Complete in Christ: Colossians 1.19-29 (7)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 116.1-6
I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.

Sing Psalm 116.1-6
(Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise To God Who Reigns Above)
I love the Lord because He hears my cries and pleas for mercy.
Because He bends to me His ears, my prayers shall ever thus be.
The snares of death encompassed me; hell’s grip could not unloosened be;
distress and anguish pressed me.

I called to God, “O Lord, I pray, my soul redeem with favor!”
The Lord is gracious in His way, and righteous is our Savior.
His mercy to the simple flies; He lifted me up to the skies –
I rest in Him forever!

Read Colossians 1.19-29; meditate on verses 19 and 20.

Preparation
1. What did it please the Father concerning Jesus?

2. What work did Jesus accomplish?

Meditation
The theme of Colossians 1 can be summarized in the phrase, “in Christ” (vv. 1, 4, 14, 17, 19, 28). Paul stakes out the greatness of Jesus by saying it pleased God that in Him all the fullness should dwell (v. 19). He means by that all the fullness of deity and all the fullness of creatureliness, specifically, of humankind. Whatever there is to know about God, we will know through Jesus. Whatever it is God intends us and our world to become, we must look to Jesus for the template.

In Christ we who believe and are faithful are both a finished work and a work in progress. We are complete in Jesus – saved, kept, adopted, conveyed into His Kingdom, secure. One day we will be so complete in Jesus that, when we see Him as He is, we will be like Him (1 Jn. 3.1-3). “Like Him” is the key here. We will retain our own distinctive personality, but it will be glorified to refract Jesus completely. Along the way we aspire to increase in completeness and thus become more faithful as saints of the Lord. We thank God that He gives us faithful ministers like Paul to nurture us along the way; and we make the most of those opportunities we have to apply ourselves to becoming complete in Christ, and to encouraging our fellow saints as well.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
In Christ, life is complete.
In Christ, we see what pleases God.
In Christ, we have peace with God through the blood of His cross.

Without the risen Christ, we are lost.
Our faith is futile; we are still in our sins! (I Cor. 15.17)

But.

“…as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (I Cor. 15.49).

“Behold, I tell you a mystery:
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment,
In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
And we shall be changed” (I Cor. 15.51).

Completely.

And while we are waiting:
“…my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor. 15.58). Both now and later “…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15.57).

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10.10).

Forgiven. Changed. Steadfast. Victorious. Abundant life.
In Christ.

Reflection
1. What is so wonderful about being “in Christ”? How would you explain this to an unbelieving friend?

2. What does it mean that we are “both a finished work and a work in progress”?

3. What does it mean for you to be “always abounding in the work of the Lord”?

Now, he means a fullness of righteousness, wisdom, power, and every blessing. For whatever God has he has conferred upon his Son, that he may be glorified in him, as is said in John 5:20. He shews us, however, at the same time, that we must draw from the fullness of Christ everything good that we desire for our salvation, because such is the determination of God… John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Colossians 1.19

Lord, let me know more of Your fullness today as I…

Closing Prayer: Psalm 116.7-19
Offer and commit your day to the Lord, that in all your relationships, roles, and responsibilities His fullness might show through you for His glory.

Sing Psalm 116.7-19
(Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God Who Reigns Above)
Full well the Lord has dealt with me; my soul from death He delivered.
My weeping eyes, my stumbling feet, He has redeemed forever.
Forever I before His face shall walk with those who know His grace,
and dwell with them forever.

Afflicted, I believe His Word, though lying men would undo me.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His blessings to me?
Salvation’s cup I lift above and call upon the God of love
and pay my vows most truly.

How sweet to Him when saints depart – save me, Your servant, Savior!
From sin You loosed my wand’ring heart; I praise Your Name forever!
On You I call, my vows to pay; here in Your Presence I would stay
Your praise to offer ever.

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scripture are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.