Colossians 2:8-15

Complete in Christ

Pay attention that clever philosophers don’t lure you away from Christ into something that sounds good but isn’t. There isn’t any worldview or manner of life that even remotely compares to the grace brought to us in Christ.

This is an immediate consequence of the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and all the fullness of deity dwells in Him. He is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one person forever. How that works is beyond our capacity to understand, which should not be surprising because Jesus is a unique individual. We do better understanding things for which we can see many examples.

Jesus is a perfect man and is thus able to function in all the ways that humans do. Perhaps most importantly, He could assume the station of humanity’s substitute and die carrying the penalty of our guilt. Jesus is also God with complete fullness and is thus able to function with all the attributes of God. He is perfect, almighty, and good. He is able to save us to the very end of an endless eternity.

His actions at Calvary were effective to wipe away all the ways evil has poisoned our lives. He is able to provide a complete rescue for believers. There is no area of need that He does not fill to overflowing.

There are evil spiritual beings that seek our hurt, which is a reality that stands in contradiction to the false teachers who were harassing the Colossian believers. Those teachers believed that all evil is physical and that the spiritual realm is unalloyed good. Paul points out that although we have an evil adversary, Christ is their master and they cannot act apart from His permission (v. 10). Furthermore the Lord defeated them in all their wicked schemes at Calvary.

Their main weapon against us is our own sin and the condemnation we deserve. Jesus disarmed them by providing the means for our complete cleansing and forgiveness. Though Satan and his demons would revel in the cruelty of destroying the work of God in the creation of humanity, the Son of God has defanged them.

Paul speaks metaphorically of our spiritual circumcision in reference to the rite given to Abraham to mark his participation in the gracious covenant of God. He likely intends to picture the cleansing we receive from sinful living, being released into a life of obedience. Christ provides that cleanness by becoming our substitute, and we are united with Him by Holy Spirit’s baptism of us into Christ.

This makes all He did belong to us. Baptism referred to the dipping of cloth into a container of dye. It is thus true that we are inextricably permeated with Christ and His salvation. We participate in His death, burial, and resurrection. So the sinful, old man has died and was buried. We are raised as new men, embarking on the newness of eternal life.

In another sense, sin made us spiritually dead, but the Father has made us alive with Christ and completely forgiven us. All transgressions are erased. Believe the word of God: none remain. The law of God commands expressly what holiness looks like, and in so doing it records our debt as transgressors before a holy God. But this hostile certificate of debt was nailed to Christ’s cross and completely satisfied. All alienation and adversity is abolished, and we are adopted into the family of God in a perfect state of peace.

What is the application of this wonderful truth? There are many circumstances in which these facts would bring encouragement, but Paul desired for the Colossians to cling to Christ and not be tricked into looking for something better. Such claims by alternatives are false. Nothing is better than Jesus and His rescue. Nothing even comes close. All competitors are lies that leave you in hell, alienated from God and abiding under God’s wrath forever. Every way in which we feel weak and in spiritual need is nurtured by the balm of Gilead, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Cling to Him and seek no other life.

A question: why would Christ allow demons to do anything at all? why not immediate judgment for them? The Bible doesn’t give as as many answers as we would like, and none in this passage. Here the emphasis is:

1. They are under his authority, so we can trust ourselves to God.
2. He is greater, so worship Him alone.
3. Do not worship angels or demons since they are merely creatures like us.

Three answers may be given toward an understanding of God’s governance of history:

1. God is patient giving man time to repent instead of bringing judgment immediately. (2 Pet 3:9)
2. He took counsel with His own will and in perfect wisdom made choices that would best glorify Himself. (Ephesians 1)
3. Justice will come some day at just the right time. (James 5:8,9)

These are not wimpy answers that we speed past to immediately ask how could tolerating temporary evil be the best way? This way allows God to display mercy, patience, wisdom, love, holiness, etc. More can be said regarding this question over which people stumble, but in the end God and His ways are morally sound and satisfying.

Pursuit of wisdom for today from the Ancient of Days

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