The Love of Christ and the Fullness of God

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#1
[SUP]14 [/SUP]For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [SUP]15 [/SUP]from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, [SUP]16 [/SUP]that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, [SUP]17 [/SUP]so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [SUP]18 [/SUP]may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [SUP]19 [/SUP]and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

-Ephesians 3:14-19

Note: This is a bit complicated but it is a real life situation occurring right now so please think before you answer and make your answers genuine.

The Problem:

I know someone who lives in moderate physical pain, severe emotional emptiness, and relative isolation despite being a genuine, authentic, committed, and faithful Christian for many many years. The devil took a steamroller to their life and body and now they want to go to heaven and be with the Lord.

God keeps telling this person that He loves them and they accept and believe it and love God back.

But recently, some sincere Christians went to this person and told them that God had sent them to tell this person that He was not satisfied with this person just having the head knowledge that God loved them but wanted this person to feel that God loved them in their heart in a way that changes their life.

They gave this person that verse and said to this person that they needed to get filled up with the love of Christ and the fullness of God and that if they didn't and kept asking God to take them to heaven (e.g. allow their body to be killed and their spirit to go to heaven) that He would.

This person has no idea how to accomplish being filled up in this way.

Question 1: What would you tell this person?

Question 2: How can this person be filled up when they have no idea how or what to do to accomplish that?

Question 3: What can others do to help this person accomplish that?
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
2,551
113
#2
If these ppl were truly sent by god then i would love to help these ppl who need our help. It's really as simple a sincerely asking god to have such a loving relationshship with him, to reveal his heart to them. Could you send them my message and tell them i will be praying for them?
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#3
The people who believe they were sent by God are genuine Christians but they did a lot of verbal attacking of the poor person in the process of delivering their message. Christians love to beat up the people they are trying to help with their tongues for some reason.

The person they approached has been through a LOT but has no idea how to respond and is reduced to simply asking God to reveal what to do.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
2,551
113
#4
Oh........ Yes i understand how christians do lashings with their tongues to other christians. I am guilty of this as well, i cannot say i don't ever do this. It is almost always a thing of pride, but who are we to judge others and make ourselves seem righteous..... But if i saw the harm i was doing to someone especailly if they are being hurt from it i would have a very hard time forgiving myself. So i hope these ppl see the harm they are doing because if they don't they will see worse things in their lives than what you friends are seeing
 
A

AgapeSpiritEyes

Guest
#5
I understand not by empathy but in compassion what if these brothers were to just plant the seed of entreaty i tend to believe not for pride or malice but for compassion, simply my experience the Lord told me deny my self take my cross and follow Him, i was frustrated after weeks and months holding it in my heart because i did not know how to do it. Then i experienced anger How can i deny myself? I can not deny i exist or that i am a human being with a soul with wants and needs. So, i asked the Lord how do i do that deny myself? He said, " Acknowledge me." even though it was a deeper simplier answer it still is simply about recieve His word let it work on our hearts and soul HE WILL REVEAL what and when He will do the work. So, I am more open to say JESUS here i am i offer to you my heart my soul my spirit and my body do what you want and what pleases you. He answers each one perfectly and intimately and uniquely, too much, "i have your answer, i have the perfect scripture but, the Prefect Lord is perfect for you and He is perfect for me individually and uniquely, if i allow a work of the power of the Holy Spirit to flow out of me then it is the power of Jesus and it is beautiful i only denied myself emptied of self all so He could be all of Him to them.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#6
Well, the Christians did have a message to impart for the benefit of this person. It's just that they got carried away and somewhere along the line it crossed over into a lashing. We all do it on the internet from time to time but I hope in real life we aren't doing it.

But that's not the point of this thread. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS LOL. :).

Question 1: What would you tell this person?

Question 2: How can this person be filled up when they have no idea how or what to do to accomplish that?

Question 3: What can others do to help this person accomplish that?
 
A

AgapeSpiritEyes

Guest
#7
Well, the Christians did have a message to impart for the benefit of this person. It's just that they got carried away and somewhere along the line it crossed over into a lashing. We all do it on the internet from time to time but I hope in real life we aren't doing it.

But that's not the point of this thread. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS LOL. :).


Question 1: What would you tell this person?

Question 2: How can this person be filled up when they have no idea how or what to do to accomplish that?

Question 3: What can others do to help this person accomplish that?
Thank you for the laugh along with the bold letters, i did answer the question in refrence to my own experience

Jesus said to me so i say, " Acknowledge me(Jesus)." even though it was a deeper simplier answer it still is simply about recieve His word let it work on our hearts and soul HE WILL REVEAL what and when He will do the work. second ditto, third too much is tried by, "i have your answer, i have the perfect scripture but, the Prefect Lord is perfect for you and He is perfect for me individually and uniquely, if i allow a work of the power of the Holy Spirit to flow out of me then it is the power of Jesus and it is beautiful i only denied myself emptied of all self so He could be all of Him to them.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#8
Thank you for your response AgapeSpiritEyes. :) May papa God reward you for caring enough to provide it.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#9
This is a HEAVY passage. We should all be agreeing with Paul and asking God to do this in our life:

[SUP]14 [/SUP]For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [SUP]15 [/SUP]from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, [SUP]16 [/SUP]that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, [SUP]17 [/SUP]so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [SUP]18 [/SUP]may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [SUP]19 [/SUP]and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

-Ephesians 3:14-19
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#10
Age of knowladge, I would tell this person that God is not a God of confusion.
As one that has lived a lifetime of pain, I would also tell this person that Jesus will reviel all in time, and to wait upon the Lord.
I would witness to this person , that the gifts given in looking to Jesus, are trully amazing and will bring all he needs, and already in Jesus, these are with him.
Tell Him to seek and ask Jesus, bring in me the way to live in your spirit, setting flesh aside and to wait patiently for this.
Resting in the peace that is Jesus Christ is Lord come in the flesh.
scripture says.
That everything that was made in Him, was made!
And everything that was not, was not made.

