of Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King, and how these roles contribute to our spiritual maturity and growth. [27:57]

Colossians 2:9-10 (ESV): "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority."

Reflection: How can you actively seek to balance your understanding of Jesus' divinity and humanity in your daily walk with Him?

Day 2: The Threefold Office of Christ

Jesus' roles as Prophet, Priest, and King are central to our faith. As Prophet, He reveals the Father; as Priest, He offers Himself for our sins; and as King, He reigns over the church and will establish His eternal kingdom. Understanding these roles is crucial for our spiritual growth. Each role reveals a different aspect of Jesus' mission and character, helping us to see the comprehensive nature of His work. By exploring these roles, we can deepen our relationship with Him and grow in our faith. [30:19]

Hebrews 7:24-25 (ESV): "But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

Reflection: Which of Jesus' roles as Prophet, Priest, or King do you feel most connected to, and how can you explore this role further in your spiritual journey?

Day 3: Experiencing Christ Beyond Knowledge

Experiential knowledge of the Son of God goes beyond intellectual understanding. It involves a personal relationship with Jesus, where we experience His love and grace. This intimate knowledge is what truly builds us up in faith and leads us to the fullness of Christ. It is about living in communion with Him, drawing from His fullness, and being transformed into His likeness. This experiential knowledge is essential for spiritual growth and maturity, as it moves us from a theoretical understanding to a lived experience of faith. [35:13]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your personal relationship with Jesus and experience His love more fully?

Day 4: Shifting to a Christ-Centered Faith

The church's role is to guide believers towards a Christ-centered faith, focusing on knowing Jesus and being filled with His presence. This shift from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness is essential for spiritual maturity and growth. By focusing on the person of Christ, we move from addressing personal needs to seeking a deeper relationship with Him. This transformation leads us to become more like Christ, as we are filled with His presence and guided by His Spirit. [40:41]

Colossians 3:1-3 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from personal needs to a deeper relationship with Christ in your daily life?

Day 5: Attaining the Fullness of Christ

Our ultimate goal is to attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This involves both faith and knowledge, where faith alone may puff us up, but knowledge builds us up. By striving for this unity of faith and knowledge, we become perfect in Him. This journey requires a commitment to growing in both understanding and experience of Christ, as we seek to be transformed into His likeness. The church plays a vital role in guiding us on this path, helping us to grow in spiritual maturity and attain the fullness of Christ. [42:52]

Ephesians 4:13 (ESV): "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Reflection: What specific areas of your life need growth in faith and knowledge to help you attain the fullness of Christ? How can you pursue this growth today?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, it is crucial to understand the unity of faith concerning the Son of God. This unity is not merely about acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God but also recognizing His dual nature as both fully divine and fully human. Many believers tend to emphasize one aspect over the other, but true unity of faith requires us to hold both in balance. This understanding leads us to appreciate the profound mystery of the Incarnation, where God became man, and the eternal purpose behind it. It is essential to delve into the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to grasp the full scope of this divine plan, which includes the roles of Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King.

As we explore these roles, we see Jesus as the ultimate Prophet, revealing the Father to us, and as the High Priest, offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. His kingly role is evident in His current reign over the church and His future return to establish His eternal kingdom. This comprehensive understanding of Jesus' offices is vital for our spiritual maturity and growth.

Moreover, we must strive for a deeper knowledge of the Son of God, which goes beyond intellectual understanding. This knowledge is experiential, involving a personal relationship with Jesus, where we experience His love, grace, and power in our lives. It is about living in communion with Him, drawing from His fullness, and being transformed into His likeness. This intimate knowledge is what truly builds us up in faith and leads us to the fullness of Christ.

