Verse of the Day Devotion:  Colossians 2:10 

“And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” – Colossians 2:10

Here is a Verse in your Bible that probably most Christians do not take to heart and understanding.  I would think that most in Christendom approach being ‘complete’ in God’s eyes based on how well one’s behavior is and how many ‘right’ things we do as compared to the ‘bad’ things we do.   (WE use a sliding scale too, by the way, by comparing ourselves to others).   But in Christ are fulfillment is grounded in what He has done, not we do from here forward.  What kind of depth is this Verse saying to us for our daily lives?   Could it affect how we approach a day, challenges or not?    Some of the commentary writers I read just to see what they would say conclude that this Verse is speaking metaphorically (not to be taken literally) – that this language is of course rhetorical and hyperbolical language used by Paul.  In other words, it does not really mean what it says at face value but instead it is supposed to convey the idea that in Christ you have been granted a completeness or fulfillment in life that you could not receive anywhere else.  In other words, being in Christ is the best option you have compared to all the other options.   Uuummm.   If you make some Google searches on this subject asking the question: “What can make your life feel complete or fulfilled?”, you will NOT run across this Scripture Verse as an option or as an alternative choice that you can decide for yourself if you so please.   What you WILL find in your Google search are answers such as:  1)  Four principles to live by;  2)  The 16 most important factors for a fulfilling life;  3)  1O Rules to make your life complete; and so on and so on. 

Let us see instead what the author of your Bible says.  First of all, there are 2 little words in this Verse that is fundamentally foundational and an absolute in order for this concept of being ‘complete’ can be remotely a possibility.  They are the words ‘…in Him…’.    In order for an individual to be considered ‘in Him’, they must come to an understanding on the heart level that they are sinners and that the wages of being a sinner is death (spiritual and physical).  Plus, you can do nothing on your own to remedy this condition.  You DO need an outside source to ‘save’ you. After all, you are ‘dead’ and a ‘dead person’ cannot do anything for oneself.   “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death….” (Rom 6:23).   “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for the by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20).   Secondly, an individual must appropriate by faith the finished and completed death of Christ on the Cross, His burial, and Resurrection after three days.  By faith a person must truly believe that Christ died for them, that Christ alone paid the penalty for their sin and that He took the punishment for their own sinfulness out of His individual love for them.  When we truly believe this good news of this grace-gospel the Holy Spirit places us, immerses us, ‘baptizes us’ into one body – His Body, the grace-aged church -“And He is the head of the body, the church…” (Col 1:18) – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit (I Cor 12:13).   Our entire newly created personhood is placed IN HIM.   ALL of our identification as a newly created, saved individual is seen through God’s eyes as being ‘in Him’ – in Jesus.  “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight – “ (Col 1:21-22).  

                Sooooo, IF you are ‘in Him’, THEN in the mind of God through Jesus, you ARE complete, and this FACT is affirmed by the Death, Burial, and bodily Resurrection of Christ, who NOW is the ‘head of ALL principality and power” (Col 2:10 above).   No one nor any thing on earth, nor in the heavens, can undermine what He has done for you.   In my opinion, there is absolutely zero metaphorical, rhetorical, hyperbolic language used here. This is FACT.  It is an exchanged life.  “In Him” you ARE complete, not just in a concept or as flowery language, but as a reality.   The Greek word used here for ‘complete’ is a word that means “filled to the brim like a bottle of water, completely full, filled-up, whole, to the max”!     He has done for you ALL that will ever need to do in reconciling you in right-standing with Himself.  The following verses in Colossians 2 mention some of the aspects of this completeness in Christ that we have been given.  The sins of the flesh have been cut off (circumcised by the hand of God, taken out of the way and nailed to the Cross), you were buried ‘with Him’, you were raised ‘with Him’, you were ‘made alive with Him’, and ‘in Him’ He forgave you all your trespasses once and forever!   You ARE complete ‘in Him’.  Rejoice and be ever thankful!!

Jaca Kier, Board Member, True Devotion Ministries, Inc.