John 1:16 NASB95
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
Let’s break this verse down a little bit. First, the Holy Spirit, through John, says, “we have all” received. It doesn’t say some of us, or most of us, but it says “we” and “all.” The word “all” in the Greek literally means “ALL.” Secondly, this verse says we all “have received.” That’s in the past tense, and so it has already taken place. Thirdly, we are told here that we (as in Christians) have ALL received of “His fullness, ” and finally, HIS FULLNESS involves grace upon grace. Grace upon grace means it never runs out. There is always an endless supply of the gift of His Fullness to face any and every situation that life confronts us with in this fallen world. Notice that it doesn’t say we do anything to “achieve” His fullness. It is part of the standard equipment that every person receives when they receive Christ. It is not something you are working towards or trying to position yourself to get. If you are in Christ – that is if Christ is in you – His fullness is what we live from, not for. You can’t get more of Jesus if you are a Christian, and you need not live your Christian life by anything less than His fullness. Please stop asking God to give you the grace to do certain things. In the person of Christ, He already has. So many believers live life out of their emptiness and emotional weariness instead of living life “on the highest plane” from His fullness. The “I can’t take it anymore” syndrome that so many Christians live in is a result of trying to live for Christ – sincerely – instead of living from Christ and His limitless resources and adequacy. One of the most important verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 3:5; “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” How adequate is Christ to be a godly husband, wife, parent, teenager, employer, employee, etc? You don’t have to live one more minute on an empty tank, mentally or emotionally. You can stop begging God to change you and give you victory. The fullness of Christ that you already possess is the change and the victory.