“And ye are complete in Him (Christ), which is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2:10
Dear Ones:
At the beginning of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he makes a most bold and remarkable statement: “But of Him (God) are ye IN Christ Jesus, who of God IS MADE UNTO us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1:30) There is in this phrase a “handle” for faith to lay hold upon, which should change our lives: “….who of God IS MADE UNTO US.” In Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah, he writes: “For UNTO US a child is born, unto us a son IS GIVEN.” (9:6) When Paul writes to the Corinthians, he declares that God not only has given Him to us, but that He has MADE Him to be something very specific to us. In other words, God has done for us a most extraordinary work that we are to believe, and live by. Where do we begin in our quest to live fully in the light of His wonderful provision in Christ?
The first thing is to trust Him for a clear vision of WHO Christ is. Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians that, not only is Christ the Creator of all things, that He is before all things, but also, that all things consist in Him. He goes on to write, “…in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (2:9) What is the significance of this? It means that Christ possesses all resources, all goodness, and every attribute of divinity in the fullest measure. This is the Christ, who by His Spirit, comes to dwell in the heart of the believer.
The second thing that we need to trust Him for is a clear vision of WHO and WHAT we are. Isaiah writes: “…All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned EVERY ONE to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him (Christ) the iniquity of us all.” (9:6) When the angels came to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, they said: “Unto you is born this day…a Savior which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) What were the angels saying? They made it quite clear that all men are lost and need a Savior, one that can forgive perfectly their sins, AND save them increasingly from sinning. Who could possibly accomplish such a work, and be sufficient to meet the entire need of men’s hearts and souls? The Lord Jesus alone has been GIVEN unto us, and HAS BEEN MADE everything to us. We have in Christ the perfect and complete, sovereign Savior and Lord. And we have been made COMPLETE in Him.
Dear Father, open our eyes to see the glory of Christ, in whom dwells all the fullness of God. And give us grace to see us IN Him by an act of Thy hand. Help us to understand that Christ has now been MADE to be all that we need in every circumstance and place. Strengthen our hearts to specifically take Him as such. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad