Turn if you would to John chapter
1 and then put your finger in Ephesians chapter 1 as well.
John chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. It's so
good to be here this morning. The name of the message is full
of grace and truth. Full of grace and truth. John
chapter 1. in Ephesians 1. John 1.14-17
and Ephesians 1.22-23. Full of grace and truth. And the Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us. The very Word spoken of in John
1. through one to three who said
what scripture declares the word was God in verse three. And the
word. Was made flesh and dwelt among
us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten
of the father, full of grace and truth. Full. Of grace and truth, John
bear witness of him, Christ saying, This is he of whom I speak, he
that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before
me, and of his fullness have we all received in grace for
grace. For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Note it says, full of grace and
truth in verse 14, and then it says, in grace and truth, came
by Jesus Christ. And it says, in verse 16, that
we have received grace for grace. And in Ephesians 1, verses 22
and 23, Scripture declares, and hath put all things under his
feet, being Christ, and gave Him to be the head over all things
to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth
all in all." The fullness of Him that filleth all in all. Full of grace and truth is the
message name. And today I'd like us to consider
how the Lord Jesus Christ is full of grace and full of truth. We who believe on Christ, we
look fully to Him and Him alone for the salvation of our souls. God's elect, His people, we who
are born again by the Holy Spirit, have ceased to look to ourselves
for our own salvation, which we did at one time, thinking
that if we were good that, well, maybe we could get to heaven.
And then God revealed Himself in the Scripture, and He revealed
what we are. sinners in absolute, desperate need for Christ. And
He revealed to us that there's none good, no, not one. There's
none that understandeth God. There's none that seeketh after
God. And we return to Christ, to the
One who is full of grace and truth. And we who believe on
Christ, we look fully to Him, don't we? We look fully to Christ. and to Him alone. He alone is
our redemption. He alone. I have no redemption
outside of Christ. None at all. He alone is the Savior of our
souls. He alone. We have been taught
by God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of His Word and
by revelation of God that we cannot save ourselves. But the good news is Christ saves
sinners. He saves sinners, desperate,
needy, hopeless, bankrupt sinners. What grace, what grace we have
received from God the Father in and through the Lord Jesus
Christ. We have received an abundance
of grace, beloved. An abundance of grace. Grace that is rich, grace that
is full, and grace that is free. Because it's all based upon what
Christ has done, not what we do. Rich, full, free. And it's in Christ and Him alone. Let us first look at how our
Lord is full. Now the Greek word for fullness
here means, figuratively, fullness, full measure, and abundance.
Generally, one of the Greek dictionaries said, generally as it's used
in verse 16, it speaks of a state of fullness. Christ had a state
of fullness, beloved. He was full of grace and full
of truth. He's perfect. He's spotless. He's sinless. The complete opposite
of us. He's fully man and yet fully
God. The perfect, spotless Lamb of
God. And He is absolutely full of
grace and absolutely full, full of truth. The Greek word again is defined
as that which fills up, full measure, entire content, I like
this, complete. There's nothing lacking in our
Savior. Nothing at all. So with that in mind, let us
read the two verses again. Verse 16 of John chapter 1 and
verse 23 of Ephesians. And of His fullness have all
we received, and grace for grace. And of His fullness have all
we received, and grace for grace. And in verse 23 in Ephesians
chapter 1, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth
all in all. I want us to consider this, that
there is a fullness of the eternal deity in Christ. He is fully
God and He is fully man. Colossians chapter 2 verse 9
says this, For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. And in Colossians 1.19 it says,
For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. So our first point is the fullness
of Christ. The fullness of Christ. And think
of this. For we who have been redeemed,
there is a fullness, a fullness of atoning efficacy in Christ's
blood. Beloved turn, if you would, the
first John chapter one, verse seven, a fullness in what his blood's done for
us. A fullness. And the believer
rests in this. This is our hope. Christ and
Him alone. What He's done for us. And all the fullness that's in
Christ. Look at 1 John 1.7. And we see the fullness of the atoning
blood of Christ. But if we walk in the light,
as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, what? Cleanses us from
all sin. Do you see the fullness of the
precious blood of Christ, beloved? We're not just forgiven for some
sins. All! Oh, what a fullness in the precious
blood of Christ and His atoning power, beloved. The blood of Christ gives us
complete justification before God. Complete justification before
God. The blood of Christ gives us
complete pardon before God. All our sins are forgiven. The blood of Christ gives us
complete deliverance from all our sins. Oh, and this cleansing, beloved,
this cleansing that the blood of Christ does, it's perpetual
and it's eternal. Because scripture declares God
remembers your sins, what? No more. That's wonderful news for sinners.
