He's going to be here this weekend. He's going to assist in the preacher's
class and he's going to preach for us Sunday morning. So I'm
looking very much forward to that. Colossians chapter 2. I want
to read the first part of verse 10. And you are complete in him. Now this is a verse I quote quite
often, but I was surprised when I looked through my notes that
only twice in 32 years have I preached from this verse of scripture,
although I quoted so often. And I love this verse. It means
so much to me personally. as much to me personally as any
verse of scripture I ever quote, including 1 Timothy 1.15, which
I always call my favorite, Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, of whom I am the chief. This verse of scripture
is just as precious to me as that verse of scripture is. Now
I request your prayers. Pray for me as I attempt to preach
from this. I really covet your prayer because
I feel so altogether unequal to the task of preaching. I don't
always feel that way, but I particularly do now. So please pray for me
that I'll be enabled to preach this message as it ought to be
preached. Now, I said this verse means
so very much to me personally, and here's why. In my experience, everything I do and everything
about me is incomplete. My faith is certainly lacking. There are always doubts and fears
and what-ifs. My repentance is always lacking concerning what I think
it ought to be. My confession of sin before God
is not sorry enough, nor is it sincere enough. That's my experience. There's always something incomplete. When I think of my love for Christ,
and I do love him, but it seems so weak and shallow compared
to how it ought to be. My service to his people, seems
to have so much self-serving in it. I feel myself to be lacking
and incomplete all the time. There's never been a time in
my life when I didn't feel that way. My self-denial is so weak. Everything I do, everything,
has the mark of incompleteness in it. Lack of fervor, lack of
zeal, lack of watchfulness, lack of prayerfulness, lack of effort. And that incompleteness is not
something I'm proud of. Not in any way. And this passage says, you are
complete in Him. Not you will be complete. Not you are in the process of
being complete. Not you are progressively becoming
more complete. This is spoken of in the perfect
passive tense. Perfect. That means you're perfectly
completed in such a way as will never need to be repeated because
it already is. Passive. There's no works you
did to make it this way. You are complete in Him. It's a work performed for me
and in me, complete in Him. Now this is God's Word. Even
though I spoke of feeling incomplete, God's Word tells me I am complete. Full. Nothing can be added to
me. Now, works religion. That's the
religion of the natural man. Whether Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian,
Buddhist, whatever. Always make salvation contingent
upon you making the process complete. There's something you need to
do to complete things. Christ died for you, but it will
be of no benefit to you if you don't do your part to make what
He did work. Or you've heard, God has a wonderful
plan for your life and He wants this to come to fruition in your
life, but it'll never be completed unless you find out what it is
and carry it out. Now, you've heard me say many
times from this pulpit, salvation does not end with the forgiveness
of sins, it begins with the forgiveness of sins. Don't you love that? Well, in the same way, salvation
does not end with being complete. It begins with being complete. Isn't that great? You are complete. This is spoken of every believer.
You are complete in him lacking nothing. And that is such good
news. And you know what? I believe
it. Do you? I believe it. I may not feel
it, but I believe it. In verse eight, Paul said, Beware,
lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after
the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not
after Christ. Now, beware is a word that is
found in the Bible a lot. And when you go into a yard and
if you see beware of the dog, I tighten up, don't you? I tighten
up, I think of a German shepherd coming at me or some kind of
big dog with big teeth. And I beware when I hear beware
of the dog. And beware is in the scripture
so often, and it's something we can't consider enough or hear
enough. Beware. And here's why. It's
so easy for any of us or all of us to go in a wrong direction,
to listen to the wrong voice or the wrong voices. Very easy. And if you know yourself, you
know that. Beware, take heed. The Lord says,
beware of false prophets and beware of men or beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Oh, that is I was on the plane with a lady
last week and she says, there's just too many hypocrites in the
church. I said, and you're not? You really believe that about
yourself? We better beware of hypocrisy. The Lord said, beware of covetousness. Beware. Take heed to yourself. And to your doctrine, beware.