God bless
pickles
 
P

psychomom

Guest
#11
sooo...what you're saying is that GOD sent people to a person who is already burdened to deliver another burden?

because it seems to me that's how it must appear to this person. :(

and, quite frankly, it makes me upset.
'sincere' Christians are capable of inflicting as much damage as anything else.

here's their message, as it must look to this person:

BE strengthened!
comprehend!
know!

seriously? we can just DO these things for ourselves?
personally, i think someone should address the sins of the folks who went to talk to this person.
my guess is none of them has ever lived for long periods of time with 'moderate' pain.
its effects are cumulative, and what pain does physiologically affects the mind.

the person in question is feeling isolated...how many of those people just go to visit? (more than once)
to sit and weep with the person?
to bring a meal and encourage?
read scripture? sing with her/him?

just so sad...
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#12
Amen psychomom, a word if kindness and comfort travels in the persons walk in Jesus, and is never burdensom.
In fact, it lightens the load, knowing one does not carry it alone. :)

God bless
pickles
 
Dec 26, 2012
5,853
137
0
#13
sooo...what you're saying is that GOD sent people to a person who is already burdened to deliver another burden?

because it seems to me that's how it must appear to this person. :(

and, quite frankly, it makes me upset.
'sincere' Christians are capable of inflicting as much damage as anything else.

here's their message, as it must look to this person:

BE strengthened!
comprehend!
know!

seriously? we can just DO these things for ourselves?
personally, i think someone should address the sins of the folks who went to talk to this person.
my guess is none of them has ever lived for long periods of time with 'moderate' pain.
its effects are cumulative, and what pain does physiologically affects the mind.

the person in question is feeling isolated...how many of those people just go to visit? (more than once)
to sit and weep with the person?
to bring a meal and encourage?
read scripture? sing with her/him?

just so sad...
Not only that but a person with chronic long term pain also has to deal with the fact that often we can't do what we want to do,because we are unable to. It's hard to see someone else get around fairly well when you can't. So add to the pain then you have all the temptations being thrown at you on top of it. Add to that it can be depressing as you wonder why it has been allowed for so long and it seems like you can't get much relief from it because even the meds they want to put you on are almost as bad or worse then what you are dealing with. (You ever read the warnings on the bottles and how bad they can be long term) :p
 

PS

Senior Member
Jan 11, 2013
5,399
695
113
#14
I feel upset for the person concerned, partly because of their situation and partly because it sounds as though it was being inferred it was their fault they were dispirited. People in that situation don't need to be preached at, they need love and care and to feel wanted and to come back to James this is where the practical application of our faith could do so much good.

My thoughts dwell constantly on the Lord and his goodness but it is nice to share our love of the Lord with others and in this way, where two or three are gathered together in His name there He is in the midst.

May God bless all in this situation, friends that they may know the right things to do and say and for the sufferer to have God given strength in spirit and in Body.

May God bless.
 
K

Kefa52

Guest
#15
If I were to go to this person. I would humble my heart. Take some alone time with God.
Then I would go to this person just to visit and have fellowship. Pray with them for their needs and "LISTEN" to them.
Let the Holy Spirit do it's job.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#16
The "messengers" have already been challenged for delivery mistakes but it looks like they actually were given, in fact, a message.

They had knowledge about what this person was thinking in their heart as well as what this person was going through that was detailed, specific, and unknowable by any other means than God revealing it to them for the person had told NO ONE anything and was shocked at them revealing the unshared contents of their own heart when they came this person.

When I learned of the level of detail I was actually shocked. Rarely have I seen the Lord approach a group of people and give them such detailed, intimate, and specific knowledge about even someone's thought life before sending send them out with a Bible passage or mission like that.

They did not know this person before approaching. But that's our Lord, He is working hard on our behalf because of His perfect love for us.

Such insight you all have brought to this thread. Thank you. Your wisdom and points are going to good use.
 
A

AgapeSpiritEyes

Guest
#17
Praise the Lord Jesus thank you for your sharing to be Slow to speakquick to listen slow to emotional hurt and judgment, sensitivity to the HolySpirit giving words of wisdom knowledge and discernment great is His lovingkindness received in humility the word, weight it and search the heart to findif any true witness of the working of the Holy Spirit with in the heart andsoul requires humility and gentleness. When the flesh is pricked it rebels but aquiet spirit takes in reproof as love to avoid falling into dangers by notheeding. Thank you for your witness to the Holy Spirit's work brother.
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#18
The "messengers" have already been challenged for delivery mistakes but it looks like they actually were given, in fact, a message.

They had knowledge about what this person was thinking in their heart as well as what this person was going through that was detailed, specific, and unknowable by any other means than God revealing it to them for the person had told NO ONE anything and was shocked at them revealing the unshared contents of their own heart when they came this person.(quote)

If these ones were given this message, and their only wrong was the delivery?
Then they and the reciever should forgive and give all to Jesus.
If you need help in discerning the message of this scripture, and what the intent of the message is.
pm me.

God bless
pickles