‘YOU ARE COMPLETE IN HIM (CHRIST)"
(Colossians 2:10)
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Col. 2:2: “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. “I wish I could tell you how great my concern for you and those at Laodicea is. Yes, and for all the others whom I have never met personally.”
Paul was not only schooled for years in the Jew’s religion. Paul was also caught up to the “third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2), where he was given visions and revelations of the Lord. He knows what it means to receive Christ and enter into the Godhead. He has seen it---from the other side. Yet, he is ministering to Gentiles, a people ignorant of God, who serve superstitions and embrace man-made religions. Suddenly they receive Jesus! In a flash they inherit glory (on their way to a greater glory). Could a beggar, suddenly made king begin to comprehend what has happened to him? He now lists four reasons why he wishes he was there with them to enlighten them of this Great Kingdom Glory of which they are now citizens.
- That your hearts might be comforted.
- That you might be knit together in love
- To all riches of the full assurance of understanding.
- In the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father and of Christ.
Matthew Henry: “When our faith grows to a full assurance and bold acknowledgement of this mystery. To a full assurance of a well-settled judgment; to a free acknowledgment, and we not only believe with the heart, but are ready to make confession with our mouth. This is called the riches of the full assurance of understanding. Great knowledge and strong faith make a soul rich. The soul prospers when it is filled with joy and peace. The stronger our faith is and the warmer our love, the greater will our comfort be.
“ I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern for me. Your love is greatly appreciated. I feel knit together in the Body of Christ in love. Let me comfort you that the Lord is covering me with this Grace of a strong faith, warm love and through that mystery my comfort is great. Some have approached me puzzled at this mystery. This is the mystery that your hearts might be comforted as I am comforted.
Verse 3: “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” These treasures are not hidden from us, but for us in Christ. Romans 11:33: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
The false teachers insisted that blind faith was all right for the masses, but the higher knowledge of God was reserved for the philosophic mind. They taught that one had to be initiated into their secret societies before the mysteries would open to them.
Verses 4-5: “And I say this less any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
The most wonderful secret any Christian can learn is contentment with Christ Himself---as a person! The Colossian deceivers offered deeper experiences by way of their rituals and exercise. Some believers were led into strange experiences purported to be more spiritual than simple faith in Jesus.
6-7: “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” “Since you have received, don’t be deceived!” The experience of receiving Christ gives them more than all the world’s philosophers rolled into one.
1. They had the experience of receiving Jesus. The Spirit testifies to that.
2. Changes have occurred in their lives as a result.
3. Inward joy fills them as they relax in the sure knowledge of sins forgiven.
Verse 8: “Beware unless some clever man (word-handler) spoils you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." The enemy attacks the mind. This is the place where satan does his dirty work. More than one saint has given his heart of Jesus, yet satan has managed to keep his mind. Satan has plenty of clever people serving him who know how to use religious bait. The teachings involved traditions such as specific foods—washings—self-punishing disciplines—initiatory rites—metaphysical and Jewish theologies.
Verse 9: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is a powerful declaration of Deity! It means that the total personality of God belongs to Jesus. When we reach heaven, we will not meet a personality different from the one manifested by our Lord Jesus. The fullness of God is found in the person of Jesus. Then he tells us what happens to us once we are joined to Jesus.
Verse 10: “And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and powers.” When we receive Jesus, we are joined to that same fullness. Therefore our spiritual makeup is now full. We are complete in Christ, the fountain from which all authority and power proceeds. Eph. 4:13: Until we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This scripture is one of the corner-stones of the vision and calling of this church.
Verse 11: “In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” This is not by the power of any creature but the by the power of the blessed Spirit of God. Again, the Jews thought themselves complete in the ceremonial law; but we are complete in Christ. When were saved, a spiritual surgery occurred. This is a spiritual act whereby Christ cuts away our old unregenerate nature of rebellion against God and imparts to us the spiritual or resurrection life of christ, the circumcision of the heart.
