Yes, every believer can be filled with all the fullness of God.
Les Feldick teaches that the moment we are saved, God fills us with all of Himself that He can put into us; this fullness of the Holy Spirit is part of salvation itself. God leaves it within each believer's control whether to maintain that fullness or let it empty out. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:19 asks that believers be filled with all the fullness of God through knowing the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.
Ephesians 3:19 — This verse explicitly records Paul's prayer for believers to be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-17 — These verses show the means by which fullness is received: being strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man so Christ dwells in the heart by faith.
Paul records a prayer in Ephesians 3:19 that believers would be filled with all the fullness of God. The preceding verses, Ephesians 3:16-17, ask for inner strengthening by the Holy Spirit and for Christ to dwell in the heart through faith. Ephesians 1:17 likewise reveals Paul's prayer for believers to receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Scripture also shows that fullness is not limited to the mature. In 1 Corinthians 4:8 Paul uses the language of being full and rich for believers, even though they are carnal. Romans 1:16 calls the gospel the power of God unto salvation, and 1 Corinthians 8:7 acknowledges that not every man has knowledge.
Les Feldick explains that at the moment of salvation, every believer has all of God that He can put into them. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is not something to work for or search for; it is already part of salvation. God leaves it within the believer's control how much of that fullness they maintain or let empty out. Using a cup analogy, Les says a new believer is filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit, but as the world—its allurements, temptations, and desires—fills the believer's life, the Spirit's fullness is displaced. Maintaining fullness is therefore a matter of not allowing material things to crowd out the Spirit. Les also connects the prayer of Ephesians 3:16-19 with ordinary believers. Knowing the love of Christ goes beyond intellectual knowledge into what Les calls a fourth dimension. Even the carnal Corinthian believers, who were babes in Christ, had the language of being full used of them, though they still had a long way to go spiritually. Paul prayed for wisdom, revelation, inner strength, and Christ dwelling in the heart by faith, showing that these truths are to be exercised and grown into.
Les Feldick uses a coffee cup to illustrate. At salvation, a believer is filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit—like a cup full of air. As the believer allows the world, with its allurements, temptations, and fleshly desires, to come in, the Spirit is poured out and the cup becomes filled with material things. Maintaining the fullness means not allowing these earthly things to displace the Spirit. God gives the fullness at salvation; the believer chooses whether to keep or empty it.
No. Les notes that even the Corinthian believers, who were carnal and still babes in Christ, had the language of being full used of them by Paul, though they had not yet become spiritually rich like the Ephesians. The ability to comprehend who God is grows as believers mature. God expects believers to grow in grace and knowledge, but the fullness of the Holy Spirit is already theirs from the moment they believe.
Les Feldick takes Paul's phrase about being able to comprehend with all saints the breadth, length, depth, and height, and explains that this goes beyond a three-dimensional understanding. To know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, is to enter a fourth dimension—a deeper realm of understanding that cannot be grasped with ordinary intellectual knowledge. Les says the world did not understand this when Einstein proposed a fourth dimension, but the Bible describes it as what believers are to enjoy.
Knowing Christ's Love in the Fourth Dimension
going in chapter 1? A long time. Because again, there is so much in there that just jumps out at you. Now here we are in Ephesians chapter 3, and drop down to verse 16. And again, it's a prayer of the Apostle Paul, not only for the Ephesian believers, but also for us. Now here it comes. "...that ye may be able to comprehend." Now what's the difference between knowledge and comprehending? Nothing.
Fullness of the Holy Spirit at Salvation
That the moment we're saved, we have all of God as He can put Himself into us. We have everything so far as the fullness of the Holy Spirit from the very moment we believe. You don't have to work for it. You don't have to look for it. That was all part of salvation.
Even Mature Believers Can't Fully Comprehend
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge, even these Corinthian believers, who were still babes in Christ, did not have the full comprehension of who and what God really is. And I dare say there are a lot of believers today that are saved, they're still babes in Christ, and they have no comprehension of who God really is.
Believers Grow in Grace and Knowledge
But you see, God doesn't expect a new believer to stay that way. He expects them to begin to grow in grace and in knowledge and in wisdom, see? It's a perfect analogy between the physical and the spiritual. All right, so in reading back to verse 16, it's the power of God unto salvation, that all-inclusive Word, that yes, it is going to be our way into glory.
Carnal Believers Are Not Yet Spiritually Rich Like Ephesians
And every time we get an inkling that, hey, maybe I'm somebody special, boy, knock that thought right down, because we are nothing except what God has let us become. And that, again, is all based on His what? His grace. See? His grace. I don't deserve three meals a day. I don't deserve any of the good things of life, but I have them. Why? Because God's grace has seen fit to permit it.
Paul's Prayer for Wisdom and Revelation
drop in at Ephesians chapter 1, and this is more or less a prayer that Paul is praying on behalf of these Ephesian believers, and for those of you who have heard me teach longer, you must realize that Ephesians takes us into a deeper realm of our teaching concerning the Body of Christ. You'll find truths in Ephesians that you won't even find in Romans and 1 Corinthians and so forth.
Cup Analogy: Maintaining the Spirit's Fullness
Half. If I pour out three-fourths of the cup, then three-fourths is air, one-fourth is water. All right, now I always bring this together in an analogy. This is a good way to explain the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The moment we're saved, we're filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit.
Strengthened by the Spirit in the Inner Man
Verse 16, "...that he would grant you..." Now don't lose sight. Who is he writing to? Gentiles. He's writing to you and I. And he says, "...O that he," God, "...would grant you," Gentiles, "...according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit," capital S, the Holy Spirit, where? In the inner man, not just intellectually, not just in the head, but it has to be in the…
Ephesians 3:19: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
This is the central verse answering the question—it is Paul's request that believers be filled with all God's fullness.
Ephesians 3:16: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man,
Shows the inner strengthening needed for Christ to dwell in the heart.
Ephesians 3:17: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Highlights faith as the means by which Christ dwells in believers.
Ephesians 1:17: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Paul's prayer for spiritual wisdom and revelation.
1 Corinthians 4:8: Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
Paul uses 'full' and 'rich' of carnal believers, showing that fullness is not limited to the spiritually mature.
1 Corinthians 8:7: Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
Acknowledges that not every believer has full knowledge, even while saved.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Declares the gospel is God's power for salvation—the basis of the believer's fullness.
Yes. Les Feldick teaches that at salvation, each believer is filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit from the very moment they believe; it does not require working for it or searching for it. He also notes that believers can maintain or lose that fullness depending on how much they allow the world to fill their lives.
No. Even the Corinthian believers, who were carnal and infantile in their faith, had the language of being full used of them. God expects believers to grow in grace and knowledge, but the fullness of the Holy Spirit is given at salvation.
Paul prays for believers in Ephesians that they may be strengthened with might in the inner man and know the love of Christ that passes knowledge (Ephesians 3:16-19). Paul also prayed for the Ephesians to receive wisdom and revelation. These prayers are for the growing experience and comprehension of what is already possessed.
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