Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. 1. There is a fulness and completeness in grace attainable even by believers here, to wit, such as is sufficient for their present state of travellers and warriors upon earth, though not for the state of triumphers and possessors in heaven. They may attain to be complete in Christ, as not only possessing all things by faith and hope, but being indued also with such a measure of the graces of God's Spirit, as is requisite to bear them through against, and make them gloriously victorious over, their chiefest adversaries (Colossians 1:11). Such a fulness is spoken of (Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 1:5, 7), and prayed for here; "That ye may be filled." 2. All the fulness and completeness in grace attainable here is but an emptiness, being compared with that fulness in glory which shall be attained hereafter, called here the fulness of God, and is made mention of as the journey's end, to be aspired unto and aimed at, as a step far beyond any fulness which can be attained here; for he saith, "that ye may be filled with," or until, "all the fulness of God": where he implieth a two-fold fulness, the former attainable here, by which we advance to that other fulness in glory which shall be enjoyed hereafter. 3. The desires and endeavours of believers after Christ and grace should net be easily satisfied, nor stand at a stay for every attainment; but ought to be enlarged, and always advancing towards a further measure than anything already received, even to that fulness of grace attainable here; yea, and the outmost measure of grace here is not to be rested upon, as fully satisfying, nor anything else, until grace be fully completed in glory hereafter: for the apostle, not being satisfied with what he hath asked already, doth here pray, "that they maybe filled" even "until all the fulness of God": and hereby teacheth them to be satisfied with no less. 4. The state of believers in heaven shall be most glorious and blessed, as being no less than, first, the enjoying of God's immediate presence by sense, not by faith or through the glass of ordinances, which shall then be laid aside, God Himself being all in all (1 Corinthians 13:12). And, secondly, the enjoying of His presence fully, and so far as finite creatures can be capable of that which is infinite (1 John 3:2); for this is to be "filled with the fulness of God," which shall be attained in heaven. (J. Fergusson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. |
    |