The Fulness of Christ Received

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John 1:16

And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.

I. AN APPEAL TO OUR GRATITUDE. Glory be unto Christ for His fulness, for of it have all the saints received — Old Testament saints and New, martyrs, reformers, saints on earth, saints in glory, etc., etc. And they all received all that they had.

II. A DISCRIMINATION OF CHARACTER. Thus may we know the people of God, for of His fulness all have received.

1. There are some who receive their religion from their fathers and mothers; but religion is not to be inherited; it is a personal matter.

2. There are those who have got their religion from good works. They do not belong to John's company.

3. Others get their religion partly from self and partly from Christ; but to John's company Christ is all in all. The true Christian gets all from Christ. Even Paul was the chief of sinners, less than the least of all saints, and confessed that he was nothing.

III. A SENTENCE OF ADMONITION TO BELIEVERS. Should they not be —

1. Most humble. Pride, and indebtedness to Christ for all, is a contradiction.

2. Most grateful. When our friends love us we love them in return. So Christ deserves that we should spend the spirit for Him.

IV. A WORD OF SWEET ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE SINNER. You need a new heart, repentance, a sense of sinfulness, pardon. He can give you all, no matter how guilty you are.

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