would to Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2, we have
made it now to two of my favorite verses in
the scripture. I only have hundreds of thousands
of favorite verses, but these are two of them. Colossians 2,
nine and 10. We're only gonna look at verse
nine for this Bible study, but I wanna read both of them together. Let's begin in verse one and
we'll read down to verse 10. For I would that you knew what
great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and
for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their
hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto
all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement
of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And
this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the
flesh, Yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding
your order in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in
him, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith as you
have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware, lest
any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition
of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him,
which is the head of all principality and power." Isn't that wonderful? In the Lord Jesus Christ, all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Him. And you are complete in Him. That is, that's a glorious announcement. Whenever the Lord reveals that
to a sinner, and they really get a hold of that, What a glorious
announcement. Praise the Lord. Praise God from
whom all blessings flow. The last word in verse eight
is Christ. That's the last word, Christ.
Verse nine says, for in him, in him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead. Verse 10 says, and you are complete
in him, in him. Everything is in him. Everything is in him. Everything
pertaining to salvation is in him. Here's the answer. If anyone has a question about
salvation, here's the answer in him. But how am I supposed
to do that in him? How am I gonna pay the price
for doing that? In Him. It's all in Him. God is in Him. His people are
in Him. It's all in Him. Everything's
in Him. Now, we're gonna focus on verse
nine. And let's see if we can enjoy
this together. We're gonna study the Bible. This is called a Bible
study. We're gonna study the Bible. We're gonna look at what
it means to say that in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. A few weeks ago, we saw in John
chapter one, if you turn with me over to John chapter one, A few weeks ago, we read some
verses here, and we saw a definition in one of the verses. John chapter 1, verse 1 says, In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God And the word was God. Verse 14 tells us, and the word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. The word is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now back up in verse one, it
says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God
and the word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made. He was the
one, the Lord Jesus Christ, was the one in the beginning with
God the Father and God the Spirit, the Godhead. Father, Son, and
Spirit, all three of them were there together in the beginning,
from the beginning. When we read in Genesis 1 where
God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. That's the Godhead speaking.
Father, Son, and Spirit. But listen to this. All three
of them only had one likeness. All three of them Only had one
likeness. What was that likeness? Look
at verse 14, John 1 verse 14. And the word was made flesh and
dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory as of the
only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. Those two words, only begotten. This is the definition of those
two words, right? This is what they translate.
This is what they mean. Single of its kind, only created, the root definition
is only. John said, we saw the only created
image of God that there is. the only begotten image of the
Father, the Son, and the Spirit that there is. He said, in Christ,
we saw all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We beheld His
glory. We beheld His glory, the glory
of God in His body. Every time there was a bodily
image seen of God, It was the only bodily image of God that
there is. There's only one. There's only
one. It was the only created, only
begotten, only. image that there was, is, or
ever will be. There's only one. Only one. Christ Jesus the Lord. Hebrews
1 says, the express image of God. The express image of His
person. Now, turn with me to a few scriptures,
okay? Go with me over to 2 Corinthians
chapter 5. Second Corinthians five verse
19 says, to know, to wit, that, and think
about this, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. What does that mean? That means
God, Father, Son, and Spirit. All three persons of the Godhead,
they were all in Christ, reconciling, that means working what needed
to be done. That means paying what needed
to be paid for all of the sinful people that were chosen out of
the world. chosen to be redeemed to himself. All three persons of the Godhead
were in Christ as he accomplished the work of reconciling his people
back to God. Now, here's my question. How
do you explain something like that? How do simple, sinful creatures
like us understand something like that? How could we possibly
get our minds around the fact that they are himself? How do we get our minds around
the fact that three persons are one God? We can't. You try all you want to, but
we just can't. All we can do is declare what
the scripture declares about it and believe it. That's it. And this is what the scripture
declares about it. It says, all the fullness of
the Godhead dwells in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. When
we see God in any form of a body, we are seeing the Lord Jesus
Christ. We're seeing the only begotten
image of God Almighty that there is. Turn with me, if you would,
to John 5. John 5, the Lord is speaking
to some Pharisees here, and He said in verse 39, John 5, 39,
He said, search the scriptures, for in them you think you have
eternal life. You think, what He's saying is,
but you don't. That's what He's saying right
here. But you don't, because you're missing the point of the
scriptures. You're missing the object of the scriptures. Verse
39, he went on to say, they are they which testify of me. All of them, all of them. And what he's saying is, if you
don't see me in it, you missed it. If you don't see me, you
missed it. Verse 40, and you will not come
to me that you might have life. Men will go everywhere, but they
won't go to the stopping place of Jesus Christ. Verse 41, he
said, I receive not honor from men. And isn't that so true?
Isn't that so true? They like him just fine, but
they bypass him. Verse 42, but I know you that
you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my father's
name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his
own name, him you will receive. How can you believe which receive
honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from
God only. Do not think that I will accuse
you to the father. There's one that accuseth you,
even Moses in whom you trust." Now watch verse 46. For had you
believed Moses, you would have believed me for he wrote of me. He's saying the God that Moses
wrote about, That was me. That was me. Turn over to John
8. John chapter 8. Some Pharisees
asked our Lord here in verse 53. John 8, verse 53. They said, are thou greater than
our father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead? Whom makest thou thyself? Who
do you think you are? Who are you making yourself to
be? Verse 54, Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is
nothing. It is my father that honoreth
me, of whom you say that he is your God. Yet you have not known
him, but I know him. And if I should say I know him
not, I shall be a liar like unto you, but I know him and keep
his saying. Verse 56, he said, your father
Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him,
thou art not yet 50 years old and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus
said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham
was, I am. He said, you know, the God of
Abraham, you know, people talk about the God of Abraham. He
said, that was me. That was me, Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. He rejoiced to see I am. Moses said, what should I tell
him your name is? Who should I tell him sent me?
