Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Filled Up And Hidden In Christ

"For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;" - Colossians 2:9-10 NASB

That word complete is Strong's Pleroo (Strong's G4137) and it is often translated 'fulfilled' because it literally means to fill to the top. The fullness of deity exists in Christ and when we are in Christ we are filled up in the one who has all authority.

"and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." - Colossians 2:11-14 NASB

These are all past tense things. They are done without you or I lifting a finger.

"When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day - things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God." - Colossians 2:15-19 NASB

The rulers and authorities are disarmed but it is possible that we would be defrauded if we stray from focus on Christ and turn the freshness of a daily walk in the present and trade it for a glorification of past experiences. Our mind can idolize the past and make it something it is not. Looking for signs we can give events significance that transcends the illumination of the scriptures to reveal Christ today. Our spirituality is a right now thing. Past experiences are stepping stones for the line upon line work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to bring us to this moment in time. The only way we can see today in objectivity is to 'hold fast' to Christ, the one who has filled us to the top, and look at life through the lens of His finished work.

"If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) - in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." - Colossians 2:20-23 NASB

Our life is not one of restriction. It adds nothing to spirituality and is devoid of spiritual power. Our spirituality is rooted in Christ. Weak or strong, doing or not doing, having supernatural experiences or not... those things are not the issue. Looking for them, submitting to them or relying on them misses the mark and becomes a distraction.

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." - Colossians 3:2-3 NASB

Our life is hidden with Christ in God. Yes. It can be found no where else. It is hidden. God sees it clear as day. People sometimes don't. We sometimes don't see it. But that is where it is and when we know that we can cease from striving and begin living.

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