After He had set up this pattern, Christ went through death and resurrection to become the Spirit in order that He might enter into us. It is only as the Spirit that He can be received into us. After resurrection He ascended into the heavens to assume His position. There as a man He was enthroned, crowned, and made Lord and Head of all. This very One came down on the day of Pentecost and is still with us.
All God’s intention has already been realized. There is nothing which has not been accomplished. When were we reborn? It was when Jesus was resurrected. When were we crucified? It was when Jesus was crucified. When were the local churches brought forth? It was not when we began to meet around the Lord’s table, but when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. In His resurrection and ascension the church has been produced, and we have been brought to the heavens.
Not only has this One accomplished all God’s purpose; He Himself includes His accomplishments. The incarnation is in Him. The human living as a pattern is in Him. Death, resurrection, and ascension are in Him. The life-giving Spirit is in Him. He is a composition of whatever He has accomplished. His accomplishments are components of Him,
When we receive this Christ into us, we receive creation, incarnation, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension into us. He is an all-inclusive drink. To drink of Him as the life-giving Spirit is to drink of the processed Triune God.
Such is the scope of the gospel. It extends from eternity past to eternity future.
All things have been accomplished. Our need is to experience this, not to try to accomplish things ourselves. The focus of the gospel is that God comes into us to be everything. We need to experience what He has become, all that He has done, and all that He is.
Suppose as your father I prepare everything you need. I grow fruits and vegetables for you. I raise cows, lambs, and chickens so you will have meat. You do not need to produce the crops nor raise the animals. Your job is simply to enjoy all the things I have prepared for you. I can prepare them, but I cannot enjoy them for you. That you must do.
This is an inadequate illustration of what the Triune God in the Son and as the Spirit has done. He has accomplished everything needful, and it is now available to us in Him. Our part is to receive, enjoy, and experience. This is the focus of the Gospel of John.
John 1:11-12 says, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” The earlier verses tell us how this One came. He came as God, as life, and as light. Verse 14 adds that He came in the flesh and as a tabernacle and that He was full of grace and reality. He came!
He came with an expectation that His people would receive Him. But they did not. On His side it was a matter of coming; on our side it is a matter of receiving. He has not only come, but has also accomplished all things by His coming. Now it is up to us to receive Him.
Have you received Him? To what extent? In what way? “Of His fullness we all received, and grace upon grace” (1:16). How much have you received of His fullness? It is vaster than an ocean, but you may have received only four ounces! Paul mentions these limitless dimensions of Christ in Ephesians 3:18-19. His fullness is eternally wide. The concept of the hymnwriter is too small:
And to an ocean fulness, His mercy doth expand....
Hymns, #206
His fullness far exceeds any global measurement. An ocean is a poor comparison! Who can measure the breadth and length and height and depth of the fullness we received? And we received grace upon grace.
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