Living in the Fullness of Christ's Love
Summary
In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 16, we are reminded of the fullness of Christ and the grace upon grace that we receive through Him. This is the essence of Christianity: not just believing, but receiving the fullness of Jesus Christ. Our Christian life, rich and full, is derived entirely from our relationship with Him. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:30, speaks of Christ being made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. This fullness is mediated to us by the Holy Spirit, who works within us to renew our inner selves, conforming us to the image of Christ.
Sanctification, the process of being made holy, is deeply connected to our understanding of the cross. On Palm Sunday, as we reflect on Christ's death, we recognize that nothing ministers more to our sanctification than a true understanding of the cross. The church has historically recognized this, though sometimes through external symbols like crucifixes, which can risk becoming idols. Instead, we are called to meditate deeply on the cross, understanding its significance in our daily lives.
The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, explains that the love of Christ compels us because we judge that if one died for all, then all died. This means that Christ's death was for believers, and those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again. This understanding transforms our lives, as we are no longer the same. We have died with Christ and are now new creations, living not for ourselves but for Him.
This transformation is not just about forgiveness but about a complete renewal. We are no longer slaves to sin but are empowered to live a new life in Christ. The love of Christ constrains us, not in a sentimental way, but by compelling us to think, reason, and deduce the implications of His sacrifice. This love demands our all—our soul, life, and everything we are. As we meditate on the cross, we are drawn into a deeper sanctification, living lives that honor God and reflect His holiness.
Key Takeaways:
1. The essence of Christianity is receiving the fullness of Christ, not just believing in Him. This fullness, mediated by the Holy Spirit, transforms our lives, making us more like Christ. [00:51]
2. True sanctification is deeply connected to our understanding of the cross. Meditating on the cross and its significance in our lives is crucial for our spiritual growth. [04:28]
3. Christ's death was for believers, and it compels us to live not for ourselves but for Him. This transformation is a fundamental change in our identity and purpose. [10:49]
4. Our union with Christ means we have died with Him and are now new creations. This new life empowers us to overcome sin and live in holiness. [20:06]
5. The love of Christ constrains us, compelling us to think and reason about the implications of His sacrifice. This love demands our total commitment and devotion. [40:05]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Gospel of John
- [00:29] - The Fullness of Christ
- [01:15] - The Richness of Christian Life
- [02:11] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
- [03:30] - The Significance of the Cross
- [04:28] - Understanding the Cross and Sanctification
- [05:24] - The Church's Historical Perspective
- [06:18] - Dangers of External Symbols
- [07:57] - Meditation on the Cross
- [09:17] - The Love of Christ Compels Us
- [10:49] - Living for Christ
- [12:50] - The Objective Event of the Cross
- [14:15] - The Need for Reconciliation
- [16:11] - Christ's Sacrifice for Us
- [18:38] - The New Creation in Christ
- [20:06] - Union with Christ
- [28:10] - The Purpose of Christ's Death
- [39:42] - The Constraining Love of Christ
- [50:20] - Conclusion and Reflection
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. John 1:16 - "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace."
2. 1 Corinthians 1:30 - "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
3. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to John 1:16, what have we received from Christ, and how is it described? [00:09]
2. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, what four things is Christ made unto us, and how do they contribute to the fullness of the Christian life? [01:15]
3. How does 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 describe the effect of Christ's love on believers, and what does it compel them to do? [09:17]
4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in mediating the fullness of Christ to believers, according to the sermon? [02:11]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "grace upon grace" in John 1:16 deepen our understanding of the Christian life beyond mere belief? [00:29]
2. What does it mean for Christ to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and how should this understanding impact our daily lives? [01:35]
3. In what ways does the love of Christ "constrain" us, and how does this differ from a sentimental understanding of love? [40:05]
4. How does the sermon explain the connection between understanding the cross and experiencing true sanctification? [04:28]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your personal relationship with Christ. How can you actively receive His fullness in your daily life, rather than just believing in Him? [00:51]
2. Consider your current understanding of the cross. What steps can you take to meditate more deeply on its significance and allow it to transform your life? [04:28]
3. How does the idea that "those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him" challenge your current lifestyle and priorities? What changes might you need to make? [10:49]
4. Identify an area in your life where you feel enslaved to sin. How can the truth of being a new creation in Christ empower you to overcome this struggle? [20:06]
5. The sermon emphasizes that the love of Christ compels us to think and reason about His sacrifice. How can you incorporate this kind of reflective thinking into your spiritual practices? [40:05]
6. In what ways can you demonstrate total commitment and devotion to Christ in your everyday actions and decisions? [49:42]
7. How can you ensure that your understanding of the cross leads to a life that honors God and reflects His holiness, rather than becoming a mere external symbol? [06:02]
Devotional
Day 1: Receiving the Fullness of Christ
The essence of Christianity is not merely about believing in Jesus Christ but about receiving His fullness. This fullness is mediated to us by the Holy Spirit, who transforms our lives and makes us more like Christ. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that Christ is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. This means that our Christian life, rich and full, is derived entirely from our relationship with Him. As we open our hearts to receive His fullness, we experience a transformation that aligns us with His image and purpose. [00:51]
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: In what ways can you actively open your heart to receive more of Christ's fullness today?
