“You have been given fullness in Christ.” ~Colossians 2:10

The inspired apostle Paul reminds us in the middle of Colossians 2 that God has so fully identified you with Christ Jesus that whatever happens with Jesus also happens with you. By virtue of your baptism and your “faith in the power of God,” when Jesus died, you died with him. When Jesus was raised from the grave, you were raised with him to walk in newness of a brand new and eternal life.

When you are identified so completely with Christ, you cast aside your whole way of life. Your entire sphere of existence changes. In baptism, you have died to the old way of living, the old alliances, the old allegiances, the old powers that used to control you. You died to all that. And you are alive now to God’s new world of complete and total salvation in Jesus.

“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules?” ~Colossians 2:20

Why are you still living by the world’s rules? Why do you still submit to the world’s principles? Love those who love you. Assert your rights. Get a high-paying job. Vote for this candidate. Drive this kind of car. Live in that zip code. Argue about your opinions. Insist on your way. Buy a bigger TV for your second house. What is that? What are you chasing? What are you looking for? All those things are destined to die. It may appear to be wisdom, it may sound smart, it may feel right–but it’s based on human thinking and worldly principles.

What do you need that you haven’t already been given abundantly in Jesus? You have HIM. You are in HIM. He has already given you everything he will ever demand and everything he could ever give. Why would you look to anyone else? Or anything else?

God made you alive with Christ, Colossians says. You have been given fullness in Christ.

Peace,
Allan