Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20040915.htm

APPLYING THE BELIEVER'S POSITIONAL RICHES IN CHRIST
Part XXXII: Applying The Truth That Believers Are Complete In Christ
(Colossians 2:9-10 in context)
  1. Introduction
    1. Various groups in Christendom and even cults try impress Christians to feel obliged to keep a part of the Mosaic Law or to submit to some sacrament or get involved in a particular discipline either to be fully saved or to live acceptably before God. They might press us to avoid eating "unclean foods" like lobsters and pork or to fast for three days or "to pray through" until we allegedly experience some fuller blessing.
    2. One of the 33 positional truths the believer possesses the instant he trusts in Christ is that he is complete in Him, cf. Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. III, "Soteriology," p. 264-265. Applying this truth in its Scriptural context of Colossians 2 addresses such matters in an edifying way (as follows):
  2. Applying The Truth That Believers Are Complete In Christ, Colossians 2:9-10 in context.
    1. Having stated that all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ in bodily form, or in His God-man incarnate state, the Apostle Paul also wrote that we believers in Christ are "complete in Him," (KJV), or, as the ESV puts it, "you have been filled in Him," Colossians 2:9-10 ESV.
    2. Obviously, Paul was not claiming that the fulness of the Godhead makes up the believer's nature as it does Christ, for then he would errantly imply that the believer is God [contrary to Scripture], cf. Rev. 22:6-9. However, the Colossians 2 context reveals Paul pictured the completeness of Christ making up all the believer needs so that no other entity of any kind is necessary either to round out the believer's salvation or to equip him for sanctified living that some parties try to press upon unwary believers (as follows):
      1. In the context, Paul began the second chapter of Colossians, expressing his concern that his readers come to appreciate the full knowledge of the riches they had in Christ lest they be deceived by the "plausible" (ESV) or "fine-sounding" arguments of errant teachers, Colossians 2:1-4 ESV.
      2. Paul's Christian readers were to be "rooted and grounded" in Christ just as they had been taught, and there to abound with thanksgiving versus accepting the false teachers' assertions that they needed to achieve some additional work or state to attain full acceptance and blessing from God, Col. 2:5-8.
      3. Paul then applied this truth to protect his readers from three errant false teaching pressures they faced:
        1. First, Paul applied this truth to combat false legalistic pressures his readers faced: (a) Christ had so fully provided for the believer's positional acceptance by God in the cross that even the requirements of God's own law were fully met; (b) accordingly, Paul's Christian readers were not obligated to do or to keep some part of even God's Law, be it the ten commandments (Sabbaths) or ceremonial parts (food or drink), to gain full acceptance with Him, Colossians 2:11-15, 16-17.
        2. Second, Paul applied this truth to combat false mystical pressures his readers faced: (a) Paul urged his readers who were "filled in" Christ not to give heed to teachers of "mysticism" who exalted a false humility or a worship of angels and who claimed to have some deep insight through visions from God, Col. 2:18; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn.; Bible Knowledge Com., N. T., p. 678. (b) In opposition to such error, Paul's readers were to hold to Christ, their Head, from Whom each believer derived his fulness and in Whom each grew with God's increase without mystical deeds, Col. 2:19.
        3. Third, Paul applied this truth to combat false ascetic pressures his readers faced: (a) Paul also urged his readers not to give in to those who promoted "ascetic" pressures that were marked by an artificial humility and a denying the meeting of the needs of the body to combat some lusts or attain holiness, Ibid., ftn. to Col. 2:20-23. (b) In Christ the believer is already as holy and acceptable to God as he can be, so the Christian is to focus on his relationship to his Savior and to grow in Him as Christ directs him versus floundering in pitiful, futile ascetic practices that achieved nothing!
Lesson: We believers are so positionally "filled" in Christ that NOTHING we can ever do can in any way IMPROVE our standing before God or our CAPACITY to live a better life. All we can do is look to CHRIST to MATURE us EXPERIENTIALLY in our POSITION in Him, Col. 2:19; Eph. 4:15-16.

Application: May we RESIST all UNBIBLICAL LEGALISTIC, MYSTICAL and ASCETIC pressures and INSTEAD look to CHRIST, our HEAD to mature us in alignment with our position in Him!