Category Archives: Dwelling

Bible, Body, Dwelling, Scripture, Trinity

THE FULLNESS OF DIETY

COLOSSIANS 2:9

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,”

The world has always tried to deny Christ. Even when they acknowledged his existence on earth, they claimed He wasn’t really God. Other religions will profess He was a great teacher, but not God. This thought has continued through the ages. Don’t fall for it. Paul makes sure we know the truth in today’s verse.

One commentator makes the point that every word of this verse is emphatic (it written to make a point). The word “bodily” is sōmatikōswhich only appears right here in the New Testament. Barnes says it means “having a bodily appearance, instead of existing or appearing in a spiritual form.” Jesus took on a human body, but one without the stain of sin.

APPLICATION

Why does Paul say, “the fullness of Diety”? Why didn’t he just say Jesus was part God and part man? Because although He took on human form, His divine nature was still whole. Look at Philippians 2:6-8. “6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.”

Christ was God, is God and always will be God. The Greek word for “fullness” means just that – filled completely. Now, I can’t explain the Godhead to you completely. How can all three parts of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) exist as One God? There are some things in Scripture that we have to accept on faith. This is one of them.

God chose to come down in bodily form as a baby to grow into a man so He could redeem mankind from their sins. Wow! No other god (small g) would do that. God loves us so much that He gave Himself for us in the human form of His Son. Aren’t you thankful? I sure am. Praise God for all He has done and continues to do to redeem us to Himself.

O Father, You are worthy of all praise. We thank You for Jesus who existed here on earth in a human body to become the ultimate sacrifice for us.

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Abiding, Building, Church, Dwelling, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Home, Indwelling, Kingdom, Scripture

GOD’S DWELLING PLACE

EPHESIANS 2:22

“in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

My wife and I recently bought a new bed for our guest room. It is nothing fancy, just a metal headboard and footboard with side rails and middle support braces. When I finally got around to putting it together, I opened the box, laid out all the pieces and checked them off against the parts list (how many times have you come up short a piece without doing this?). Then I brought all the pieces inside, laid them on the bedroom floor and began the tedious process of trying to figure out from the drawing what part went where. In the end, I achieved my goal. We now have a bed someone can rest on when they visit.

Why do I use that illustration? Because the phrase “being built together” is exactly that. God has taken all the “pieces” and put them together to make His “bed,” His dwelling place. Once again, this Greek word has the preposition sun which is that permanent “with.” We are being built up together with other believers into a place where God says He will dwell here on this earth until one day we will dwell with Him in His kingdom in heaven.

APPLICATION

I love what Ellicott’s Commentary says here. “This verse seems primarily intended simply to emphasize the truth already enunciated in Ephesians 2:20, that the Ephesians themselves are now being made part of the Church of Christ, ‘being built up together in Christ.’ But it may also illustrate to us the character of the unity of the Church, as, primarily, a direct individual unity with Christ—each stone being itself a complete and living stone—and, secondarily and indirectly, a unity with others and with the whole.”

Did you get that? We are individually the dwelling of God through His Holy Spirit, and we are part of the corporate dwelling of God as part of His church. Ain’t God good? Two houses in one. Only God can do that. And God’s house has no flaws. There are no plumbing leaks or cracks in the foundation. His building warranty is eternal.

Okay, enough building metaphors. Simply put – we are God’s dwelling here on earth. He chooses to live in and through us. What an honor! Are you keeping His dwelling presentable? Can others see Him in you? As the cliché goes, “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.”

Live in me, Lord. Shine Your eternal light through my eyes so that others are drawn into Your dwelling.

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