Day 2: The Cross and Our Sanctification
True sanctification is deeply connected to our understanding of the cross. Meditating on the cross and its significance in our lives is crucial for our spiritual growth. The cross is not just a historical event but a transformative reality that shapes our daily lives. As we reflect on Christ's death, especially during times like Palm Sunday, we recognize that nothing ministers more to our sanctification than a true understanding of the cross. This understanding draws us into a deeper relationship with God, leading us to live lives that honor Him. [04:28]
Galatians 6:14 (ESV): "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Reflection: How can you incorporate meditation on the cross into your daily routine to deepen your sanctification?
Day 3: Living for Christ
Christ's death was for believers, and it compels us to live not for ourselves but for Him. This transformation is a fundamental change in our identity and purpose. The Apostle Paul explains that the love of Christ compels us because we judge that if one died for all, then all died. This means that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again. This understanding transforms our lives, as we are no longer the same. We have died with Christ and are now new creations, living not for ourselves but for Him. [10:49]
Romans 14:7-8 (ESV): "For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."
Reflection: What is one specific way you can live for Christ today, rather than for yourself?
Day 4: New Creations in Christ
Our union with Christ means we have died with Him and are now new creations. This new life empowers us to overcome sin and live in holiness. The transformation we experience is not just about forgiveness but about a complete renewal. We are no longer slaves to sin but are empowered to live a new life in Christ. This new identity calls us to live in a way that reflects His holiness and love. As new creations, we are called to live out this reality in our daily lives, overcoming sin and living in the freedom Christ provides. [20:06]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: What old habits or patterns do you need to let go of to fully embrace your identity as a new creation in Christ?
Day 5: The Constraining Love of Christ
The love of Christ constrains us, compelling us to think and reason about the implications of His sacrifice. This love demands our total commitment and devotion. It is not a sentimental love but a powerful force that compels us to live in a way that honors God. As we meditate on the cross, we are drawn into a deeper sanctification, living lives that reflect His holiness. This love requires us to give our all—our soul, life, and everything we are—to Him. It is a call to live with purpose and intentionality, fully devoted to Christ. [40:05]
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: How can you demonstrate your total commitment and devotion to Christ in your actions and decisions today?
Quotes
The Christian is amend was received of the fullness of the law of Jesus Christ that is essential Christianity not merely a question of our believing but our receiving of him and of his fullness and grace for grace in other words everything every part of the Christian life is something that derives from him and our relationship to him. [00:44:23]
The process whereby we are being renewed in the inner men after the image and the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ delivered from sin and evil and made more and more conformable and to him that is the process of sanctification and as the apostle there reminds us and as we've been seeing from Sunday to Sunday, this is something that happens to us as the result of the work of the holy spirit. [01:06:04]
There is nothing that ministers more to our sanctification than a true understanding of the meaning of the cross of our Lord's death upon the cross now this is something that has been recognized of course by the church and by Christian people throughout the centuries. [04:18:52]
The cross of Christ truly understood is the most potent factor perhaps of all in connection with our sanctification and that was the minute that they adopted in order to remind themselves of the cross now we needn't go this morning into the reasons why we don't do that but with sufficient biblical teaching without going outside that to warn us against the danger of externalizing in this way. [05:31:35]
The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who died for them and rose again now that's a perfect statement of this very argument of how the cross the death of our Lord upon the cross stimulates and promotes our sanctification. [09:19:29]
Christ not only died for me I died with him I died in him they all died with him now this as I've been reminding you simply means this that we are no longer in Adam of the children of Adam we have died too that all who truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ have been crucified with him they've died with him they've been buried with him they've risen again with him they are seated with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. [20:59:54]
The Christian is no longer the man he was he's died they all have died the old for whom he died died with him that's the argument so if they are no longer in existence as they were you see he puts it explicitly in the seventeenth verse therefore he says if any man be in Christ he is a new creature a new creation old things are passed away behold all things are become new. [22:43:34]
The moment a man becomes a Christian according to the great apostle the moment a man has died to that old man that old way he's a new man all things have become new he sees himself differently he sees that his foolish pride is ridiculous that he's nothing is nobody he's a worm he's vile is hopeless vile and full of sin I am he says with Charles Wesley that's his view of himself and of course it changes view everybody else also. [32:31:21]
The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then we're all dead now this is a tremendous word that the Apostle uses here the love of christ constraineth us there are many different interpretations that have been given of this original word translated as constraineth some say that it means the balls of a building together something that hems you in confined space others say that it's the picture of a vice. [39:46:88]
The love of Christ as shown in the cross brings pressure to bear on me says the Apostle and I can't help myself and it presses me in this direction that I see that he did it all to that end and I rather like the way in which he puts it how do you think that love presents, how does the love of Christ constraint, yes the essential question for us this morning, are we being constrained by the love of Christ. [41:01:57]
Love is strong love's not weak not feeble not sentimental god forbid that we should allow the world that to try to teach us what love means it doesn't know what it means the world talks about love it means lust or mere sentiment something flabby and weak love is something strong the love of christ constraineth us how because we thus juggling love makes you think and if love doesn't make you think it isn't love it's intimate love is a is an intellectual stimulus. [43:02:39]
Love is not mere feeling it's not mere reaction love is a total view of life and when a man loves a person properly even there's a totality about it he does it with his mind, let me quote our Lord's own words which is the first commandment thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength it's turtle and you know especially the Apostle is emphasizing the mind and the judging and the reasoning and the working out with us John. [44:47:09]
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