2015.12.27_The Fullness of Him Who Fills All in All

We are the church chosen by god

God is a creator who created all creatures. We have never seen God with our eyes, but know and believe in God through all of the creatures made by God. The people in the world call these creatures ‘nature’, which means, it exists by itself. However, there is nothing that can exist by itself in the world. Whatever is seen and not seen, God created all.

Someone thinks that faith is a self-discipline in church. However, the self-conviction of a person is clearly different from faith. Faith is what we believe about God, clearly knowing who God is. It is impossible to know God with knowledge, science, and human civilization. We are able to know God only by God. We are able to know God only by the wisdom and inspiration that God gave us. (Ephesians 1:17)

God calls the people who believe in Him together instead of neglecting them. ‘Ecclesia’ is a Greek word meaning ‘Church’; it has the meanings ‘call’, ‘gather’, and ‘choose’. Church is what God chooses the people who hear God’s calling and gather. Today we have become believers because God called and chose us, not because of ourselves or our conviction.

Even though we diligently develop ourselves physically and mentally, it can’t please God. Self-discipline is suffering. Religions of the world demand the suffering. They don’t have grace. A religious man is interested in denying himself and increasing the level of morality in oneself through suffering. However, man doesn’t have the ability to deny himself. Only the blood of Jesus can deny the sin that we committed, and only the Holy Spirit can make us became a new man.

Jesus is the head of church

Church is the body of the Lord and the Lord is the head of church. (Ephesians 1:22~23) The head is smaller than body, but the head has thoughts, knowledge, and emotion. The head commands all parts of body after seeing, hearing, thinking, and judging.

Death in medical science is not a stoppage of the heart but a stoppage of the brain. A doctor pronounces a person dead when the brain stops even though the heart of patient keeps beating. Death of the brain is the same as death of the whole body. If Jesus, who is a head of the Church, is dead by crucifixion, we are dead. And if Jesus, who is a head of the Church, lives, we live as well. Jesus Christ and we are one. As a body moves according to the decision of the brain, the church works according to the commandment of Christ.

A church that follows the whole will of God is a church that follows the commandments of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to this world and shed blood by the will of Father. His blood makes us holy, and he gave us the Holy Spirit after His resurrection. He gave us the Lord’s word and makes us realize the Lord’s word. The Lord’s word realized by the Holy Spirit is truth. When we listen to a sermon in a church, we shouldn’t judge it with our common sense or reason, but should believe with the Holy Spirit. We have to be holy by that blood because the Lord told us to be holy by that blood. We have to be filled with the Holy Spirit because the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit.

Each person who is a part of church has to deal well with one’s share

Church is the body of Christ and a saint is a part of that body. The body of man includes eyes, nose, mouth etc. If whatever among those things can’t afford to deal with their share, the whole body is affected. Like somebody whose eyelashes pierce their eye repeatedly, and their eyes are puffy from crying, may get surgery. 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” As we are a part of Christ, unless we deal well with our duties, we will be in shame in front of him who judges us and angels on the last day.

A person may start their spiritual life after others as well as before others start. A person, who believes in Jesus for a short time so far, has to look at the people who started their spiritual living first and learn from them. The longer the length of their spiritual living, the more trained people are, the more leadership, and the better church duties. A person who imitates their spiritual elder is able to deal well with one’s share.

As we are a part of body of Christ, we should reflect on ourselves about whether we offer something useful to church. The Holy Spirit came into us not for rest, but in order to lead us and for work. The Holy Spirit works where Lord’s word is. If a person who believes in the Lord’s word receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the person suddenly will be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit and obey the church by dedicating themselves in such a great manner that can’t be understood in the world. However, there are people who would not be of help to the church even if they have received the Holy Spirit.

Those who dedicate themselves to the church and those who don’t, everyone will be separated like chaff from grain. Even though a fish has already entered into a net, the bad fish is thrown away. (Matthew 13:47~48) Jesus said that heaven is like this. Chaff and grain can be in a same field, but they must be divided in a threshing floor.

2 Corinthians 6:14~16 says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God” As God has said, each of us is a holy sanctuary. We should build ourselves, taking precaution like building a house with gold and striving. (1 Corinthians 3:10~15)

Each person is a part of the church of Christ. So how do we act? Why don’t we try to make ourselves who are a part of body of God more beautiful, but try to trim our nails that rot off? The church can grow and glorify God when all of the saints are intact as the part of church.

Church is a blessing

God created all creatures for his Son. The reason why God fills all in all is for his Son. Eternity is in the Son, authority is in the Son, and the glory of God is in the Son. The Church became the body of the Son. Therefore, the Church is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:23)

Everyone wants to be blessed. When the people hear the word “blessing”, they think of happiness of the body. However what we need is an eternal blessing. We have to bless the church and work together in the church in order to receive that blessing. That is because church is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. When we fulfill the responsibility of the church, God responds to our prayer. If we truly want to be blessed, we have to be deeply associated with the church. The closer a person is to the church, the closer to a blessing, the farther from the church, the farther from a blessing.

The blessing of Him who fills all in all is given only through the Church. The blessing given outside of the Church is not the blessing of God but just the culture of the world. The Holy Spirit is the full blessing of Him who fills all in all, which means, the Holy Spirit makes the blessing of Jesus come upon our soul. Let the blessing, which the Father allows by His Son, come upon our soul and family by obeying the lead of the Holy Spirit.