The church's role is to guide believers in this journey, not just by addressing personal needs but by focusing on the person of Christ. By doing so, we move from a self-centered faith to a Christ-centered one, where our ultimate goal is to know Him and be filled with His presence. This is the path to becoming a perfect man, attaining the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. The unity of faith involves recognizing Jesus as both fully God and fully man. This balance is essential for a complete understanding of the Incarnation and the divine purpose behind it. By holding these truths in proportion, we can appreciate the full scope of God's plan for salvation. [27:57]
2. Jesus' roles as Prophet, Priest, and King are central to our faith. As Prophet, He reveals the Father; as Priest, He offers Himself for our sins; and as King, He reigns over the church and will establish His eternal kingdom. Understanding these roles is crucial for our spiritual growth. [30:19]
3. Experiential knowledge of the Son of God goes beyond intellectual understanding. It involves a personal relationship with Jesus, where we experience His love and grace. This intimate knowledge is what truly builds us up in faith and leads us to the fullness of Christ. [35:13]
4. The church's role is to guide believers towards a Christ-centered faith, focusing on knowing Jesus and being filled with His presence. This shift from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness is essential for spiritual maturity and growth. [40:41]
5. Our ultimate goal is to attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This involves both faith and knowledge, where faith alone may puff us up, but knowledge builds us up. By striving for this unity of faith and knowledge, we become perfect in Him. [42:52]
** [42:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:32] - The Importance of Unity in Faith
[27:18] - Understanding Jesus' Dual Nature
[28:12] - The Incarnation: God and Man
[29:14] - The Eternal Purpose of God
[30:02] - The Role of Old Testament Prophecies
[30:19] - Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King
[31:06] - The Priestly Work of Christ
[32:00] - The Kingly Office of Jesus
[33:16] - The Knowledge of the Son of God
[34:08] - Faith and Knowledge: A Vital Distinction
[35:13] - Experiential Knowledge of Christ
[36:54] - The Fullness of Christ's Love
[38:30] - Living in Communion with Jesus
[40:41] - The Church's Role in Spiritual Growth
[42:52] - Attaining the Fullness of Christ

Sermon Clips

but my friends when we attain unto this we'll all be saying the same things and be believing the same things for we shall then know we shall see him as he is it's a perfect faith and an entire faith so while we talk about the one faith we can also talk about attaining unto the unity of the faith of the Son of God [00:26:45]

yes there must be no doubts or uncertainties at this point he is the Son of God but he is also man and the unity of the faith is that which sees both some people emphasize only the man in him and they see nothing but a man in him that's not the faith others isai emphasize the god in him and don't seem to be clear about the fact that the Incarnation was real [00:27:43]

and you see the way to attain unto that final Perfection is to look into these things and to grasp them and to understand them and to meditate upon them the father sending the son the son coming The Plan of Redemption the scheme of Salvation the prophets for telling it it's all a part of this faith of Jesus Christ the son of God [00:29:44]

you must look at this teaching and you must grapple with it and you must understand his revelation of the father no man have seen God at any time the only begotten son that is in the bosom of the father he has declared him and we must go back therefore and read those gospels and look at this manifestation and at this Revelation [00:30:24]

he made his soul an offering he gave laid down his body he gave himself unto death he submitted as God laid upon him the iniquity of us all while God SLO him with the stripes that you and I so richly deserve what's happening oh it's the great high priest offering his offering he offered himself [00:31:52]

he's already the king of the church he came to found a kingdom the church is the present form of the Kingdom but he's coming again and he'll come again and establish his kingdom in a visible Manner and he will set up that Eternal state in which we shall be with him in glory with our very bodies glorified judging the world and judging Angels [00:32:45]

and of the knowledge of the Son of God this is the most precious thing of all faith of course does lead to knowledge and there is an element of knowledge in faith it's very difficult to differentiate these things but I think it's very vital that we should you can have the faith of the Son of God without having this particular knowledge [00:33:26]

I want to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain un the resurrection from the dead not that I have already attained I haven't got this yet as I want it I've got a lot I thank God for it but I'm trying to apprehend [00:36:06]

this knowledge of the Son of God this appropriation of his love to me personally this true knowledge of him himself well I needn't keep you we've already been looking at it in the previous chapter in verses 19 and 20 he wants us to be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height [00:36:56]

it means really knowing him directly and and having communion and fellowship with him personally this my dear friends is something that is possible to the Christian it's a part of the process of our development it means that we know what it is to receive of his fullness you remember how John puts it we beheld his glory [00:37:22]

do we know what it is to partake of Christ like that spiritually are we eating his flesh and his blood thus spiritually are we living by him are we living on him can we say with Paul to me to live is Christ now then all this is a part of the knowing of the son of God we are meant to be filled by him [00:39:05]

the business of the church is not just to be telling us ever how we can be happy and how we can find a friend and so on or how to overcome sin we are too subjective we are too self-centered the way to grow is to look at him have this faith in him have this knowledge of him and as I close I would emphasize the intimate [00:40:38]

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