This morning our message will
be taken from Colossians chapter 2. Now I'm entitling the message
from what is said in verse 10. You are complete in Him. Complete
in Christ. Now think about that. That's
a glorious, glorious thought. Complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. All fullness dwells in Him and
you are complete. Complete. Nothing lacking. Complete
in Christ. This word complete means made
full or filled up. We know the Lord Jesus Christ,
all the fullness of God dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ for
how long? Notice it says there, for in
Him dwelleth, dwelleth from all eternity. All fullness dwells
in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is Almighty God. From everlasting
to everlasting, Thou art God. All fullness dwells in Him. Look at verse 19, Colossians
chapter 1. For it pleased the Father that
in Him should all fullness dwell. Why does all fullness dwell in
Him? It pleased the Father to put all the fullness of salvation,
redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. You remember John chapter 1 when
it says, Of His fullness have all we received grace for grace. That's the reason for grace is
grace. We are filled to the full in
the Lord Jesus Christ. We see this word again that's
used over here. In a look at Colossians chapter
1 verse 9, Colossians 1 chapter 9, it's the same word. For this
cause we also, since today we heard it, do not cease to pray
for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge
of His will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That
word there, filled, is the exact same word that's used complete
in chapter 2, verse 10. I love both words. Complete in
Christ and filled up in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that God requires
of us to stand before Him completely justified and made righteous
and sanctified is filled to the full in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers can't get any more
sanctified, justified than they are right now in the Lord Jesus
Christ. As I pointed out in the reading
across the page in chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3, it says
the last part of that, Christ is all. Christ is all and in
all. Would you have salvation? Well,
Christ is all. Would you have the forgiveness
of sin? The Lord Jesus Christ is all.
The forgiveness of sin. You remember in chapter 1, verse
14, it says, in whom we have redemption through His blood.
The forgiveness of sin. So in redemption and salvation,
Christ is all, and we're complete in Him. We're complete in Him. You cannot add to that which
is complete, full, or made whole. We have all things fully, freely
provided for us by His grace. God who spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely, I like that word, freely give us all things? Bank rupt
centers need that salvation that's the free gift of God. Only that
which the Lord provides in Christ is only that which the Lord will
accept. We're accepted in the beloved,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 1, Colossians
2 verse 1, I would that you knew what a great conflict, concern
I have for you and for them, not only in Colossae, but for
them in the neighboring city of Laodicea. And for as many as have not seen
my face in the flesh." Now, Paul spent three years in Ephesus
preaching the gospel. And many, I'm sure, from Laodicea
and Colossae came there to Ephesus to hear the apostle Paul preach
the gospel. And many of those people came
there and heard and believed And the Lord even raised up a
preacher, a pastor of that church that's mentioned in the book
of Colossians. His name is Epaphras. You remember
back in chapter 1, verse 7, he says, Also you learned of Epaphras,
our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister
of Christ. So God raised up a people and
raised up a pastor and raised up a church, a gospel church
there to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know,
God is still doing those same things today. It flees God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. One of the greatest blessings
God can give to any community or any people is a God-called,
God-sent gospel preacher. What a blessing! The Lord has
raised up men and sent them to preach the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And their heart concern, as Paul
says there in verse 2, that their hearts might be comforted, that
their hearts might be knit together in love. unto all riches of the
full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God, the mystery of godliness. Look back at chapter
1, he mentions that. Look at verse 25, Colossians
1.25, Wherefore I made a minister according to the dispensation
which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God, Even
the mystery which had been hid from ages and generations, but
now is made manifest to the saints, to whom God will make known what
is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is what? Christ in you. Christ in you,
the hope of glory. Paul desired their spiritual
well-being and was concerned for them, that their hearts might
be comforted. You see that? What does our heart,
what comforts a sinful, guilty heart? Knowing that Christ put
away all our sin. That their hearts might be knit
together in love. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, long-suffering. You see what he's saying there?
That their hearts might be comforted. That they might be knit together
in love, in Christ, under all riches of the full assurance
of acknowledging a full assurance of understanding the mysteries
of God, how God can be just and justify the ungodly, the mysteries
of God. He's given us an understanding,
and He's given us knowledge of Him. We know the Son of God has
come. John said He's given us an understanding
that we might know Him that is true. And we're in Him that is
true, even in God, the Eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The mystery of God and the Father
and of Christ. Christ in you, without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh. Now, notice verse 3, Colossians
2 verse 3, in whom? That's the key here, in whom? In Christ. In Christ we are comforted. In Christ we have love. In Christ
we have assurance. In Christ we have understanding.
In the Lord Jesus Christ we have the knowledge of God in Christ. In whom are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. These treasures are hidden in
Christ. They're not discovered naturally. They have to be revealed that
God has put all treasures all the treasures of wisdom. You
think of all the wisdom of God, knowing how God can be just and
justifier, how He can be a just God and a Savior, all the treasures
of salvation. Redemption, love, grace, and
mercy are all bound up in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's hid these
things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto His children,
in whom are hid all the treasures of His grace, the riches of his
grace, the riches of his love, the riches of his mercy. You
remember Ephesians chapter two, turn over there, Ephesians chapter
two, look at verse, look at verse, Ephesians 2 verse 4, But God,
who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved
us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together
with Christ by grace are you saved, and hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in the Lord
Jesus Christ. That in the ages to come we might
show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward
us through the Lord Jesus Christ. You see what he's saying there?
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom, all the treasures
of knowledge, all the treasures of His grace, mercy, love, and
peace are all in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why Paul said,
Oh, they may win Christ and be found in Him. Look at verse 4. And this I say, Now I'm saying
this, Paul's saying, I'm concerned for you. And this I say, lest
any man should beguile or deceive you with enticing words of man's
wisdom. For though I be absent in the
flesh, yet I'm with you in the spirit, joying, rejoicing, and
beholding your order, your order. ordered in all things and is
sure, that is the covenant of grace, in the steadfastness of
your faith in Christ Jesus. Now, saving faith has just one
object. Saving faith is not based upon
emotion. The foundation of faith is the
Word of God, right? The object of faith is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Saving faith doesn't look in
here. All we see and hear is emptiness. Saving faith is always
looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. Beholding your order. It's the
order of grace and the steadfastness of your faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Saving faith does not quit. Saving
faith perseveres. You remember in chapter 1, look
at verse 21. Colossians chapter 1 verse 21.
He said, And you that were sometimes alienated, enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of
his flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable
in his sight, if you continue in the faith. And that's what
saving faith does. Saving faith continues in the
faith, being grounded, settled, rooted, being not moved away
from the hope of the gospel. which you've heard, which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven, wherefore I,
Paul, am made a minister." Saving faith looks to Christ. Starts in faith, we walk by faith,
the just shall live by faith, always looking to the Lord Jesus
Christ. The steadfastness and order of
your faith. Now look at verse 6. As you therefore received the
Lord Jesus Christ, now walk in Him." Now I love that word received. It doesn't say here, as you therefore
earned the Lord Jesus Christ, walk ye in Him. As you therefore
have received Him. Now how do we receive Him? We
receive Him as the gift of God's love to us. We receive Him by
God-given faith, for by grace are ye saved to faith. You have
therefore, as you have therefore received the Lord Jesus Christ,
how did you receive Him? We received Him as Lord. We received
Him as prophet, priest, and king. Now He says here, walk ye in
Him. Again, it's talking about persevering
in the faith, continuing in the faith. As you therefore have
received Him, As you've received him by grace, now continue in
the grace of God, walking and living by faith, looking, learning,
and leaning upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, come unto me.
and take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." So we receive him
as Lord, and we walk in him by faith. The just shall live by
faith. We walk by faith, not by sight. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul said in Romans 4, it is of faith that it might be by
grace that the promise might be sure to all to see. So as
you've received Him by the grace of God, the Lord Jesus Christ
is everything. Now, live in Him. In Him we live
and move and have our being. Walk in Him. Live in Him. Look
to Him. And then look at verse 7. Being
rooted. Being rooted in Him. built up
in him, established in the faith as you've been taught, and then
abounding with thanksgiving. Now let's look at those things
in verse 7. Rooted. Rooted. When I think
of things being rooted, what do you think of? I think of a
tree being rooted. And this is what he's talking
about here. Believers, like a tree, have been planted by the rivers
of the water of life, and their roots grow deep in grace in Him. We're rooted in Him. We're grounded
in Him. And then he says we're built
up in Him. Trees planted by the Lord Jesus Christ have all their
nourishment from Him. He is the true vine. We are the
branches. And then it says, built up in
Him. Now this is not being puffed up with pride. This is being
established in Him. Built up in Him. resting and
fixed upon the foundation that God has laid. Now, some of you
men are builders, they're in the construction business. And
when you build a building, what's the first thing you do after
you have the plan and the blueprint and all that? You dig a foundation. You wouldn't dare build a building
on the sand, would you? That wouldn't last. So we're
rooted in Him, deeply, deeply rooted in His grace, His mercy,
His love, and they were built upon Him. Other foundation can
no man lay than that which is laid. You remember the scripture?
Which is? The Lord Jesus Christ. And then
Isaiah says this, it's recorded in Isaiah, Behold, I lay in Zion
for foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone. Those who rest on that foundation
are never confounded, and then established here. Established
in the faith, that is, taught by Him. And that's how we're
established, we're taught by Him. Remember our Lord said,
no man can come to Me except the Father which sent Me draw
him. And all those who have heard and learned of the Father, they've
been taught by Him, they come to Him. Taught by Him. He is
the teacher, and He is the lesson. He has a lesson that he teaches.
He said, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life, I am the
light, I am the door, I am the bread of life, I am the life
of the world, I am light, I am the door, I am the good shepherd. Everything is relative to him
in saving mercy. And then he says, abounding with
thanksgiving. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift of his love, his mercy, and his grace unto us. It's unspeakable,
isn't it? Describe to me the love of God.
Describe to me the mercy of God. It's beyond comprehending, and
it's beyond describing what it is. Oh, the depth of the wisdom
of the love of God, the depths and riches of his wisdom and
of his grace. But this scripture comes to mind,
and to know the love of Christ with passive knowledge that you
might be filled with all the fullness of God, that you may
be able to comprehend with all the saints the breath the length,
the depth, the height of His love? Beyond comprehension, isn't
it? But we do rejoice in it, and
we are thankful. We say with David, bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy
name. And then he comes with another
warning in verse 8, beware. Beware. You ever take a walk in the neighborhood
and you see a sign on the fence that says, beware, dog on premises,
or beware, you're under surveillance. That is, take note, be cautious. What he's saying here, beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy, the philosophy of
human intellectualism, or vain empty deceit after the traditions
of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. So we need to beware. Beware
of some things. Beware of false teachers. God
hedges us about with promises lest we despair and warnings
lest we presume. Don't assume that everyone who
calls himself a preacher is said of God or is preaching the gospel,
because our Lord warned many false prophets have gone out
into the world. 1 John 4 says this, Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, talking about
preachers. whether they be of God, because
many false prophets have gone out into this world. My pastor used to have a saying.
He said, Be careful who you listen to. Everybody who calls himself
a preacher is not sin of God. He said the woods are full of
preachers, and I found that to be true over the years. Everybody
seemed to be a preacher, but they're not called of God, they're
not sent of God, so beware. Now, he mentions here three or
four things about philosophy, which is talking about Human
philosophy. Philosophy is what? Thoughts.
Remember our Lord said, your thoughts are not my thoughts.
All of our thoughts, naturally speaking, about God and the way
of salvation are totally wrong. Totally wrong. It's just the
opposite. We think salvation is about what
we do. It's just the opposite. It's what He has done for us.
So beware of human philosophy, human thoughts. People often
say, well, you know, I don't know what the Bible says, but
I think, uh-oh, beware. They put their thoughts above
what God says. Beware of this philosophy. And then it says, secondly, beware
of the traditions of men. Our Lord said this in Matthew
15, but in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men. As I said a moment ago, the foundation
of faith is the Word of God. It's not based upon religious
tradition. There are so many religious traditions
in our day that have been passed down through the years. and they're
all totally contrary to the gospel of God's grace. And he mentions
there the rudiments of the world or the elements of the world.
Things that are not after the Lord Jesus Christ are to be quickly
disregarded. You see, grace and works will
not mix. Law and faith will not mix. It's all of grace or it's all
of works. It cannot be a combination of
both. And my friend, this book teaches
that salvation is by the grace of God alone, by the purpose
and grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. It's not
free will and free grace. It can't be both. This book teaches
the free and sovereign grace of God, not the free will work
of man. Man's will is always downward
and selfward, never Godward and upward. It's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
Now, look at verse 9. I said all that to get to this
point. It all gets relative to in Him. In Him are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. In Him we walk and move and believe
and have our being. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of God, the Godhead, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who
would you say the Lord Jesus Christ is? Many in religion have
different opinions about who this man is. Jesus of Nazareth. Who is he? Our Lord said, I and
my Father are one. He said, when you've seen me,
you've seen God, for I and my Father, we are one. In him dwells
all the fullness of God in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice,
in him dwelleth, dwelleth, always, continually, From everlasting
to everlasting, He is our God. He thought it not robbery to
be equal with God. When the Lord Jesus Christ was
manifested in the flesh, He became what He was not. but he remained
what he is, eternal, holy God. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. The fullness of God, the Godhead,
the fullness of the divine trinity, all perfections of deity, eternity,
immutability, all the attributes of God reside permanently in
the Lord Jesus Christ. as the God-man mediator, for
He is the Eternal God. Why does all fullness dwell in
the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, chapter 1, verse 19 says
it pleased the Father. It pleased the Father that in
Him all fullness should dwell. It pleased God. This is my beloved
Son, He said, whom I am well pleased. Now, here's a contrast. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness
of God. Fullness of God dwells in Christ,
resides eternally in Him. We are just the opposite. By
nature, we are Empty vessels, right? Empty vessels of all that
is good and holy. The Apostle describes us by nature
without God, without hope, and without Christ. Empty, empty
of anything good, right, and holy. Empty vessels need to be
filled with the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know,
the only thing we're full of Iniquities by nature. We're full
of sin, iniquities, transgressions that need to be put away. By
nature, we're full of that. But we're emptied of anything
good and godly. There's none good but God. There's
none righteous, no not one. Isaiah describes us from the
head of our foot, from our head to the bottom of our foot, head
to toe. Nothing but iniquities, sores
that haven't been treated, bound up, or mollified with ointment.
Head to foot, nothing but open, running sores. We need His fullness. We need His righteousness. Thanks be to God. In Christ crucified,
we have the full atonement for our sin, our iniquities, and
our transgression. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all our sin. In Christ, we have the fullness
of redemption. He redeemed us with his own blood. In Lord Jesus Christ, we have
the fullness of righteousness established. in him. Blessed
is the man to whom the Lord would impute righteousness without
works. Now, I thought about this. Where did Abraham find the fullness
of salvation? Where did Abraham, God said Abraham
believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Where
did Abraham find the fullness of salvation? Our Lord said of
Abraham, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw
it and was glad. Abraham found the fullness of
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Where did Moses find the fullness
of all salvation? Did Moses look to the law for
salvation? No, sir. Our Lord said of him,
For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me. Moses
wrote about me." Moses' hope of salvation was the fullness
of salvation revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and how believers
are made complete in Him. Where did Isaiah find the fullness
of salvation? Remember Isaiah 53, where he
writes, he was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised
for our sins, our iniquities, and with his stripes we are healed. It pleased God to bruise them
in our room and in our stead, and in him, in the Lord Jesus
Christ, God Almighty, in Christ crucified, is satisfied. The
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." So Abraham found
the fullness of salvation in Christ. He stood complete in
him. Moses found the fullness of salvation
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah, he's the Lord God our
Savior. How about Job? Job. Old Job. They say that's the
oldest book in the Bible. The book of Job. What did Job
find in the fullness of salvation? What did Job say? I know my Redeemer
liveth. Talking about the Lord Jesus
Christ. How about Peter? Where did Peter find the fullness
of salvation? Well, listen to his sermon on
the day of Pentecost. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. You have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified the Lord of glory. But God raised Him
from the dead. Peter said, we are redeemed with
the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where did Peter
find the fullness of salvation? In the Lord Jesus Christ. Where
did he find the completeness of salvation? And you are completing
Him? in the Lord Jesus Christ. How
about John? Peter? And John? Where did John find
the fullness of salvation? This is eternal life, John writes,
that you might know Him that is eternal life, and that you
might be found in Him. You can go through all those
old patriarchs, the apostles, and all the prophets. Where did
they find the fullness of salvation? Where were they resting in the
completeness of the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ?
They found it all to be fulfilled in Him. To Him give all the prophets
witness. In Him, you see verse 9 again,
in Him dwelleth all the fullness of a Godhead bodily, and you
are complete in Him. Is that your hope? Do you have
any other hope than to be complete in Christ? Nothing lacking. Everything that God demands of
a sinner is found in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He's all fullness toward God
and all fullness toward His people. And we're complete in Him, filled
to the full in Him. Nothing needs to be added by
us or anyone else. Of His fullness have all we receive
grace, Because of grace. That's what John writes in John
chapter 1. Now in closing, I want you to look at this. We quote
this scripture all the time. Maybe someone here hasn't seen
this. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
1. Now some of you know what verse I'm going to read. Verse
30. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse
30. Everything God requires of us
is found in Christ. But of Him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us. He is our wisdom. He is our
righteousness. He is our sanctification. He
is our redemption. Now, if you're in Him, but of
God, are you in Christ? How did you get in Him? He put
me in there, in that eternal covenant of grace. He is my wisdom. You remember we read a moment
ago, in Him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. He is my righteousness, the fullness
of righteousness we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said,
O that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And He is our sanctification. How does He sanctify us? By the
one offering He perfected forever, them that are sanctified. And
He is our redemption. Am I repeating myself? Good. Good. He is our redemption. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches
of his grace. And you are complete in Him.
He is our Head. He is our Lord. He is our King. You remember we read in Colossians
chapter 1, For He is before all things, by Him all things consist.
Verse 18, He is the Head, the Body, the Church, who is the
Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that in all things
He might have the preeminence, the glory in all things. What's true of the head is true
of the body. What's true of the head is true
of us, because we're in Him, vitally connected to the Lord
Jesus Christ.