The Sufficiency of Christ

Colossians 2:8-10

I this morning we are spending our time in the book of Colossians. The theme of the book is the lordship of Christ and his sufficiency in meeting our needs in every area.

Now the sufficiency of Christ is something that is constantly under attack. It’s under attack in your work places, it’s under attack in your schools, it is under attack in your own homes. There is nothing that Satan wants more than for you to believe that Christ is not enough. Because as soon as you have bought the lie that Christ is not enough you are willing to open yourself up to alternative gods that will satisfy the needs of your soul.

Now this looks different from week to week and generation to generation. But nevertheless this how it takes place.

Let’s look at Paul’s words here for a moment. He mentions two things that carry us away from Christ. That word carry away is pirate language. Spoils, booty. Satan’s desire is to carry you off as spoil. And this takes place through what Paul calls “the Philosophy” and “empty deceit.”

The philosophy isn’t referring to philosophy as a discipline, but the false teaching that had infiltrated the church. We’ll look at it, he describes its roots in the rest of the verse. But there’s a reason why he uses this word. The word means the love of wisdom. Very often false teaching comes in the form of wisdom. The wisdom of this world sees the cross and calls it foolishness.

Believer you have to get over the fact that the world thinks you are a fool for believing that Christ is sufficient. You don’t have enough time on this planet to waste it concerning yourself about what spiritually blind people think about you.

This second description is empty deceit. Lies that have no substance. He uses this word specifically because he began this book in 1:5 by saying that the Gospel is the truth. Do you understand what is being contrasted? Nothing less than truth and lies.

In 1:19 we are told that all of the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ. That is a way of saying that he is fully God. He repeats the language in our verses. The point is Christ is as John describes, “full of grace and truth,” and false teaching is empty and deceitful. It is void of Christ.

Now quickly here, see that this false teaching that says Christ is not enough is according to the traditions of man, according to the elemental spirits of the world.

How often are we confronted by teachings that are contrary to the cross, but have a good footing in human wisdom and tradition? Think about what we are told these days. A person is born the way they are born, they cannot change their feelings toward who they are attracted to. Believer that is a teaching that is based upon human tradition, human wisdom and not according to Christ.

Christ is sufficient for all of our needs. He changes people. Think about language about mental illness that we didn’t hear 20 years ago. We have all learned a new language and we don’t even realize it. The word triggered was not in my dictionary 20 years ago. We are told we need experts in in the care of souls to deal with real problems. And we send people off to people who have been taken captive by empty deceit to shepherd souls. Believer this is not according to Christ.

Yes there are physical reasons for certain things, diet changes, and medicine certain has its place. But we often abandon the sufficient one and entrust our care to those who are empty.

Who can fix your marriages? Who can heal your childhood emotional wounds? Who is sufficient for these things? Isn’t it Christ?

See he says watch out or you’ll be carried away and you won’t realize it. It is in Christ where you will find the fullness of God. He says God is fully there and always fully there. The word means permanently. This isn’t a short stay, God has chosen in his wisdom to take on humanity. To permanently be both God and man for us and for our salvation.

And it is in him that we find our fullness. That means that there is nothing lacking in him, and that when we come to him we find everything we need.

Do you believe that he is sufficient for these things, believer?