Sunday, June 21, 2015

trusting...filled up to the brim...

artwork by Cherry Ashen Fargo
My OneWord365 for this year is “trusting.” When I first saw this beautiful work of art by Cherry Ashen Fargo, my eyes were riveted on the word, “trust,” and the symbolism of the lighthouse. The structure itself, rising tall in the sky, lifts our eyes to the heavens and God—a towering signpost to guide the way and warn of danger. The beacon, shining out over the roughest and stormiest of seas, is a symbol of salvation and direction, leading those in danger to safety and security, whether it be physical danger or spiritual and moral trials and tribulation.

Trusting God always draws my heart back to a study of God’s Word. Today, it is a word study on fills or fullness from the last two verses in Ephesians Chapter One, accompanied by a new hymn by the Merchant Band, Come and Let Your Presence…Come and let Your presence fill our praise, fill our praise. Come and let Your presence fill this place. For You are the One we want to meet Jesus, shine through all the praises that we sing. We have come to give You Highest praise, highest praise, We have come to love You in this place. It's all for You, Here we are, here we are…


Ephesians 1:22-23…

Amplified Bible: And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

New Living Translation: God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.

Phillips: God has placed everything under the power of Christ and has set Him up as head of everything for the Church, for the Church is His body, and in that body lives fully the one who fills the whole wide universe.

Wuest: and all things He put in subjection under His feet, and Him He gave as Head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of Him Who is filling the all in all.

Young's Literal: and all things He did put under his feet, and did give him—head over all things to the assembly, which is his body, the fullness of Him who is filling the all in all.

Fills (pleroo) means to be completely filled (completed state—a net or a cup filled to the brim). It carries the idea of permeation, such as salt’s permeating meat in order to flavor preserve it. It also gives the idea of total control. The present tense means continuously fills. Pleroo means to be filled to the brim, to make complete in every particular, to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally, to flood, to diffuse throughout, to pervade, to take possession of and so to ultimately to control.

Pleroo is in the passive voice (subject receives the action—in this context the "divine passive") which points out the fact that as believers, we do not fill ourselves, but permit the Spirit of God to fill us (and control us). In other words, God discloses a knowledge of Himself. One cannot simply learn to know God. God is not like secular truths which may be learned. Divine truth must be revealed!

Pleroo also means to fulfill, to complete, to carry out to the full. Pleroo indicates more than just pouring water in a glass up the brim and has at least three shades of meaning that are helpful in illustrating the meaning. (1) Pleroo was often used of the wind billowing the sails of a ship and providing impetus to move the ship across the water. To be filled with the Spirit then to is to be moved along in our Christian life by God Himself, by the same dynamic by which the writers of Scripture were “moved by the Holy Spirit.” In the spiritual realm, this concept depicts the Holy Spirit providing the thrust to move the believer down the pathway of obedience. A Spirit-filled Christian is not motivated by his own desires or will to progress. Instead, he allows the Holy Spirit to carry him in the proper directions. Another helpful example of this first meaning is a small stick floating in a stream. Sometime in our lives most of us have tossed a stick into a creek and then run downstream to see the twig come floating by, propelled only by the force of the water. To be filled with the Spirit means to be carried along by the gracious pressure of the Holy Spirit. (2) Pleroo also conveys the idea of permeation as of salt’s permeating meat in order to flavor and preserve it.  God wants the Holy Spirit to permeate and flavor our lives so that when we’re around others they will know for certain that we possess the pervasive savor of the Spirit. (3) Pleroo conveys the sense of domination or total control. It is used by the Gospel writers in various passages to indicate that people were dominated by a certain emotion.

Theologian Charles Spurgeon commenting on pleroo, says this involves an intimate, experiential type of knowledge, exhorting us to, “Let us try to know divine truth more and more intimately. You know a man, for you pass him in the streets with a nod; you know another man far better, for you lodge in the same house with him; you know him best of all when you have shared his trouble, partaken in his joy, and have, in fact, had fellowship with him by blending your two lives in one common stream of friendship. When you learn a spiritual truth endeavor to know it out and out; to know its foundation and up building; to know it by the application of the Spirit to your own soul so that you are filled with it.  You may have knowledge in the brain, but it may not run into your spirit, so as to penetrate, and permeate, and saturate your spirit, till you are filled therewith. Oh, to get the gospel into one’s entire nature, and to be like the water pots of Cana, filled up to the brim!”


37 comments:

  1. Beth, I was reading this verse a few days ago. It is amazing to think on being filled with the fullness of Him. I loved the Charles Spurgeon quote you shared ... I don't want to just "nod" at His truths but partake deeply. Thank you for this post today!

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    1. Joanne, thank you so much for encouraging comments! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  2. What a beautiful locket. "Trust", for me, is a challenging word because it requires moving beyond fear. I love the image of the light house as a metaphor. An "Anchor" is also a meaningful spiritual image for me. Thanks for linking, Beth.

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    1. Kelly, I so agree with you about the locket. Thanks so much for your kind comments. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  3. Yes, we are given evidence for our faith in Scripture, and then the work of the Holy Spirit to make faith happen in our hearts. Beautiful words today!

