The Mystery of God Which is Christ
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through Him all things came to be ... Christ is the visible representation of the invisible God, the Firstborn (the Absolute Heir of the Father) and Lord of all creation. For in Him was created the universe of things in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, thrones, dominions, princedoms, powers - all were created, and exist, through and for Him (their whole being, willingly or unwillingly, moves that way - to Him; whether, as His blissful servants, they shall be as His Throne; or, as His stricken enemies, "His footstool"). Through Him as the Mediatorial Word, the universe has been created; and unto Him, as the final goal, it is tending. And He is before all things (in Him is no before or after. He is Pre-existent and Self-existent before all things) and in and through Him all things consist - cohere, are held together, (He is not their Cause only, in an initial sense; He is forever their Bond, their Order, their Law, the Ultimate Secret which makes the Whole Universe, seen and unseen, a Cosmos, not a Chaos).
Moreover He also is the head of His Body, the Church: seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might have the pre-eminence, might occupy the Chief place - stand First and be Pre-eminent: for in Him all the Fullness [of the Godhead] was pleased to dwell, the Divine Fullness - the sum total of the Divine Perfection, powers and attributes - was pleased to dwell in Him permanently, and God purposed that through - by the service, the intervention of - Him (the Son) all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through the blood of His Cross. And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel --- whereof I Paul am made a minister ... according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God, the mystery which hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now is made manifest to His saints, His people, to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations; (the Mystery) Who is Christ in you, the hope of the glory ... in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ... for in Him the Whole Fullness of Deity (the Godhead), continues to dwell in bodily form - giving complete expression of the Divine Nature. And you are in Him, made full and have come to fullness of life - in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and reach full stature ... for out of His fullness as a source we all received, and grace in exchange for grace (one grace after another and spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift ...).
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 31)
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