The Fulness of the Godhead Bodily

2006-02-07

“For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)

This verse speaks of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There are many different views of God and what one must do to enter heaven. Two similar views seem to be most common. One is that people must be a good person to enter heaven and to be found acceptable by God. The other view is that people personally feel they have done so much wrong in their life that it is impossible for them to get to heaven. Who is good enough to enter heaven? With whom is God truly pleased? Is there a point when someone has done enough good deeds that God is satisfied? And is there a time when someone has done enough terrible things in life where they have no shot of ever making it to heaven?

Part of the problem is that we are usually asking the wrong questions. If we were to answer the question of who is good enough, the answer is not as we would hope: No one is good enough, because God is perfect and demands perfection (Deuteronomy 18:13). And since God demands perfection, He will punish imperfection as a righteous Judge (Psalm 53:1).

Evidence of God is all over the world around us and is seen in the creation’s complexity and order. His wisdom is seen in all of the created things from the atom to the solar system and beyond, but we as people fail to recognize God as the sovereign creator of everything and we have decided to live life our own way without Him.

But God, as mighty as He is, is nearer to us then we can fathom, and loves us beyond our comprehension. Knowing that an infinite chasm separates us from God, He sent His Son Jesus in the flesh to the earth, and validated Himself as the Son of God through many miraculous signs. This Man Jesus handed Himself over to the religious and political leaders of the time, and was tortured and executed. His death paid the price we could never pay; the infinite God, in a mortal body, covered our infinitely vast shortcomings. But the grave could not contain Him. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, was seen by more than five hundred people, and ascended to heaven. He remains there until the Day He will return to judge the world (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

Jesus had us in mind when He suffered and died at Calvary, and wants all people everywhere to turn to Him. When trusting Jesus’ death and resurrection as the payment-in-full for our sins, we can know for a fact that we will be in heaven: Not because of what we have done in our lives, but because Jesus forgave our sins by offering Himself as a sacrifice in our place. It is not about what we offer to God in our own frail effort; it is about what Jesus has already done for us. Forever forgiven. Enmity with God eradicated. Eternally secure in Heaven.