Verse 12: “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead.” Through faith in his death and resurrection, we have His resurrection life within us. He’s alive. He’s not dead! We are alive in Christ through the circumcision of the Holy Sprit. Rev. 1:18: “I am He that lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” You see we were trapped in our old nature which causes people to sin. Our sins separated us from God. As far as He is concerned we were dead, spiritually dead. We couldn’t help ourselves. That old nature was not yet cut off from the soul. We had no way to make ourselves holy. Our only prospect was eternal separation from God---hell. God has completely forgiven our sins and made us alive in Christ.
Verse 14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; As sinners we broke God’s Law. A death warrant was issued listing the charges proved against us, charges of which we were guilty. But God took that warrant, nailed it to the cross, and legally cancelled it. Since we had sinned we were guilty before the Law. God’s Law is eternal. It cannot be set aside, neither will it pass away. (Mt. 5:18) For verily I say to you. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.” The Law specifically says we must die for our sins---and we do---when we receive the redemption of the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Verse 15: And having spoiled principalities and powers. He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” He openly displayed Jesus’ triumph over satan disarming him and his entire band of spirits down to the last demon. The child of God shares in the triumph. We gain victory over the world and temptation. We also possess power to wage war against the spiritual forces of evil. Christ triumphed over all the demonic forces and satanic powers of the world through his death on the cross. When He cried, “It is finished!” and departed from his body. Satan’s access to Him ended. At the same time, His death was the final victory over the devil. He had sampled the worst satan could deliver and was triumphant. This victorious life is what produced the righteous nature we receive at salvation. This nature is our source of victory over satan. The cross was Jesus’ “ticker tape” parade acknowledging before the hosts of Heaven His great victory over the devil. At the same time it sealed satan’s doom forever.
Verse16-: since Christ has made you complete, don’t let anyone sell you on the idea that your faith is to be measured by sets of rules relating to diet and drink. Ignore those people who would bind you to the old Jewish festivals, new moons and Sabbaths. They are trying to regulate your faith with ceremonies. This refers to all of the Sabbaths of the law of Moses.
Verse 17: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” These are prophetic symbols of unseen truths. Jesus fulfilled all of the festivals, temple ordinances and the temple.
Verse 18: Let no men beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. Worship and prayer to anyone other than God the Father and Jesus is unscriptural and must be rejected. Watch out for those who have any worship addressed to angels. I believe in the ministry of angels and have seen them more than once. However, they are fellow servants and not to be worshiped. At Colosse, special worship was given to the Archangel Michael, for it was thought he once diverted the Lycus river sparing the city from a flood. Where do people get such notions? Why do they come up with those ideas?
Verse 19: Such people are not really joined to christ themselves. If they were really in the body, they would know that He is their Head and that all they are and have is directly from Him alone. Is not any body administered by its head? Even to the point of receiving nourishment and instructions” It is our directed and vital connection with Christ that makes us alive and welds us to one another into the one body. Why, even growth is impossible unless we are literally joined to God. We are as close to Jesus as a touch is telegraphed to the brain, linked by a spiritual nervous system. Anything which moves our focus from Jesus, such as worshipping saints or angels, destroys our heart communication with the Lord.
Verses 20-22: So if by your death in Christ you severed all of your connections with this world’s way of looking at things, and its formulas for being saved, why would you know act as though you were still subject to its rules? Since the way of the world is no longer your sphere of life, why bind yourself to such prescriptions as, (“Don’t eat this,” or “Don’t taste that,” or “Don’t even touch the other?” Obeying these man-made regulations has no spiritual value at all. How can they? All such things are to perish with the using ;) the commandments and doctrines of men? The world has its own ideas about righteousness. Man says I want to do it my way, so he invents schemes for religious perfection. In christ Jesus we already have God’s own righteousness.
Verse 23: Such things have indeed a show of wisdom and appear pious. We could even win honors for wisdom if one purports unusual insight by means of them. Unfortunately no amount of body punishment or worship of angels can humble the will of a man. As severe at the body treatment might be, it is of no help in silencing the demands of the flesh. Far from eliminating unclean thoughts and desires, they end up making a man proud.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
www.eastgateministries.com
Scripture from K.J.V. Text from Lovett’s Lights on Colossians by C.S. Lovett. Quotes from Matthew Henry. Comments and conclusions are my own.
