April 23
Ephesians 1: 22: And hath put all things
under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23: Which
is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
One of the most comforting words in all of
scripture for the believer is that Christ’s body is the fullness of Christ.
Christ Jesus has a body. God the Father
gave Christ a people before the foundation of the world in whom he would be
glorified. This was "the joy that was set before Him, for which He endured
the cross, despising the shame" (Heb. 12:2). Christ body is the people he
purchased with his own blood--"the purchased possession" (Eph. 1:14).
Each member is the "the travail of His soul" (Isa. 53:11); each one
is the reward of his humiliation and sufferings (Phil. 2:9, 10); each member
makes up the fullness of Christ’s body. That means that Christ shall not lose
one member. God the Father gave them to him to be glorified in their salvation.
He shall! Christ satisfied divine justice for them so
that they cannot be condemned to hell because justice will not allow it! Christ
has the power and shall see to it that each one is brought to faith and saved
so that his body shall be complete. (Jn 14: 6; Heb 11: 6)
Each of us has members in our body. And each member helps somewhat to provide for
the other members of our body. But is
anyone depending upon our little finger to save our body? Or if we can prevent it will we allow a member
of our body to be cut off? Christ is not
depending on us—the members of his body—to save his body. Our Head is named “Jesus
for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Mt 1: 21) He has all power in heaven and in earth to
see to it that each child he redeemed is called to life and faith in him, that each
is grown by him, that each is kept by him, and that each is saved to final glory
by him. Christ has united his own
fullness to the sure and certain salvation of his people. Therefore, his body
shall be complete for each and every member is the fullness of him that filleth
all in all. (Jn 6: 39; 10: 27-29)