Corporately Praying the Word (continued)
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 Preeminence, might occupy the Chief place - stand First and be Preeminent: 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 upon spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift ...).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ; according as He has chosen us in Christ - actually picked us out for Himself as His own in Christ - before the foundation of the world (before the foundation of the cosmos, of all created order seen or unseen) was laid, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him), in love predestinating us (having marked us out before hand) to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His Grace which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: in Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and generosity of His gracious favor, which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), making known to us the mystery (secret) of His Will - of His Plan, of His Purpose.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 29)
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