Has God shown you that you're a sinner? I pray that He will.
I pray that He will. Good news for sinners. And there
is a fullness in the justification that the believer has in Christ.
Turn, if you would, to Romans 5, verse 1. There's a fullness
of the justification that we have in Christ. So we saw the
fullness of the atoning efficacy in Christ's blood, that it cleanses
us from all sin, beloved. And there's a fullness of justification
in Christ. Look at this in Romans 5 verse
1. Therefore being justified by
faith, we have what? We have peace. With who? With the one who we offended.
We have peace with God. How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Note the words, we have. It's
not something we will have. It's something we have. The believer
has peace with God in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. And we
are what? Justified by faith. Justified. You who believe are
justified and accounted righteous before the holy God of the universe
right now. That's almost too much for my
mind to comprehend. But it's absolutely incredible. That's what the scripture declares.
We don't always feel that way, do we? Because we're sinners,
right? But that's what the scripture declares. That we are justified
in Christ, in Him alone. And we are accounted before the
holy God of the universe. The one who cannot have sin in
His presence. We are counted righteous, just. Oh, is this not grace? Is this
not mercy beyond words and beyond compare? My. And therefore being justified,
we have what? Peace with God. Peace with the
very one we sinned against. Peace. And this peace arises from the
fact that it's in and it's through Christ in Him alone. Nowhere
else. Nowhere else. We are righteous
in God's sight. Our sins are forgiven and we
are holy and unblameable in God's sight because of Christ and His
righteousness and what He did for us on Calvary's cross. Is this not mercy? And think of this though. That's
for we who are in Christ. Outside of Christ, a man is not
justified. He stands before a holy and righteous
God. A God who demands absolute perfection. And he stands before that God,
the one true God, unjustified and with no peace with God. What mercy we who believe have
received. And note the text says this.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray if you don't know Christ
that God would grant you faith. Because that's what He's done
for we who believe. The next point is there's a fullness
of righteousness in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.21, turn there
if you would. There's a fullness of righteousness
in Christ. A fullness of righteousness which
we could never obtain on our own. But the believer has it in Christ. Look at 2 Corinthians 5.21. For He hath made Him to be sin
for us. Our sins were imputed to the
sinless, spotless Lamb of God. He's perfect. He's spotless.
Who knew no sin? No sin in thought, no sin in
word, no sin in deed. He's perfect. And He's perfect
as He's dying upon that cross. and our sins are imputed to Him. For He hath made Him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Christ our Lord, who had no sin,
knew no sin, and did no sin, the perfect, spotless Lamb of
God, has the sins of His people imputed
to Him. He was numbered with the transgressors,
although he personally had no sin at all. And he dies the substitute of
his people before God's holy law. And he dies, beloved. He dies
for we who have no righteousness of our own. No righteousness in ourselves
by our works. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Mercy. And we are justified by faith
in Christ and His perfect, spotless righteousness is what the believer
is right now clothed in. It'll make your heart sing. My. Someone said once the gospel
can be summed up in two words, and I love this, it's so true.
Two words. Two words, beloved. Substitution
and satisfaction. Two words, the gospel can be
summed up. Christ was the sinner's substitute, and God is absolutely
100% satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ. My! Christ as our substitute has
made full and complete satisfaction for the believers, for His people,
before God's holy law and righteous justice. And in Him, we who are wholly
sanctified, redeemed, We are completely and eternally
saved. And we have his perfect, spotless
righteousness. What a savior, what a redeemer. And there is a fullness, turn
if you would to John 14, 19. There is a fullness of life in
Christ, beloved. John 14, 19. There is a fullness
of life in Christ. Look what He speaks here in John
14, 19. Look at this, this is beautiful.
