Living in the Fullness of God
Bob Yandian
Ephesians 3:19 speaks of knowing the love of Christ and being “filled with all the fulness of God.” What a tremendous statement! God has made it possible for us to do more than hear about His fullness. He wants us to live in it.
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have received privileges that were not available to believers under the Old Covenant. We belong to the body of Christ, have the Holy Spirit living within us, and can approach God through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ.
These truths are especially clear in Ephesians and Colossians. Both books reveal who we are in Christ and how we are to live because of our relationship with Him. The question is whether we understand what God has given us and put it to work in our daily lives.
A Mystery Now Revealed
The New Testament calls certain truths a “mystery.” This does not mean they remain impossible to understand. A mystery is something previously hidden that God has now revealed.
Old Testament prophets looked ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ. They wrote about Him, but they did not experience everything we enjoy through His completed work. John the Baptist had the remarkable privilege of seeing the One those prophets had foretold. He could point to Jesus and identify Him as the Lamb of God.
Yet we have received something even more personal: the Lord lives within us. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We carry His presence into our homes, workplaces, and daily relationships.
We still await the resurrection of our bodies, but we do not have to wait until heaven to experience God’s provision. He has equipped us to represent Jesus Christ here on earth.
Consider four privileges that help us understand this fullness.
Baptized into the Body of Christ
First, at salvation the Holy Spirit places us into the body of Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 describes this as being baptized by one Spirit into one body.
This is distinct from being filled with the Holy Spirit for power in ministry. Baptism into Christ’s body takes place at the new birth. When you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you become part of His Church.
Water baptism illustrates this spiritual reality. Going beneath the water and coming up again portrays our identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. The water provides a visible picture of what has already happened spiritually.
You belong to Jesus Christ. You are a member of His body, joined to other believers through the same Lord and the same Spirit. Understanding that relationship gives you a foundation for everything God calls you to do.
Equal Privilege and Opportunity
Second, every believer receives equal spiritual privilege and opportunity in Christ.
Our backgrounds differ. Our responsibilities and gifts differ. But no believer has a superior right to approach God. The same salvation, the same Holy Spirit, and the same promises belong to all who receive Jesus Christ.
This truth removes both pride and inferiority. You cannot boast that your background makes you more acceptable to God, and you cannot claim that your background disqualifies you from growing spiritually.
Your pastor does not have exclusive access to God’s presence. Neither does someone who has been a Christian longer than you. You can study the Word, pray, exercise faith, and respond to the Holy Spirit.
Growth requires your participation, but the opportunity is yours. God has provided what you need to begin walking with Him today.
Royal Priests and Ambassadors
Third, we have received responsibilities as priests and ambassadors.
Under the Old Covenant, priestly service belonged to a particular group. In Christ, every believer belongs to a royal priesthood. You can approach your heavenly Father through Jesus, your great High Priest.
As a priest, you bring your prayers and needs before God. You worship Him and enjoy fellowship with Him. You do not have to find another person to approach Him on your behalf.
As an ambassador, you represent Jesus Christ to the world. You have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation, telling others that through Christ they can be brought into relationship with God.
These privileges belong together. We come before God as priests, then go into the world as His representatives. Our fellowship with Him supplies strength for our ministry to others.
Revelation for the Church
Fourth, God has revealed truths that were previously hidden.
The New Testament explains our union with Christ, the Spirit’s indwelling presence, and the Church’s place in God’s plan. Paul also identifies the transformation of believers at Christ’s coming as a mystery: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51).
God has given us His written Word so we can understand His will. We can receive teaching in the local church, study Scripture personally, and depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us.
But revelation is intended to affect our conduct. These truths should change how we face temptation, respond to problems, pray for people, and share the gospel.
How do we put these privileges into practice? Let me point you to four daily responses.
Keep Your Fellowship with God Current
First, deal with sin promptly.
First John 1:9 tells believers, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This passage addresses our fellowship with God as believers. Receiving salvation means confessing Jesus as Lord and believing God raised Him from the dead. After salvation, when we sin, we have the privilege of bringing that sin to our Father.
