In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Colossians 2:9,10 NIV)
If you and I, dear
friends, are going to make anything like the progress that Paul made as a
young convert and as a growing Christian, and if we are going to have anything
of the wheat that he has had in spiritual impress and impact, and if we are
going to count in any degree as he counted in the work of the Lord; one thing
is absolutely essential and do get hold of this. The youngest Christian get
hold of this and everybody else; that if we take our salvation, our conversion
or anything that has to do with it as something in itself, there's going to be
limitation.
We have got to see everything in the light of the Person, Jesus Christ!
That is, we have not to take this as a gift – salvation as a gift – or
anything else of the Christian life as a gift in itself; we have got to look
at that and say: "What does that signify as to the Giver? What does that signify as to
Christ? What does that mean as to the Source of my salvation?" You may not
grasp the point but it is of infinite importance because all progress in the
Christian life and all power in Christian service comes from
not the grasping, the
apprehending, and the enjoyment of salvation as such, but
seeing Jesus!
Because, you see, Jesus is the sum total of
ALL Divine fullness.