Complete In Him

Introduction

Every where you look there is a message saying, “Here are the Four steps to a better marriage.” “the Twelve steps to overcoming your addictions” “3 Ways to become a better you” The message is always you need something more. The church of Colossi was going through a similar bombardment of messages. False teachers were coming in and saying, “you need to listen to what we have to say because there is this secret knowledge that you are missing. If only you had it you would be a better Christian. We aren’t 100% sure who these false teachers were, but we do get a glimpse into their doctrine.

Elements of the heresy attacking Colossi:

Human philosophy- wisdom of the world vs 8-15

Legalism vs 16-17

Mysticism- angelology vs 18-19

Asceticism- vs 20-23

a. Human philosophy- vs 8-15- This is not a condemnation of philosophy in general as long as it is undergirded by the scriptures, but it is a warning against human reasoning. There are some things the bible says are true and they don’t make sense to us finite human beings. Perfect example of this is the trinity. Sometimes when men try to reason out what God hasn’t told us they come up with some crazy ideas. Beware of thinking the world’s thoughts. Some may sound good like love is love, or follow your heart, but they will lead you astray.

b. Legalism- vs 16-17- These false teachers were looking down on the Colossian Christians, they judged them because they did not keep the practices of the Mosaic law. They were adding extra requirements to the Christian faith. If you aren’t doing these things you just don’t have that secret knowledge. You are a lesser Christian.

c. Mysticism-vs 18-19- I use this phrase loosely because it means different things to different people. AW Tozer claimed to be a Christian Mystic because he believed in experiential religion. In this sense I would agree with him, but mysticism refers to secret religious practices. These false teachers believed in an order of angels or divine beings of which Christ would have been just the highest. Their religion involved mystical worship of the angels.

d. Asceticism- vs 20-23- Added to their legalism was a form of asceticism. They had extra rules or ordinances vs 20 about what you could not touch, taste or handle. Interestingly, I have heard legalistic preachers take this verse out of context to support their legalism. They have created extra rules- commandments and doctrines of men. Verse 23 calls it will worship or worshipping according to one’s own will. Self-made religion.

All these elements can be found in the teaching of the Essenes. These false teachers were claiming to have a hold on secret knowledge that all the rest of you Christians don’t have. “We have knowledge and insight better than yours.” And the implication is you need something else more than Jesus. Verse 10-15 are what I want to focus on tonight since it is Easter and there is a connection to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Paul begins with a statement that in Jesus is all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. That means Jesus is completely God. He is lacking nothing. There isn’t anything we need to add to Him. And because this perfect, complete being Jesus Christ lives in us, we are complete in Him.

Colossians 2:10 “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”

The Christian is not lacking some hidden knowledge or practice that they need to add to Jesus Christ. In 2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” Everything you need for living life and living godly, you already have. But how do I have it? The verse goes on to say it is through the knowledge of Him.- When we came to know Jesus Christ as our savior, we received everything we needed because we received Jesus Christ Himself. We have the Holy Spirit living within us. Our experience of this truth grows the more we know Him and abide in Him, but we have it all now.

Notice back in Colossians 2:12 “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” All this is available to us because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So tonight we are going to look at three results of the resurrection of Jesus. Three things that us being complete in Christ by his resurrection implies.

We are raised with Christ

Colossians 2:12–13 “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

This first point is why this message can be preached on an Easter Sunday. Once you become aware of the doctrine of our Union with Christ you will see it everywhere in scripture. You could probably spend an entire year if not more going through each of the passages that talk about us being in Christ. Many times when Paul talks about our union with Christ it is in the context of our death, burial and resurrection with him. Because we are connected to Christ by His Spirit, His death and resurrection have an actual spiritual affect on our lives.

The death, burial and resurrection of Christ and our union with Him are the reason we can be confident that we have everything we need to live life and live it holy. As Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Living Holy is possible for the Christian because Christ literally lives in us. He has given us eternal life which the bible say is in the son.

So let’s tie this back in to the main premise that we are complete in Him. Jesus Christ is completely God and He is all you need. We are only complete in Him. It is because of our connection to Jesus that we have everything we need. In fact to say we need something else is to say that Jesus Christ is not enough.

Do you need more? Does your christian life feel like it is laking something? The reality is if you are born again you are lacking nothing because Christ lives in you. This is a truth that we must reckon to be true.

Our sins are forgiven

Colossians 2:13–14 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 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;”

The second benefit of the death burial and resurrection is the forgiveness of sin. To many of us this is obvious but Paul paints a picture that I think it is important for us to think about. He describes our salvation in three different ways in this passage.

Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances- The ordinances are the written moral code, the Mosaic law. In the previous verse Paul used the term transgressions to describe our sin. A transgression is a violation of a known law, crossing a boundary. The law with all its rules and regulations stood against us and condemned us. We were all guilty. The hand writing of ordinances is a certificate of our indebtedness. The law was not just against us, but was contrary to us. It pushed us down.

Alexander McClaren once said:

Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Two

‘Law is against us, because it comes like a taskmaster, bidding us do, but neither putting the inclination into our hearts nor the power in our hands.

We had a debt we could not pay and the bill collector was coming. But Jesus blotted out that record of debt. Back in Bible times, most writing was actually done on animal skins or clay tablets; so if you wanted to erase something you would wipe it. This is the literal meaning of blotting out. The record of our debt is literally wiped clean. You can’t get it back.

2. took it out of the way- When I think of this verse, it seems like Paul is using two pictures to illustrate what Christ did. Not only did Christ wipe our slate clean; He took the bill away from us. It was sitting there in our hands exactly where Satan would love it to be, but Jesus took it away. Its removed, no longer there. I think sometimes we want to hold on to that guilt. We live under the shame of our sin and refuse to let it go. For clarity let me define some terms here: Guilt is our objective guilt. It is the raw facts that we violated God’s law. Shame on the other hand is the feelings of guilt whether real or perceived.

Have you ever sinned, and immediately the Holy Spirit convicted you. You confessed and made it right, but you still have that guilty, nagging feeling inside? That is shame. Objectively, you are clean. God has forgiven you. Jesus has removed that bill of debt, but you can’t accept that.

3. Nailed it to his cross- But what did Jesus do with that bill of debt- He nailed the bill to the cross. It is a statement, that the bill has been paid. Anyone who questions it can look to the cross and know that it has been paid.

When I am struggling with the shame of my sin, it is important to preach the gospel to myself. You might think the gospel is just for lost people who need to get saved, but we are never to move beyond the gospel. Paul speaks of living according to the gospel in Gal, Titus is about the lifestyle that is according to the gospel. Here I need to remember what happened in the gospel. What did Jesus do with my sin? I need to look at that cross and remember, my sins are nailed to the cross. The weight of guilt I wear no more.

How does this connect with being complete in Christ? All my sin, past, present and future have been completely dealt with in the cross. There is no more sacrifice needed to atone for my sin. Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” This doesn’t push living however we want, but a heart of love responds in grateful holiness.

Satan is conquered

Colossians 2:15 “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Verse 15 seems to be randomly placed, but it is not. Who is it that is behind these false teachers telling you, you need something else other than Christ? Satan would love nothing more than to distract you with false pursuits, giving your energy to things that will not produce holiness. Legalism, philosophy, mysticism and asecticim will not lead you to Christ. Rather they are all forms of self-made religion.

When Christ rose from the dead not only did we rise with him, not only were our sins nailed to the cross; but Satan and his spiritual beings were defeated.

Principalities and powers-

Romans 8:37–39 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Colossians 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

Ephesians 3:10 “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

These are the forces of Satan, the fallen angels who left heaven when Satan rebelled against God. These terms are used because they held sway over the world. Satan is called the prince of the power of the air. The devil has a measure of authority on this world.

Spoiled- here means to disarm. Satan thought he had won. The death of Christ was supposed to be his victory. And without that hope mankind was doomed, but Satan was stripped of his power over us.

made a shew of them openly- Jesus did not rise secretly. His resurrection was a public event and it was to the shame of Satan. This and the phrase to follow speak of a public triumphal procession of victory. Ephesians 4:8 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Satan is a defeated foe.

Don’t you see how completely Christ has worked on our behalf. Everything has already been done. There is no more for you to do. Christ has completely paid for our sins, nailing them to his cross. He took them completely out of our hands and wiped away our debt. He has completely forgiven all our sins and he has completely conquered Satan. The battle is already won.

Conclusion

When Satan and his false teachers tell you are not enough, when they say you are an utter failure, God could never use you. I must preach the gospel to myself. I am not enough, but in Jesus I am complete in Him. My sins were blotted out, nailed to the cross and Satan you are a defeated foe.

When you are struggling with doubt, fear that God will cast you off.

when you feel like you need something more, to make this Christianity work.

When you feel there is something hidden from you, if you could just find it.

Remember, the answer isn’t in some hidden practice or truth; Jesus has done it all for you already. And because of our union with Christ, we are complete in Him.