The Hope Podcast

Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his website www.aneelaranha.com. This daily podcast brings you very short messages of hope and encouragement for these difficult times.

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The Hope Podcast

The Fullness of God

October 17, 2024 • Aneel Aranha • Season 5 • Episode 176

Ever felt spiritually incomplete? Learn about the fullness of God dwelling within you through His Holy Spirit and how this truth can revolutionize your faith journey.

176. The Fullness of God — Aneel Aranha

Hello and welcome to The Hope Podcast. I'm Aneel Aranha. Today, we will talk about the profound reality of God's completeness within us through His Holy Spirit.

When Jesus ascended, He promised to send the Holy Spirit, saying, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever" (John 14:16). This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost, marking a new era of God's presence with His people.

Paul reminds us, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). This indwelling isn't partial; it's the fullness of God residing within us.

The implications of this truth are staggering. Paul further declares, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness" (Colossians 2:9-10). Through the Spirit, we partake in this divine fullness.

How can we live in light of this reality? First, recognize that you lack nothing in Christ. Paul assures us that we have been blessed "with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).

Practice awareness of God's presence within you. Brother Lawrence called this "practicing the presence of God" — a constant communion with the indwelling Spirit.

Allow the Spirit to transform you from within. Paul also encourages us to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). This renewal comes through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Trust in the power available to you. Paul speaks of God's power "that is at work within us," capable of doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

Remember, this indwelling isn't for our benefit alone. We're called to be channels of God's presence to the world around us. As Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me... rivers of living water will flow from within them" (John 7:38).

As you embrace the reality of God's completeness within you, you may find a new confidence in your identity in Christ, a deeper sense of God's constant presence, and a greater capacity to live out your calling.

God bless you.