JESUS UNLIMITED

How much of Jesus do you really want in your life? So many Christians need just a handful, some just a litre and some others just about 20 litres (Please permit my expression. Jesus cannot be measured by such means, He’s a Person). However, there are those who need ALL of Jesus. Alvin Slaughter’s song “He’s all I need” readily comes to mind. Jesus keeps becoming all we really need till we have all of Him manifested to, in and through us. Just as the inspired Psalmist says in Psalm 42:7 “Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.” The depth of our hunger for the Lord Jesus Christ would determine the depth of His Person and Influence we experience in our lives. It’s really up to us! How deep is your desire for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? We live in a generation where many things are competing for the place and need of Jesus Christ in our lives. The devil wants to replace our hunger for Jesus with things that don’t even outlast our life span on earth. Years ago, I heard a preacher ask this question while teaching on prayer and it affected me so deeply and I want to ask you that very same simple question today: “If you receive all your heartfelt desires that you’ve been asking God for in prayer would you still need God?” When Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, prayed for the Ephesians Church, he prayed “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:19). The Holy Spirit is emphasizing something so deep here. Jesus Christ is the fullness of God! Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians further explains this. “For it pleased the Father that in Him [Christ] all the fullness should dwell, and by Him [Christ] to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him [Christ], whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Col. 1:19-20). Also we see another amazing truth in chapter 2 of Colossians: “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him [Christ], who is the head of all principality and power.” (Col.2:9-10). Praise God! The whole idea behind the fullness of God is about experiencing the Person and Influence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fullness of God! Many Christians have been born again for so many years but have never truly met this Jesus Christ of the New Birth through fellowship. They haven’t met this God-Man who so loved us and washed us in His own blood (Rev.1:5). They know so much about religion but have never encountered The Reality Himself. My heart reaches out to such with the longings of the Holy Spirit. How He wants to reveal Jesus Christ to us! No-one on earth has experienced Jesus enough. When you think you’ve come to that place, all of a sudden you see a deeper dimension and you see how so far behind you are compared to where you’re headed. But we just keep pressing into Him because that’s the only way to get there. Jesus made a very clear statement on how to get into this fullness in the Gospel of St. John. He says “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21). Praise God! What commandment was Jesus talking about? He was referring to the New (love) Commandment for the New Creation which He gave them in the previous chapter (John 13:34-35). Now, did you notice the connection between Eph.3:19 and John 14:21? It’s a love deal! Walking in the Agape-love of God is the key! And what’s more? The love of God has already been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom.5:5). So all we really need to do is to yield to the Holy Spirit and as we do, He’d reveal Jesus to us. That’s why He came (John 16:14). Glory to God! A baby Christian would want Jesus because of what he can get from Him or what He would do for him. Well, that’s alright for a start. However, the more we truly mature in Christ (I technically didn’t say the longer we are in Christ because there are many old but immature Christians. They’ve been born again for so long but still immature. It’s so unfortunate!), the more we see that the Person of Jesus is what we really want. I have used the word ‘want’ in place of ‘need’ on purpose because it’s one thing to know what you really need but it’s a higher thing to want what you really need. That’s a higher position which is brought about by maturity. So people who just know that they need Jesus may just need Him to meet their needs but people who want Jesus have seen Him to be their one and only desire. Precious Holy Spirit, please bring us to this place. We want to experience the fullness of God – Jesus Christ Himself! The Lord Jesus Christ said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” (Matt.5:6). When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, our desire is for Jesus Christ Himself. The Word of God tells us that Christ has been made unto us Righteousness (1Cor.1:30). He is Righteousness personified. I’ve heard it often said that if you have Jesus you have everything. That’s so true. However, I don’t think we have really come to understand that expression. When we come to know the reality of the Person of Jesus Christ, we would begin to see that He is everything we truly desired. His fullness is the fullness of life, joy, peace, happiness, prosperity, safety, success etc. However, when we focus on these things instead of Him, we become limited in every way. It’s like putting the cart before the horse – you’re simply going no way! In conclusion, Romans 8:29 tells us: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God wants many sons (not just children) and Jesus Christ is the Son-Pattern and He wants us to look to Jesus. This should be the number 1 priority of every born again believer. We should desire what God desires for us. It is possible to have the fullness of God here on earth. If not, why did the Spirit inspired Paul to pray it for the saints? It’s time to press into the fullness of God. It’s Jesus Christ Unlimited!