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more. But ye see
me. Ye see me. Because I live, ye
shall live also. Now the world saw the man Christ
Jesus, right? They saw Him with fleshy eyes, but they never really saw Him. Nor did they really know Him. And soon after this text, He
would go to Calvary's cross and He would be crucified. And He
would die upon that tree. And He would be buried. And He
would rise from the grave, beloved. And now He is exalted to the
right hand of God. And the world would see Him no
more in Revelation. But the believer sees Christ,
don't we? By the Revelation of God. by Him revealing Himself
to us through the preaching of His Word. And the believer is being given
what? Eyes to see Christ, and ears to hear His voice, to hear
the Shepherd's voice through the preaching of the Gospel. The see me in our text there
when He says, yet a little while and the world seeth me no more
but ye see me. That see me there is not with
fleshy eyes. But that scene there is seeing
Christ by faith. Seeing Christ by faith, seeing
Christ is is the eternal God. Seeing Christ is God incarnate
in the flesh, seeing Christ is all my righteousness. Seeing Christ is all our redemption. Seeing Christ is our mediator. And seeing Christ is our Lord.
We don't make Him Lord. He reveals to us that He is Lord. That He is Lord. My goodness. And He's our life, beloved. Think
of this, we who never saw Him in the flesh. Think of this. We who never saw
Him in the flesh. I ask you, believe me. Do you
not see Him all through this world? Do you not see Him all
through this world? We see Him in the scriptures.
We see Him in the Old Testament sacrifices. We see Him on Calvary's
cross, bleeding and dying for my sins. We've been given eyes
to see, to see him. And because he lives, the text
says, because he lives. We will. He's the giver of life. He's the giver of life as our
redeemer. He's the purchaser. He's the purchaser of our eternal
life. He did that, which is impossible
for us. To save ourselves. And He purchased
eternal redemption. He obtained eternal redemption
for us. For the believer. And we have eternal life in and
through Him. Because He is the eternal God.
Someone asked me this week, they started talking about losing
your salvation. And I said, it's impossible for
a believer to lose their salvation. He's a couple of religious guys
and they're just going off. And I said, ask you one question
or two questions. I said, is Christ God? Is he eternal? And of course,
they have to answer yes, right? So I said, if if the life that
then I asked if the life that Christ gives, if he's God and
he's eternal, would it not be eternal life? He's the giver of life. He's
the eternal one. So this life again, see, what
they're thinking is that that life depends upon them. It doesn't. And when God reveals himself,
and I pray that if God will ever reveal himself to them, they
will learn that salvation is of the Lord. Right now they're lost and thinking
that they're working out their own salvation and they're not.
And I pray God will save him. But it's his will whom he saves,
isn't it? Because he's God. So for the believer, Christ is
our life. He's our life. And because he lives, we shall
live eternally. Next point is there is a fullness
of sanctification in Christ. Turn with your word to 1 Corinthians
1, verses 30 and 31. There is a fullness of sanctification
in Christ. And these are just precious truths
for the believer. 1 Corinthians 1, verses 30 and
31. but of him, again writing to believers, but of him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, what? Wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. And I love the
next verse. You gotta read the next verse
with it. That according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. God's people are sanctified in
Christ Jesus, our Lord were made holy in Christ. Paul penned this
under the Church of God, which is at Corinth to them that are
sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints. with all that in
every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both
theirs and ours sanctified in Christ is a fullness again of
our sanctification in Christ first Peter Peter writes this
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification
of the Spirit. We are sanctified. Again, sanctified
in Christ. And the Holy Spirit has us grow
in the grace and knowledge and truth of Him. But we are sanctified
in Christ. Unto obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Christ, of Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace
be multiplied. So the fullness of sanctification.