Now, where's sheep? Let me tell you three things
about sheep that I know. I saw a sheep last week in Mexico that
was just like this. Let me tell you three things
about sheep that's always true. Sheep are dumb. Sheep are dirty. And sheep are easily led astray. And what is the animal the Lord
uses to describe his people? Sheep. Beware, lest any man spoil you,
tear you off, deceive you. Now, what was Paul referring
to? He says, beware, lest any man
spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition
of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ.
For in him, in the Lord Jesus Christ, dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Now, what this is a reference
to is the same thing John referred to in 1 John chapter 4 when he
said, whoso confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh, is not of God, but is that spirit of Antichrist. He
was talking about Gnosticism. That was the big error going
on at that time. But through that error, it was
a blessing because the Lord gave us these scriptures that speak
of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we wouldn't have
known these without that particular error, Gnosticism. Now, what
was Gnosticism? It was simply this. All matter
is evil. If it's got molecules, if it's
got atoms, if it's material, if it's physical, it's evil.
Anything spiritual doesn't have any physical presence. If it's spiritual, it's good,
it's holy, it's righteous. Christ Jesus never truly became
flesh. because if he would have become
flesh, that would have made him evil. And so God forbid that
we would ever do anything to make Christ evil, so obviously
he never became flesh. Now, if that were true, if he
didn't come in the flesh, he was wrong when he said, a body
hast thou prepared me. Remember when he said that in
Psalm 40? A body hast thou prepared me. And if he didn't come in
the flesh, He didn't bear my sins in his own body on the tree,
if he didn't come in the flesh. And if he didn't come in the
flesh and bear my sins in his own body on the tree, you know
who's still bearing them? Me. That would be bad news indeed. Turn over to first John for just
a moment. First John chapter four, verse one, beloved, Believe not
every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God. Because
many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know
ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Now this is exactly
what these fellows weren't confessing. They said He did not come in
the flesh. That would have made Him evil. He did not come in
the flesh. He just had some kind of appearance.
And this Gnosticism means knowing ones. It's not what He did for
you. It's what you know. It's not
him who knows you, it's what you know. Knowing one, salvation
in your knowledge. And John is combating that, Paul
did too. Verse three, every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not
of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist wherever you've
heard that it should come and even now already is in the world.
Now I love that simple little confession. We confess he was
before he came. He's the eternal God. He didn't
begin when He came in the flesh. He was before He came. He came
in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. And bless God, He did what He
came to do. That's the good news of it. When
He came in the flesh, He did what He came to do. He saved
His people from their sins. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead in a body. That's what Paul is referring
to in verse nine. He's referring to that back to
our text in Colossians chapter two. But he says, beware, lest
any man spoil you through philosophy. Now the word philosophy means
love of wisdom. Love of wisdom. And there's nothing
wrong with true philosophy, but love of wisdom is the love of
Christ, isn't it? Because he is the wisdom of God. If you
love Christ, you love wisdom. And so philosophy is not a bad
thing in and of itself, but he's speaking of human wisdom and
human philosophy. He's talking about the Greek
philosophers the same way he talked about them over in Romans
chapter one. You see, we're never to subject the word of God to
human wisdom. as if the Word of God needed
to line up with some supposed standard of wisdom. It's just
like when people take facts of science and say, well, this doesn't
line up with the Word of God. Well, God's Word is God's Word. I don't care whether it lines
up with it or not. God's Word is God's Word. I'm not worried
about getting something to line up with it. Or some kind of human
philosophy or logic. Well, this doesn't line up with
the Word of God. Well, then get rid of it then. The Word of God,
we subject everything to the inerrant Word of God. And any philosophy that is contrary
to the Word of God is wrong. Now turn with me to 1 Corinthians
1. I love this passage of scripture. Verse 17, for Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is to them to perish, foolishness,
but unto us which are saved, it, the preaching of the cross,
the doctrine of the cross, the Christ of the cross is the power
of God for it's written, God says, I'll destroy the wisdom
of the wise, and I'll bring to nothing the understanding of
the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
after that, in the wisdom of God, the world, by wisdom, by
its own wisdom, knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require
a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block,
unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and
the weakness of God is stronger than men. Now this refers to
those professing themselves to be wise. And Paul says they became
fools. He's speaking of the Greek philosophers
in Romans chapter 1. And notice Paul calls it vain
deceit. this philosophy that he wards
us of. It's deceptive in its appearance.
It looks to be what it is not in reality. And then Paul gives
us the sources of this human philosophy. Look back in Colossians
chapter two. Beware, lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men,
after the rudiments of the world. and not after Christ. The traditions
of men. Now, what are the traditions
of men? Anything that's not in the Bible. It really is that
simple. Anything that's not in the Bible
is the traditions of men. the doctrines, the practices
of men that are without the authority of the word of God. Altar calls,
infant baptism, any idea that's contrary to the scripture. Purgatory,
Christmas and Easter, all those different things are not from
the word of God. They're human traditions. How
much confidence do you have in human traditions? I don't have
any confidence in human traditions, none whatsoever. And then he
speaks of the rudiments of the world. The word rudiments means
the ABCs of the world. The way they spell things, the
way they think. There's a way that seemeth right to a man,
the end thereof are the ways of death. Look in the end of
this chapter in verse 20 of Colossians chapter two. Wherefore, if you
be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why,
as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances?
man-made rules of religion. And there's so many of them.
And he summarizes them with this, verse 21, touch not, taste not,
handle not. Now that pretty much is a summary
of man's religion. Don't touch this, don't taste
that, don't handle that, you'll be okay. And look what verse
22 says, which all are to perish with the using. If that's my
religion, what am I going to do? I'm going to perish. After
the commandments and doctrines of men, which things have indeed
a show of wisdom and will worship, and that's what free will is,
it's the worship of the will, and humility and neglecting of
the body, but not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. Now he says, beware lest any
man spoil you, carry you off through philosophy and vain deceit
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and
not after Christ. And here is what this philosophy is seeking
to fight. Verse nine, for in him, in the
Lord Jesus Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. in a body. In Him resides what the universe
cannot contain, the fullness of the Godhead, the fullness
of divinity, all that God is in His incomprehensible glorious
being, all that He is. fullness of holiness, fullness
of justice, fullness of omnipotence, fullness of omnipresence, fullness
of sovereignty, fullness of grace. Every attribute God has resides
in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. He used to be worshipped,
didn't he? Christ did not have rays of divinity
shining through him. He was and is absolute perfect
God. That is who he is. Whatever God is, is Jesus Christ,
the Lord. Look in Colossians 1 verse 15. Who is, speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the image? He's the visible presence of
the invisible God. The invisible God is seen in
the visible Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the firstborn
of every creature. 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. And He's before
all things. By Him all things consist. And
He's the head of the body, the church. I love thinking about
that, don't you? What's a body without a head? He's the head
of the body. He's the identification of the
body. If you want to know who I am, look to my head. If you
want to know my reality, look to my head. He's the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. This is what pleases God. It
pleases Him that all of His fullness, all of His glory dwells and resides
in His Son. Pleases us too, doesn't it? I'm
pleased by that. I'm pleased that all the fullness
of the Godhead dwells in Him. He said, he that has seen me
hath seen the Father. His name shall be called Wonderful
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. When he left heaven and took
upon flesh, he in no way ceased to be God. And when he returned
to heaven, he never ceased to be a real man. He so glories, the God-man. Oh, the excellency, the glory,
the incomparableness of the God-man. The Lord Jesus Christ. I thought
about Psalm 2. There's no, would you turn there?
This shows the excellency of the Redeemer. Psalm 2. David says, why do the heathen
rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth
set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against
the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us break their bands
asunder and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the
heaven shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in
his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king. It says, God speaking, upon my
holy hill of Zion, I will declare the decree. Don't you love that?
The Lord declaring the decree, it's so powerful. I will declare
the decree. The Lord has said unto me, thou
art my son. This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings.
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear. and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but
a little. O blessed are all they that put
their trust in Him." You see, in Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. And look in verse 10, and you are complete. in him. Now, who is the you in Colossians
2 10 when he says you are complete in him? Well, everybody in him. That's simple enough, isn't it?
Everybody in him. Of him are you in Christ Jesus.
They're described in verse 21 of chapter 1. And you that were,
that's the you that are complete in him, and you that were before
time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet
now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death
to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight,
if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you've heard
and which was preached to every creature, which is under heaven,
whereof I, Paul, am made a minister." Now that's the you that are complete
in him. believer, the entire church,
Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaac and Jacob, Lot, the woman
that was a sinner, the leper, the blind man who received his
sight, the Syrophoenician woman, you, are complete in Him. Every believer in this room,
you are complete. Absolutely complete. Nothing
can be added to you. You are complete in Him. Now, the word complete in Colossians
2.10 is the verb form of the word fullness in verse nine,
for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You've
been filled up. There is no room for anything
else. The word is the same word that
was translated accomplished when Moses and Elijah spake with the
Lord of the deceased, which he should accomplish. Same word. Well, what did he accomplish
by his decease? What verse 10 says, you are complete
by what he did. Now you consider the fullness
of Christ. Can he be any more accepted by
His Father than He is? Can He be any more loved by His
Father than He is? Can He be any more holy than
He is? Can He be any more beautiful
than He is? Can he be any more wise than
he is? Can he be any more anything? He can't be any more anything,
can he? Now, John tells us in 1 John 4, 17, as he is. So are we in this world. You are complete in Him. However complete He is, that's
how complete we are. And there's nothing to be done
to make you complete. You have been completed. by what
he did. When he said it is finished,
poor old Todd Naubert is not poor old Todd Naubert anymore.
He's complete. When we were in Mexico this week,
Somebody, it was Cody actually, that told the story of when Marvin
Stoner goes there, and he tells me he goes there every couple
of years, he's been there several times, but when he's there, you
know what a good artist he is. He always wants to put, they
want him to paint a portrait of somebody. If you ever see,
they've got portraits up that he's painted of different members
of the Groover family. And he was finishing up a portrait,
and he was finishing up with red paint on something. And just
when he was finished, Cody said, let me put one little piece of
red in there. I said, oh, sure. So Cody took
the brush and put the red in there, and it was finished. And Marvin put his name by Marvin
Stoniker, the way people, artists do. And Cody said, oh, no. That's
by Cody Gruber, too. You know, the Lord won't let
that happen. He's not going to let that happen. This is by him. No contribution
from you and I. By him. Our completeness is in
him. When he said it is finished, every believer was declared by
God perfect, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in the sight
of God. You are complete. You lack nothing
in him. Now look what else it says. And
you are complete in him, which is the head. I love the way the
Lord's the head, don't you? He's the head of the church.
He's the head of the body. He's the head. He's the head. He's the head of all. He's the
head of all principality and power. He is the head of all rule, of
all beginning, of all government. He began all things. He's the
beginning. He rules all things. He's in
charge of all things. He's the head of all power or
authority. I love thinking about this. He
has all authority and nobody else has any authority. Don't
you love it that way? He has all authority. Power belongeth
unto the Lord and nobody else has any authority. I was, watching while we're driving
on the bus. They had some kind of movie on,
but I remember it. Just one of the references was
a powerful man, a powerful man. And I thought, there ain't no
such thing. He has all power. Nobody else
has any. Now, he is able not merely to
make us complete, but he's already done it. This is not something
that's gonna happen down the road. And the scripture I thought
of when I was thinking about this is where Paul said in Romans
chapter six, verse 11, he says, reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed to sin, but alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I bet that you don't feel
dead to sin. You feel sin stirring up in your
heart even now. You don't feel dead to sin. But when the Lord says reckon
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, there's only one reason. Because
we are. dead to sin. You know what sin
has to say to me? Nothing. It's been put away. I'm dead to sin. And I'm going
to reckon myself that way. I'm going to believe it. I'm
dead to sin, but alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, believer, you may feel incomplete,
greatly lacking. And I sure understand that. Feel that way every day. All the time. You may feel incomplete,
but you know what? You are complete. Right now. In him. Not one drop of anything in salvation
can be added to you. You lack nothing. You're plumbed
full. You can't get any better. Believe. Let's pray.