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    1. Amen, Michele, I so agree with you. Thank you so much for stopping by...many blessings to you ❤️

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  4. I love how God fills me up, permeating every part of my being. I have learned that sometimes, God empties us. He turns our worlds upside down and we feel as if everything good has been poured out. That act of pouring out, though, is so that He can fill us up. I'm learning that everything I will ever need can be found in Christ alone. Blessings to you!

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    1. Laura, yes, I have experienced that, too. I so agree with you...in Christ alone...my hope is found. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  5. I like the concept of God permeating my being with knowledge of Himself.....as always Beth, a profound and well studied post that brings new light to these verses of Scripture. What a scholar you are...your Father must smile down on you ;)

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    1. Mary, thank you so much. You are such a consistent and kind encourager and friend. It is God's love for me that draws me to Him for filling morning after morning, knowing that nothing I do could make Him love me more and nothing I do could make Him love me less ❤️

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  6. I found your post so edifying.

    I especially was convicted by your statement, "A Spirit-filled Christian is not motivated by his own desires or will to progress. Instead, he allows the Holy Spirit to carry him in the proper directions." as it made me realize that too often I am going in "Karen's" direction, not heeding the still small voice of the Holy Spirit say, "This is the way, walk in it..."

    I was spurred on by the portion of the Charles Spurgeon quote that said, "When you learn a spiritual truth endeavor to know it out and out; to know its foundation and up building; to know it by the application of the Spirit to your own soul so that you are filled with it. "

    Thank you so much for sharing!

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    1. Karen, thank you for taking time to leave such a kind and encouraging detailed comment. It is such a blessing to me to hear that others are being encouraged by me sharing what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has used to encourage me ❤️

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  7. My one word for this year is also "Trust" Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! (Your near neighbor at #inspirememonday)

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    1. Rachel, thank you so much for stopping by, it's amazing, isn't it, how often God brings us new insight into our "one word" ❤️

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  8. What an encouraging study! I'm struck by this illustration of being filled: "To be filled with the Spirit means to be carried along by the gracious pressure of the Holy Spirit." That's beautiful. Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. Thank you, Karen! Isn't it a joy to know that it is Christ's finished work that carries us...giving us everything we need. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  9. Great word study on "fill" today. I love how you are pointing out the difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. For me, I want both because I want the Holy Spirit in my life to fill me fully with Christ. I liked the NLT version best:"God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself." I am reassured by the words, Christ fills all things everywhere with Himself. Keep sharing God's word and teaching us. I love it!

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    1. Mary, I so agree with you...it is such a joy to share with sweet sisters in Christ, like you, and to feel the Spirit of Christ bearing witness to the Spirit in the innermost part of our fellow believers...many blessings to you ❤️

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    2. I am so blessed you shred this at The Weekend Brew. I pray your week is wonderful.

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  10. Thank you for this little devotional time this morning, Beth. I thank God for the wise knowledge you share here in your online space.

    Blessings to you today!

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    1. Linda, I so appreciate your encouraging comments...many blessings to you ❤️

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  11. Yes to this: "To be filled with the Spirit then to is to be moved along in our Christian life by God Himself." I pray most days that God would fill me with His Holy Spirit.

    I liked your comments under the "Pleroo" section. So much to think about. A friend of mine chose that for her 2015 word: "PLEROO!"

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    1. Betsy, that's so cool, I never thought of using a Greek word for my OneWord365, but "pleroo" would be a great one! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  12. All to often I'd rather be a rock in the stream than the twig the spirit moves. Thank you for the reminder that I need to be malleable and movable in order to be filled!

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    1. I so agree with you...truly all is grace...resting in Him...many blessings to you ❤️

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  13. Love the quote from Charles Spurgeon! How true that it's one thing to know something in our minds, but another to be truly filled with it.

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    1. Thank you, Kathryn, his quotes were so convicting. His words of commentary are so anointed. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  14. Your posts are like going to Bible School! Great work, Beth!

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    1. Thank you, Susan, such a joy to fall into the feather bed of God's word, so comforting to hear over and over again His wonderful words of life ❤️

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  15. Excellent post Beth, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

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    1. Thank you, Terri, it is a joy to link-up with the sweet sisters in Christ at Good Morning Mondays ❤️

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  16. May God Pleroo us! "Pleroo was often used of the wind billowing the sails of a ship and providing impetus to move the ship across the water. To be filled with the Spirit then to is to be moved along in our Christian life by God Himself, by the same dynamic by which the writers of Scripture were “moved by the Holy Spirit. I am encouraged by your words today! Stopping by from Reflect.

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    1. Jann, thank you so much, it is a blessing to know you were encouraged! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  17. Hello Beth, I love that verse too. Jesus fills and completes us. That Word "Pleroo" is fantastic. I have learnt something new today.
    God Bless

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    1. Thank you, Ifeoma, I am so encouraged by your comments. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  18. Pleroo is in the passive voice (subject receives the action—in this context the "divine passive") which points out the fact that as believers, we do not fill ourselves, but permit the Spirit of God to fill us (and control us). In other words, God discloses a knowledge of Himself. One cannot simply learn to know God. God is not like secular truths which may be learned. Divine truth must be revealed!

    This expresses so completely the dependence we must have on god alone. Such wisdom here Beth and broken down so beautifully. Thank you for sharing.

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  19. Thank you so much for your encouraging comments! Many blessings to you ❤️

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