Turn, if you would, to Acts 20. Acts 20, verse 32. The fullness of sanctification
is in Christ and it's to all his people, beloved, because
we are complete in Christ. That's what first Corinthians
one thirty was saying that we're. Christ to us is all wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification and redemption, there's a there's a fullness
in Christ. See, we're empty, bankrupt. And
oh, what a fullness the believer has in Christ. Look at Acts 20,
verse 32. And now, brother, and I command
you, commend you to God. and to the word of his grace,
which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance
among all them who are what? Sanctified. How are they sanctified
in Christ? In Christ, there's a fullness
of sanctification in Christ and him alone. Now, this is a point
that's dear to me. Turn, if you would, the Jude
chapter one, verse 24. There's a fullness of perseverance
in Christ. Now we sinners know what we are.
We know that if it was up to us to persevere, we'd be doomed,
wouldn't we? But look at this wonderful, wonderful
little portion of Scripture. Jude 24 and 25. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling. Now just let that sink in, beloved. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling. And to present you. Now here
we go. Faultless. Brother Dick, you'll be presented
to Christ when you go home. Faultless. Absolutely faultless. We have that right now in Christ
faultless. Look at this before the presence
of his glory. With exceeding joy, God will
present his people. Oh. God, Christ will present
his bride. To God. Faultless. And he does it with exceeding
joy. Why? Because he purchased our
eternal souls. He purchased our eternal souls.
But note, and then it goes to the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory, majesty, dominion, power, both now and ever. That's
just a doxology of praise flowing out of Jude for what God has
done for him. But note here, now unto him that
is able to keep you from falling. There's a fullness of perseverance
in Christ, a fullness of perseverance in Christ. He will keep his people
from falling. And he will present us, he will
present the church, his bride. Faultless. Before the presence
of his glory and here do it with exceeding joy. What a fullness of perseverance
the believer has in Christ. My! There is a fullness of victory
in Jesus Christ our Lord. A fullness of victory. 1 Corinthians
15.57 says this, But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Turn if you would to Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8. The believer has victory over
the law in Christ. Because Christ answered all the
demands of the law, of God's holy law, in the sinner's place
on Calvary's cross. And in his life. Because he,
don't forget, he was living a substitutionary life for us too. The believer has victory over
death and over the grave, because Christ lives, we shall live too. And He lives forevermore, and
because we are one with Him, by God's sovereign grace and
mercy, the believer in Christ has eternal life in Him. Look
at this. Look at the victory that the believer has as we look
at Romans 8, verses 33-39. Now we looked at 33 in Sunday
school, but I want to continue down here. Now think of this.
We've looked at that. We have a fullness of justification,
the fullness of all our sins forgiven in Christ and absolute
fullness. Now look at this. This is wonderful. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Now examine yourself and we know,
we know we're just sin. And we know that in ourselves,
there's a lot that could be bought, right? But look what Scripture
declares about the blood-bought saint of God. Although we're
sinners, we are forgiven. Who shall lay
anything, anything to the charge of God's
elect? That means any sin. It is God that justifies. If
God has justified me, then no one can bring it or lay any charge
against me. And then look what it continues
to say. Who is he that condemneth? Well, we know that our own hearts
can condemn us, right? Because we know what we are.
But look what Scripture declares. It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. What a Savior. What a Redeemer. Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Well, we saw in Jude, right?
He's the one who keeps us, isn't he? So who shall separate the
believer from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,
so any circumstance that would come up in our lives, any, shall
that separate us from the love of Christ? No. As it is written, for thy
sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep
for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors. Beloved, we have the victory.
How? Through Him that loved us. Through Christ. For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now let us consider the fullness
of the unspeakable blessings we have in Christ in our text.
Christ is the fullness of grace. The hymn writer wrote, plenteous
grace in him has found grace to cover all my sins. And he
can cleanse the greatest sinner, beloved. Turn, if you would,
to Psalm 51. He can cleanse the greatest sinner. Just ask any
of us who are saved. He can cleanse the greatest sinner.
My goodness. And we will tell you, every believer
will tell you, I'm the chief of sinners. Look at Psalm 51. Verses 1-9, Have mercy upon me,
O God, according to Thy lovingkindness. And this is Christ is full of
grace, beloved. according to the multitude of
thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly
from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge
my transgression and my sin is ever before me against thee.
The only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou
mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou
judges. Behold, I was shaping an iniquity and in sin did my
mother conceive me. Behold, Thou desirest truth in
the inward parts and in the hidden part. Thou shalt make me to know
wisdom. Purge me with heads up, and I
shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness
at the bones which Thou hast broken. May I rejoice. Hide Thy
face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. And beloved,
He has done that for all His people in Christ Jesus. Amen.
He is done. He is full of grace, beloved.
Our text in 1st John or in John 1 16 said this and of the fullness
have we all received in grace for grace, beloved, he is full
of grace, full of mercy. And in John 1 17 says, for the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Think of this grace to pardon. Grace to regenerate. Grace to
sanctify. Grace to preserve. Grace to protect. Grace to pardon all my sins.
It's all in Christ and Him alone. It's all in Him, beloved. Plenteous
grace in Him is found. Grace to cover all my sins. And ah, here's a scripture for
you to burn into your heart. Hebrews 10, 17. And their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. No, that's God says that about
his people who have been washed and cleansed in the precious
blood of Christ. My, and their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. Remember Psalm 51 9, hide thy
face from all my sins and blot out all my iniquities. And the
Lord and God says in their sins and iniquities I will remember
no more. What a salvation we have in Christ. The last point
is Christ is full of truth. Let's go back to our text in
John 1 verses 16 and 17. Just a few words on this. And of His fullness have all
we received in grace for grace. The law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. We know from studying
scripture and from the Holy Spirit revealing it to us, that all
the Old Testament sacrifices were types and shadows, but Christ
is the substance. We know Colossians tells us that,
that they were all types and shadows, but Christ is the substance,
the substance of all those. He is the way, the truth, and
the life. And God has pronounced, prophesied, pictured, and promised
the Messiah. And now He produces the truth,
incarnates, the Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis, he promised, and I will
put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her
seed, and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel. Micah says this, Who is a God,
like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth
not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. Always
remember this, that our God delights in mercy, and He has shown us
mercy and grace in Christ Jesus our Lord. He will turn again,
He will have compassion upon us, He will subdue our iniquities,
and will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. They're gone. The believer's
sins are gone. Thou wilt perform the truth to
Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our
fathers from days of old. Turn over to John chapter 14,
verse 6. Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ is
full of truth, beloved. He is truth incarnate. Truth
incarnate. Oh, what mercy God has to his
people in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at John 14,
6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way. That means there's no other way. John 14, 6. Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way. The truth. That means there's
no other truth but Him. He's truth incarnate. And the
life. And we know that no one has eternal
life outside of Christ, right? And then look what He says. No
man cometh unto the Father but by Me. That wipes out all the
religions of the world. There's only salvation in Christ
alone. In Christ alone. Christ proclaims. Now remember,
remember who this is proclaiming this. This is God incarnate in
the flesh. And Christ Himself, God Himself
proclaims that He is the way, and that He is the truth, and
that He is the life. He is truth incarnate. Truth
incarnate. God and man. Fully God and fully
man. He's the sum and substance of
all truth, beloved. All the types and shadows have
their fulfillment in him. And he is the true way in opposition
to every false way. And there's a lot of false ways
out there. Pilate said, what is truth? Our Lord answers. In John 14,
6, I am the way, the life, the truth. He didn't answer Pilate
that, but he answers that question, doesn't he? He answers that question
right there. Turn, if you would, to Revelation
3, 14, and we're closed with this scripture. Beloved, He is
truth, for He is truth itself. All the Scriptures center around
Him. He's full of grace and truth. He's the Amen, the faithful and
true witness. Revelation 3.14, In the angel
of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the
Amen, the faithful and true witness. The beginning of the creation
of God. the faithful and the true witness. That's who Christ is. In Christ is the truth of God's
love. In Christ is the truth of God's grace. And in Christ
is the truth of God's mercy. Heavenly Father, we come before
thy throne. in awe of our great Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ. We who believe are in absolute
awe of who you are, Lord. What comfort you can give to
the sinner who comes to thee, knowing that all our sins are
forgiven. You've blotted out the transgressions
of your people by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. May
we who believe leave here rejoicing today. And may you use this message
for your glory, and your honor, and your praise. In Jesus' name,
amen.