You tell him I am sent you. He said before Abraham was, I
am. Look with me at John 14, turn
over to John 14. Verse five, Thomas saith unto him, Lord,
we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father
but by me. If you had known me, you should
have known my father also. And from henceforth, you know
him and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord,
show us the father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have
I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the father. And how sayest thou then, show
us the father? He said, why do you keep saying,
show us the Father? Here I am. How do we get our mind around
that? In John 10, he said, I and my
Father are one. Whenever we see God in a body,
we're seeing the Lord Jesus Christ. For in him dwells, and this is
what I want us to walk away with. From this study, this is what
I want us to walk away with. In him dwells, capital A, capital
L, capital L, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is what I want us to grasp.
Not one third of the Godhead bodily. Does that make sense? all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. Now let's witness that in the
scriptures. I started this late and I'm already
out of time, but I really want to show you this. So I want us
to witness this in the scriptures. I'm going to read a few to you
and I'm going to quote a few to you, but let's witness this
together in the scriptures. Turn with me to Genesis three. Genesis chapter 3, this is after
Adam and Eve sinned, and they tried to cover themselves with
the fig leaves of their own works. When they sinned, they knew they
had sinned, and they tried to cover their sin and their nakedness
by sewing fig leaves together. That represents man's own works
of his hands. I'll try to fix myself. It doesn't
work that way. But after they had sinned, verse
8 says, Genesis three, verse eight. And they heard the voice
of the Lord. God walking in the garden, walking. That's a body walking. Anytime we see God in
a body, we're seeing the only begotten body that there is. Jesus Christ in him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily walking Don't not now, but sometime
read Proverbs 8 that's the Lord Jesus Christ speaking and there
he says that he was always with the father and his rejoicing
was in the habitable part of the earth with the sons of men
He enjoyed that walking walking with the sons of men, whether
that's walking in the garden with Adam and Eve or walking
in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. That was
his delight too, wasn't it? Nebuchadnezzar said, I love that
story. They threw three men in there and Nebuchadnezzar looked
in there and he said, fellas, didn't we throw three men in
there? They said, yeah, King. He said,
I say four, loose, walking. And the fourth one looks just
like Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walking. Turn with me to
Genesis 32. Genesis 32, this is where the
Lord wrestled with Jacob and humbled Jacob. Genesis 32, verse
30. And Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel, which means the face of God, for he said,
I have seen God face to face. and my life is preserved." Face
to face, the face of God. Jacob saw the face of God. Turn to Exodus 33. Exodus 33 verse 11 says, And the Lord spake unto Moses
face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. Face to face. Don't turn, but number 625 says,
The Lord make his face shine upon thee. Second Corinthians
four verse six says we see the glory of God. We behold his glory
in the face of Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only
face that there is. Turn back a few pages to Exodus
15. Exodus 15, this is speaking of
the Lord God. All right. Verse eight, Exodus
15, verse eight. It says, and with the blast of
thy nostrils, the waters were gathered together. Nostrils. That's a nose. That's a nose. Don't turn, but second Samuel
22 nine says there went out. There went up a smoke out of
his nostrils. Job four nine says by the blast
of God, they perished. And by the breath of his nostrils,
are they consumed? Who is this? Who's this talking
about? This is the same Jesus Christ who is coming back in
flaming fire, taking vengeance on all them that know not God. And obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, reveal yourself to us in
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look right here at Exodus
15, verse three, it says, the Lord is a man of war. The Lord is His name. The Lord
is a man of war. The Lord is a man. The Lord is
a man. Look at Exodus 31, and I'm almost
done. Exodus 31. Exodus 31, verse 18. And he gave unto Moses, when
he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two
tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger
of God. A man named Belshazzar saw a
hand with a finger writing on a wall, weighed in the balances. How often does the scripture
talk about the right hand of God? Don't turn, Psalm 48, 10
says, thy right hand is full of righteousness. Who's our righteousness? Christ Jesus, the Lord, Christ
is. Go to 2 Kings 19. Second Kings 19 verse 15 says, And Hezekiah prayed before the
Lord and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between
the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone of all the kingdoms
of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth. Now who made
heaven and earth? All things were made by who? Jesus Christ,
verse 16. Lord, bow down thine ear and
hear. Open, Lord, thine eyes and see. Bow down thine ear, open thine
eyes. Just listen to these. Isaiah
9, 6 says the government shall be upon his shoulder. Isaiah
40, verse 10 says his arm shall rule for him. Isaiah 41 10 says,
I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah
52 10 says, the Lord hath made bare his holy arm. This is the
image of the invisible God. The only image there is, Jesus
Christ the Lord. Now, I know I've told you three
times I'm done. I just have to tell, I can't,
I'm not gonna close without telling you this. Matthew 121 says, call His name
Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Now listen
to this. That one body, there's only one
body. That one body was broken. There's only one. There's not
more than one. Matthew says he's gonna save
his people from his sins. How? That one body is gonna be
broken. He said, this is my body. When he said that, it's as though
he's saying, do you understand? This is my body. One body broken
for you. Who said that? Immanuel said
that. Call his name Immanuel because
God is in that body. God is with us in body, in his
body. The one and only body that flows
with living blood. He said, this is my blood shed
out of my body for you. There is a fountain filled with
blood drawn from Emmanuel's bodily veins. And every sinner who is
plunged beneath that flood loses all his or her guilty stains.
Who is this that came to us? The fullness of the Godhead came
to us. in the body, in the person of
the Lord Jesus Christ. How amazing, how amazing, how
wonderful. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. And if the Lord is willing, next
time we'll see what it means to say, and you are complete
in Him.