The Fullness of Christ

The Scripture that I feel is one of the most relevant as it pertains to God's "prophetic vision" for the Church is found in Ephesians chapter one.

Eph. 1:16-23 - I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious  inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us  who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he  raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above  all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only  in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as  head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.(ESV)

How does God see the Church, the Body of Christ? To Him the Church is the "FULLNESS" of Christ. The Amplified version enables us to understand a bit clearer the concept of "fullness".  "Eph.1:23 - Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]."  The same word for "fullness" is used of Jesus being the "fullness" of God. Col 1:19  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, The fullness of the godhead was in Christ, meaning, God was fully in Jesus. To this agree Heb 1:3 - He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. When people saw Christ on earth they were seeing God exactly. They were seeing the fullness of God in human, bodily form. 

The point is; God envisions the Church on earth as the fullness of Christ. As Jesus expressed God exactly so the Church is to express Jesus exactly. Is this what the Church is presently doing? When the unsaved world looks at the 21st century Church are they getting a exact representation of the Lord Jesus Christ?  No they're not. There's a lot of room here for revival.

Are we prepared to embrace God's vision for the Body of Christ. God's vision of His Son on earth was that Jesus would represent God exactly. Did He do this? When Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father Jesus said to him in, Jn.14:9, "if you have seen me you have seen the Father". The Church has the spiritual potential of fully representing Jesus. Through the promises of God are we seeing this as a very real possibility? Do you believe we can walk into this promised land with God's grace, strength and faith?

NOTE:

There's another portion of Scripture in Ephesians chapter four that projects the same truth as Eph.1:23 confirming God's "Today Vision" for the Body of Christ, the New Covenant Church. 

Eph 4:11-13 -  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

GOD'S  VISION FOR THE CHURCH TODAY?

"THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST"