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

Colossians 2: 6-15

Recurrent Thought

Jesus completed all the work for our salvation, life and Godliness; As we grow in Him we must be sustained by the power from His Finished Work

To be a Christ-devoted follower is to live a life already completed and laid out for You by God. In Christ, God accomplished everything essential for me to live a life that is complete, and fulfilling. In dying, Jesus Paid the debt of our sins, allowing God to justify us, credit righteousness to us and adopting us into his family.   

The Passage we consider today is an expected reaction to the explosive truth of the of All sufficient Christ as stated in Ch.1. The expected reaction is for people to acknowledge Christ and submit to Him. Thus, Ch. 2: 6 begins with this thought. As we acknowledge him, what forms of life should we manifest? 

Note that this introductory thought also reveals the foundational pillar of the Christian Faith: That the Christian Faith is a relationship in which we acknowledge and receive Christ Jesus the Lord. Notice it shows:

• The Christian life begins in a personal reception of Christ 
• The Christian Life begins when Christ is received as THE CHRIST: He is the Anointed One, commissioned by the Father to reconcile the world to Himself
• The Christian Life begins when Christ is received as Jesus the Lord

The Passage has two sections: First, it reveals distinct responsibilities of Christ-Devoted Followers as they Grow in Christ (2: 6-8). Second, it reveals what Christ has already done for the believer, which in turn becomes the foundation and capacity to enhance their growth. The accomplishments of Christ guarantees every believer a victorious life (2: 9-15)

Part 1: You are Responsible for Your Growth

In this section he gives three forms of responsibilities in growing in Christ

1. Christ-Devoted Followers Must Ensure to Walk Well in Him (2:6b)

   • The word “walk” expresses the general conduct of man and the process of progression in the formation of individual character. 
   • The phrase the “Walk of a Believer”, is a sum total of how we relate and grow in Christ
   • The will of Christ, as indicated in His character, words, spirit, and example, is the ruling principle in the life of the believer
   • The Christian life is governed by the law of Christ that dictates and guides us in life.
   • If Jesus, the Christ, the Lord created You, how do you react? Walk well with him
2. Christ-Devoted Followers must Ensure to be Rooted and Built in His Faith
   • To grow in Christ demands one’s initiative.
   • Rooted and Built through a careful study of the Word. 
   • This begins by being taught of the things of God (2:7).  It is essential to be teachable: Through the people he sends in our lives, to guide us to the truths; and by the Spirit, who came to teach us all truth
   • The only way we get Rooted and built in the Lord is through our interaction with the Word of God
   • Being Rooted also correlates with the life that abounds in thanksgiving (2:7)
   • Being Rooted and Built means we are established in Faith
3. Christ-Devoted Followers must Ensure not to be enslaved by a False Philosophy
   • It is interesting when we look at Ch. 2:8. You will notice that the main emphasis is Philosophy and the rest of the verse speaks only in relation to that Philosophy.
   • What does the word Philosophy mean? It is a study or a reflection on the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. It is the quest for truth
   • In the light of the perverting philosophies of Gnosticism: that taught that Jesus was not lord but a demigod, Paul states clearly that People should not fall for such False Philosophies. He further underscores how a False Philosophy looks like.
   • A false philosophy is known by its profitless speculations.
   • A false philosophy is one that is speculative is full of vain deceit
   • A false philosophy is known by its purely human origin.—“After the tradition of men.” It stands on The human mind which is limited. We must also state clearly that All human knowledge is imperfect. 
   • A False Philosophy is known by its emphasis of empty elementary principles  The Word used as elemental is same as alphabet and it is emphasis of philosophy or wisdom that celebrates letters or mere education. But Paul constantly stated the the letter killer but the spirit gives life
   • A false philosophy is known by its Christlessness.—“And not after Christ.” Christ is neither the author nor the substance of such teaching of peril.
   • A false philosophy is known by its destructive influence.—“Lest any man spoil you.” 

Part II: What Christ Has Already done For You

The Section to this Passage, states what Christ has done for and in the believer guar anting them a victorious life. It begins by starting that in Christ the Godhead, or the fullness of God dwells in bodily form and makes a very bold jump that the same Jesus fills every believer and has done specific things on behalf of them (2:9-10). Paul uses four Metaphors of the Cross to show a multifaceted work of Christ for the believer: Circumcision, Baptism, Financial Transaction and Military Conquest

1. I am Complete in Christ (2:10)

   • Jesus fulfilled all necessary laws to die for me by that virtue I am complete
   • He filled me by His Spirit and I am complete in him
2.  He has Cleansed and Forgiven My Sins and My Past (2:11-13)
   • He uses the example of Circumcision of the past (Philip. 3: 3)
   • He states that we are have the circumcision of Christ. 
   • Just the Jews were connected to God and through Circumcision they revealed this covenant, similarly by the Circumcision of the heart, we are His. We were also cleansed by His blood (2:11)
   • Christian circumcision is inward and spiritual.—“Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands” (Col_2:11). 
   • He uses the Metaphor of Baptism which shows that in Christ we are already Dead, Buried and Risen with Him (2:12)
   • Remember we were once dead in our sins, and our flesh worked in us, but were made alive in Christ who forgave us all our trespasses.
   • Baptism by water, like legal circumcision, is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.
3. He has cancelled my Debts (2: 14)
   • Every Human being has had a record of debt against them
   • The accuser of brethren uses the records of Sin to torment us
   • The Law was not evil in itself, but it revealed our sinfulness and yet never gave us the capacity to be victorious;
   • In this case the Law of Moses becomes only diagnostic and accusatory and never redeeming and affirming. 
   • Through the Cross he Paid for all my sins and Cancelled All the Record of the Law, what I owed God
   • The frustrating Record, with its demands he nailed to the Cross with Him; All that was written against me is already dealt with
4. He has crushed my Enemies (2: 15)
   • Through the Cross He has conquered over all wicked powers 
   • All Evil Principalities that stood against us were already dealt with: He spoiled and overcame all Principalities and Powers on our behalf (2:15).
   • Notice Jesus by the Cross ttriumphed over powers of evil: All “Principalities and Powers.” 
   • Notice that the triumph of the cross was achieved after severe and deadly conflict (Luke 22:53; John12:30);
   • Notice the triumph of the cross was Public and complete  

Conclusion

• Jesus performed a salvific act that totally made me completely forgiven, redeemed and restored according me the capacity to be live victoriously.