You Are Complete In Christ
Colossians 2:10 says we have been made complete in Christ. What does this mean?
To understand a verse, we must first understand the context of the verse. Paul wrote to believers in Colossae who had responded to the good news of God's grace that Jesus had done everything for them through his death and resurrection to achieve for them salvation, leaving them nothing to do but only receive by faith what Jesus had done. Grace was having an incredible impact on their lives (Colossians 1:3-8).
However, in Colossae, there were many different religious and spiritual groups seeking to take away the good news of God's grace from the believers. Paul wrote to encourage them that everything they needed to be in a relationship with God, know God, be close to God, have fellowship with God, and be forgiven by God is in Jesus. If they had come to faith in Jesus, then they had everything they needed...they had it all...they were complete.
In the letter, Paul told the Colossian believers they had received an inheritance from the Father. This inheritance was being taken out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of Jesus. The inheritance included redemption, or the full payment for their sins by Jesus, being totally forgiven of all their sins (Colossians 1:13-14, 2:13), made alive with Jesus, no longer under the law (Colossians 2:14-16), and that Jesus now lived in them (Colossians 1:27).
As a result of having everything they needed to know God in Jesus, and by faith had received his grace, Paul encouraged them not to be taken captive (Colossians 2:8) by the spiritualists, religionists, and legalists who were widely scattered and in full operation in Colossae. These groups were telling the believers in Jesus that grace was not enough...that the shed blood of Jesus for their sins was not enough...that his resurrection was not enough. Each group, having their own set of rules, rituals, and requirements, sought to persuade the Colossian believers that in addition to Jesus...in addition to grace...in addition to faith...they needed to abide by that group's religious system and needed to have certain experiences or meet certain expectations.
In addition to encouraging the believers not to let themselves be taken captive by the spiritualists, religionists, and legalists, Paul also told them not to let anyone judge them if they did not follow the religious system of the spiritualists, religionists, and legalists. This meant for them to stand strong in their belief that Jesus is enough...grace is enough. If they have Jesus, they have everything they need. They are complete.
Spiritualists, religionists, and legalists are still around today. They are in every country. They are in every city. They tell us that Jesus is not enough...the cross is not enough...grace is not enough...faith is not enough. They tell us we need to follow their set of rules, rituals, and requirements if we are to be complete and confident in our relationship with God...if we are to know God...if we are to be close to God...if we are to be in fellowship with God...if we are to be forgiven by God. They tell us we need to meet certain expectations and have specific experiences. But according to the Bible, they are wrong! If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you are complete. You are filled with the fullness of who God is and what he has freely given you in Jesus. No rules necessary. No rituals necessary. No requirements necessary. No expectations necessary. No experiences necessary. The only thing that was necessary was the shed blood of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection. And he completely did both!
Through faith in Jesus you have been taken out of the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of Jesus, where you have redemption - the full payment for all your sins - and the forgiveness of all your sins. You now live in the kingdom of the forgiven...the Kingdom of Grace (Colossians 1:12-14; 2:13). In the Kingdom of Grace you have been made alive with Jesus (Colossians 2:13). He lives is you (Colossians 1:27). You are not under law (Colossians 2:14). God is your Father (Colossians 1:12). No rule, ritual, requirement, experience, or expectation can accomplish these these...only Jesus...only grace.
We joyfully celebrate what our Father has done for us through Jesus (Colossians 1:11-12). We continue to grow and become stronger in Jesus, overflowing with gratitude for all God has done for us through Jesus (Colossians 2:6-7).
My encouragement to you is the same as Paul's to the Colossians. Do not let anyone or any group take you captive by telling you faith in Jesus is not enough...the cross is not enough...grace is not enough...the resurrection is not enough. Don't let them take you captive and have you abide by their rules, rituals, requirements, experiences, and expectations. Jesus is enough. Grace is enough. The Cross is enough. The resurrection is enough. Faith is enough. You are complete!
Do not let anyone or any group judge you for not following their ways for knowing God, being close to God, being in fellowship with God, and being forgiven by God. Knowing God, being close to God, being in fellowship with God, and being forgiven by God comes by the grace freely given us in Jesus and receiving his grace through faith. By placing your faith in Jesus, you have everything you need. You are complete!
Jesus is enough! Grace is enough! The cross is enough! The resurrection is enough! Faith is enough! Time to celebrate by joyfully giving thanks to the Father and continuing to grow in Jesus (Colossians 1:12; 2:6). You are complete in Jesus!
