So many believers think that someday in heaven we’ll be as He is, but for now on earth we are struggling sinners who’ve merely been forgiven.
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace”
(John 1:16, NKJV).
And of His fullness we have all received. The completeness of Jesus has been imparted to us! Not the fullness of a prime minister, president, celebrity, rock star, great athlete or scholar, but the comprehensiveness of Jesus Christ Himself. If you really hear this, you’ll never envy another man or woman again. You have the full nature of Jesus Christ in you!
The word nature is defined as “the innate or essential qualities or character of a person.”
We are in Christ, He is in us, and we have the fullness of His nature. The seed planted in us when we were born again is all that makes Christ who He is! How awesome. In this world we have the comprehensiveness of His nature!
John says it like this: “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17, NKJV). So many believers think that someday in heaven we’ll be as He is, but for now on earth we are struggling sinners who’ve merely been forgiven. This is a mammoth lie, and it keeps people in bondage and nullifies the power of grace in their lives.
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. (John 1:16)
Here is the point so many miss: Receiving the fullness of God’s nature is directly connected with grace. It is God’s unmerited gift—a gift that not only saved us from eternal damnation but also gave us His characteristics. One aspect of grace is just as real as the other, and it was all provided the moment we were saved.
God’s divine nature was freely imparted to us, and our once hardened hearts were replaced by the seed of God’s inherent characteristics. We now have the ability to live as He intended humankind to live from the beginning—extraordinarily. We now can live this life as sons and daughters of God, in His image, His likeness, possessing His ability through grace!
Excerpt permission granted by Messenger International
John is an international minister and best selling author known for his bold and uncompromising approach to God's Word. His resources have been translated into over 110 languages, and over 40 million copies have been given away worldwide. When he's home in Nashville, you can find John playing competitive card games with his four sons or trying to convince Lisa to take up golf.