9/28/2011
Being complete in him
I was about to go to sleep the other night and I thought of this passage of scripture, how I used to use this passage to refute a doctrine of trinity. The problem was or should I say one of the problems was that I did not understand the trinity. I did not understand any more that many others that argue for the trinity. Just as many don't understand how God came to earth robed in flesh to redeem all mankind.
While I am thinking about it I want to address a passage that has been take out of context and used so much to confuse so many people, that it has caused just as much division in the Body of Christ as the dispute between the teaching of oneness and the trinity. That is the doctrine of predestination, many take the verses that use the words “God has predestined us” to preach that some of us are predestined to be saved and others are not, and there is nothing one can do about it. Let me put your mind to rest God predestined all of us (every man, women and child) to be saved, “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. The choice is yours.
Sorry to change subjects like this in mid stream, but take note of the writing of Paul to Colosse,
Col 2:1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Paul starts out this chapter speaking of the riches of a full assurance of understanding. How does this assurance come? By our hearts being knit together in love.
What is this assurance of understanding? The knowledge of the mystery of , God, and the father, and of Christ. What is the teaching of oneness and the trinity? Mans explanation of the mystery of God, and the father and Jesus Christ.
Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In what are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? The mystery of God, and the father and
Jesus Christ. I just noticed something, Paul does not say this knowledge come over night. He says we
rich with the assurance of understanding. Not complete understanding but rich in the learning
experience that comes with loving God. Paul tells the church in Ephesses “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”, I ask does this ever happen? Can a growing group ever come to complete unity and knowledge?
But here is the key, by our hearts being knit together by love. What were Jesus words? “that all men
shall know you are my disciples by your love one to another”.
Col 2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
Ah this small line speaks volumes, we have been beguiled. How? By the influence of the ideas of this
world. It is a sad thing when the children of God become more concerned with the material things of
this life than God. Even to the point that so called prophets of God bring forth and preach message of
prosperity. This is just as harmful to the Kingdom of God as is a works based salvation. Both take
our attention off of Christ and the spirit of love one to another and puts it on achieving our own
prosperity.
The question then is how are we to conduct ourselves?
Col 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Walking in Christ, established in faith, abounding with thanksgiving. Paul states that we are to be
content with whatever state we find ourselves in. Does this mean we are not to better ourselves in this
life? Not at all Paul also states that a man that does not work and take care of his family is worse than
an infidel. The lesson is if you must step on your fellow man to get where you are going you are not
resting in Christ.
Col 2:8 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.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
The body of Christ has been spoiled! This word spoiled is from the winner of a battle taking booty, or
seducing the looser of that which is of most importance to him/her. We have let the philosophy and vain deceit, the tradition of men, and the rudiments of the world spoil us that we are not walking after Christ.
There is within the body of Christ the attitude of every man for himself. We are to be a community
knit together with love, instead we are communities knit together by our individual doctrinal under-
standing. We must get back to walking IN Christ not the precepts of this world.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
What exactly does this last verse mean? I used to use this one verse to explain the understanding of
God in Christ and how Christ was God manifested in the flesh. But that is taking the verse out of the
context of what Paul is teaching. The lesson is when we walk in Christ we understand and rest in the
desire of our creator. This word Godhead is actually divinity, or the nature or essence of God. In other
words when we walk in Christ we become or learn or take on the essence or nature of God.
John teaches us that, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
In this are we complete, not just in the life to come but complete in this life. Neither houses or land
wealth or possessions make us complete in this life, rather walking in love one with another makes us
complete as a person in this life.
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