Understanding Christ's Divine Fullness and the Godhead in John 17:5

John 17:5

5 And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.

John 17:5 relates directly to Christ's request to be restored to the absolute fullness of the divine nature and glory He shared with the Father from all eternity, a fullness that was indeed the presence of the Godhead bodily. 🕊️

The Fullness of the Godhead and Divine Nature

• In Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, meaning He is the embodiment of the divine nature in its entirety Colossians 2:9RH November 24, 1904, Art. A, par. 3+1.

• This fullness includes the original, unborrowed, and underived life that is exclusively the property of God, which Christ possessed before His advent to this world John 1:45BC 1130.3+1.

• When Christ prayed to be glorified with the Father's own self, He was seeking the restoration of that glory which He had before the world was, when He was the express image of the invisible God and equal with the Father John 17:59MR 126.1+2.

• The Godhead, comprising the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, acted in perfect unity to provide this fullness for the redemption of the racePH148 5.3.

The Glory and Presence of the Father

• Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the very impress of His substance, upholding all things by the word of His power Hebrews 1:3ST December 12, 1895, par. 5+1.

• By clothing His divinity with humanity, Christ veiled this glory so that humanity could reach humanity, yet His divinity occasionally flashed through His human guise, revealing the King in His beauty9MR 126.1+2.

• The "Self" of the Father with which Christ desired to be glorified represents the inexhaustible fountain of love, life, and holiness that constitutes the divine nature20MR 229.3+1.

• His glorification at the right hand of God was the signal for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which serves as a communication from Heaven that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished and His authority as Priest and King was fully recognizedTT 22.5+1.

Restoration through the Spirit and Life

• The Holy Spirit is the agency through which the glory of God is revealed to His people, making manifest the character of Christ within the soul1888 1017.3+1.

• As the Son has life in Himself, even so has He been granted to have the same underived life as the Father, which is the "fulness" that satisfies every human need John 5:265BC 1130.3+1.

• To be "filled with all the fulness of God" is the ultimate goal for the believer, achieved as Christ dwells in the heart by faith through the operation of the Spirit Ephesians 3:191888 1628.2+1.

• Accepting the deity of Christ and His eternal pre-existence is essential to a true conception of the plan of redemption, for one cannot separate Christ's life from the fountain of the GodheadDD 10.1.

• While the pioneers of the church once wrestled with different definitions of the Trinity, the Spirit of Prophecy has clarified that the Godhead consists of three co-eternal and co-equal persons, each fully divine and united in the work of saving man Matthew 28:19PH148 5.3.

It is a vital and sacred principle to cling to the Bible as our only rule of faith and practice, especially when seeking to understand the divine nature of the Father, the Son, and the Holy SpiritDD 10.1. The Scriptures provide the only reliable testimony concerning the deity of Christ and His relationship with the Father, and to reject this testimony is to undermine the very foundation of our faithDD 10.1. 📖

The Terminology of the Godhead

• While the term "Trinity" has been the subject of much historical debate, the Bible and the writings of Ellen White frequently use the term "Godhead" to describe the divine nature and the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Colossians 2:9PH148 5.3.
• The Godhead was stirred with pity for the human race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves collectively to the work of redemptionPH148 5.3.
• Jesus Himself commanded His followers to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, showing the distinct yet united roles of these three powers Matthew 28:19.
• In Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, meaning He is the perfect representation of the divine character and nature Colossians 2:9ST December 12, 1895, par. 5.

The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ

• Any doctrine that denies the deity of Christ or His pre-existence before His advent to this world contradicts the plainest statements of our SaviourDD 10.1.
• Christ is the Word who was with God and was God, possessing life that is original, unborrowed, and underived John 1:45BC 1130.3.
• He was the express image of the invisible God and had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, making Him the only one capable of representing the Deity to humanity9MR 126.1+1.
• The glory He requested in His prayer was the same glory He shared with the Father from all eternity before the world was created John 17:5AA 38.3.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

• The Holy Spirit is sent from heaven as a token that Christ has received all authority in heaven and on earth as our Priest and KingTT 22.5+1.
• The work of the Spirit is to glorify Christ by revealing His character to His people so that He becomes the object of their supreme affection1888 1017.3.
• Through the Spirit, believers can be "filled with all the fulness of God," which is the restoration of the divine image in the soul Ephesians 3:19GCB October 1, 1901, page 586.2.
• True sanctification requires the purity of Christ and a perfect conformity to the will of God, which is made possible through the indwelling of His SpiritRH November 24, 1904, Art. A, par. 3.

By focusing on the "knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus," we are protected from subtle errors and deceptions that seek to divert the mind from the personal coming and character of our LordDD 10.1+1. Clinging to the Word of God ensures that our conception of the mission of Christ remains clear and based on a "Thus saith the Lord"DD 10.1. 🙏