Do not allow unconfessed sin to remain in your life. Stay current with God. When you recognize that you have done wrong, acknowledge it and receive His forgiveness.
Notice that He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness. As we grow, we discover attitudes and actions we did not previously recognize as wrong. We confess what we know and trust His cleansing beyond the limits of our understanding.
You are a priest coming before your great High Priest. Approach Him with confidence in His faithfulness.
Stay Filled with the Holy Spirit
Second, stay filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told His disciples, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8). The Spirit empowers us to tell others about Jesus and minister to their needs.
Praying in the Spirit helps keep us sensitive to His guidance. Studying Scripture is essential, and prayer is essential too. As we pray and study, the Holy Spirit helps us recognize and apply what God has said.
There are times when we do not know how to pray for someone or how to answer a difficult question. The Spirit can give us direction. He knows the person we are speaking to and understands needs we cannot see.
His guidance does not mean we will never face problems. It means we have divine help as we face them.
Rest on God’s Promises
Third, learn to rest on the Word.
When Jesus told His disciples they were going to the other side of the sea, He later slept on a pillow while a storm raged around them. His words had established their destination before the storm began.
A promise from God can become like a pillow for your faith. You can rest because He is faithful to what He has spoken.
As you study Scripture, the Holy Spirit may bring a particular passage to your attention that directly addresses your situation. Take hold of it. Meditate on it. Let it shape your response.
The storm may be loud, but it does not have to determine what happens inside you. Faith gives you a place to rest while you continue trusting God.
Keep Trusting His Grace and Mercy
Finally, keep depending on God’s grace and mercy.
Everything we have discussed begins with His provision through Jesus Christ. We did not earn our place in His body, our access to His presence, or the gift of the Holy Spirit. We received them by grace.
God has supplied these blessings for daily use. Confess your sins, stay filled with the Spirit, rest on His promises, and continue trusting His faithfulness.
Living in the fullness of God means putting His provision to work in ordinary life. You belong to Christ, His Spirit lives within you, and His Word gives you a firm foundation. Walk in what He has given you.
Previously published as: Ephesians Blueprint for Maturity
Although the city of Ephesus is famous for its reckless living and idol worship, the Ephesian church is deeply spiritual. And so Ephesians, unlike other epistles written to correct doctrinal error, reveals to mature believers the positional truth of who they are in Christ. It also expounds on practical applications of this positional revelation to marriage, family, and everyday life.
By tying together Greek word studies and outside scriptural references, Bob Yandian teaches, verse-by-verse, God’s empowering grace and the believer’s unprecedented authority. Like Paul, Yandian’s focus is not only the revelation, but the application of these amazing truths. Yandian exhorts believers not only to learn but to live as the body of Christ in the earth.
143 Pages
Epaphras, pastor of the church at Colosse, reported to imprisoned Paul that false teachers had infiltrated the Colossian church and were poisoning it with Gnostic doctrine. Paul’s response was the book of Colossians, a rich concentration of Pauline revelation concerning the supremacy of Christ and the way believers are to live because of it.
In this verse-by-verse commentary, Bob Yandian examines human philosophy, false religion, and God’s approach to eliminating them both from the church so believers can live in the freedom of true Christianity.
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Deepen Your Understanding of Scripture
Unlock fresh insight into God’s Word with the New Testament Commentary Bundle from Pastor Bob Yandian — a comprehensive collection of verse-by-verse commentaries on ten foundational New Testament books. Carefully crafted from years of pastoral teaching and study, this bundle equips believers, students, and church leaders with clear explanation, practical application, and spiritual depth.
Purchase this book bundle and save! This bundle includes one of each of Bob Yandian's New Testament Commentary books listed below.
Acts Commentary
Romans Commentary
Galatians Commentary
Ephesians Commentary
Philippians Commentary
Colossians Commentary
James Commentary
Hebrews Commentary
Epistles of John Commentary
New! Thessalonians Commentary