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COMPLETE
IN CHRIST!
By
Rodney W. Francis Founder/Director: “The Gospel Faith Messenger” Ministry.
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“As
you
therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and
built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught,
abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat (“plunder you or take you captive”) you
through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men,
according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete
in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians
2:6–10, NKJV).
In an age of many religions, teachings, ideas, etc., the simple but
powerful Message of the Christian faith needs to be declared as the complete
answer to life. Christianity is not just receiving Christ Jesus the Lord....
it also means to “walk
in Him.” He is everything we need. There is no area in our
life that Christ is not able to supply with His fullness. O, how we need to
see the all-sufficiency of Christ afresh today. The power of Christianity is “CHRIST
IN US, the hope of glory” (Colossians
1, emphasis mine).
It is not “Christ, and me” or “Christ and something else”. All
the fullness of God dwells in Him ~ Hallelujah!
Christ
is the Answer to all life’s problems!
Christ is the Answer to all Christian problems! ~ Christian problems? Yes,
problems arise when Christians move outside the realm of simply abiding in
Christ, of walking in Him. Problems arise when we do not remain rooted and
grounded in Him. Many people have lost a good relationship with God through
making major issues out of doctrines/teachings that do not keep Christ in His
rightful position. It may seem the “wise thing” to do at the time; but the
Bible warns us not to be spoiled by those things which are after man, and the
world ~ and not after Christ. Beware of anything that will lead you away from
receiving more of Christ Himself.... for He will not give His glory to
another.
There
is so much of Christ’s fullness that we need to be manifesting (for “of
His fullness have we all received” ~
John 1:16); we really have no time in the space of this short life here below,
to be “taken up” with anything else. This is Life: “to
know God, and Jesus Christ, Whom He has sent” (John
17:3). Multitudes are seeking “Life” today. Christian....
Have you so received the fullness of the life of Christ that you have
sufficient to give to others? If, right at this moment you have
not, what has “spoiled” that fullness of Christ in you? This is a very
serious question, and also a challenge ~ for every true Christian is a
“Christ-container” ~ not a public library! (If we only put half our
theories into practice, we would turn the world upside down in a week!)
Our
completeness is in Him. In Christ, and Christ alone, life can be lived to the
full! All of God’s Life dwells in Jesus Christ; and He dwells in all who “walk
in HIM”.
Amen! It is no longer I that lives, but
CHRIST Who lives in me! Not a dead Christ; but a risen, Living Christ, in Whom
dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. May our eyes be opened more and
more to this wonderful reality.
Some
will ask, “Why, then, do we not see more of the power and glory of God in
His saints today?” The apostle Paul has given us the main reason. Deceitful
man with his vain wisdom and traditions, comes along with enticing words and
indoctrinates converts after the basic principles of the world ~ which in
Christ we become dead to! (Colossians 2:20). Our high calling of God in Christ Jesus is to come unto the measure
and stature of the fullness of Christ ~ and not to be “tossed
to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of
men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians
4:13-14).
It is sad, but true, that the very reason that
Paul gave us is also the same reason as to why many of our Full Gospel
Believing Churches have not got the power of God with them today ~ the
“spoilers” have been through and tricked us!
If
we do recognize that we have been “tricked” by cunning men (and God help
those workers of iniquity to see their own works before it is too late), let
us turn again to Christ with all our heart, even as Paul, who “counted
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his
Lord: for whom he suffered the loss of all things, and did count them but
dung, that he might WIN CHRIST, AND BE FOUND IN HIM....” (Philippians
3:7-10, KJV, emphasis mine). Our life is hidden WITH
CHRIST IN GOD (Colossians
3:1-4).
“As
you therefore have received CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, SO WALK IN HIM”
(Colossians 2:6).
“Let
the WORD OF CHRIST dwell in you richly in all wisdom….” (Colossians
3:16).... for Jesus
is “the
Word become flesh and dwelt among us” (John
1:12-16). By the
same Living Word, the Living Christ dwells in us today!
If we truly love Jesus Christ, we will always
seek to see Him in the Word, we will always want to please Him,
KNOWING that in HIM dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.... KNOWING
that OUR COMPLETENESS is IN HIM (and Him alone), Who is the head of all
principality and power. Hallelujah! Jesus is far above ALL ~ anything you care
to name ~ Jesus is far above
it; and as we walk IN HIM, His abundant life makes us complete in
His fullness. Amen.
Who can cheer the
heart like Jesus,
By His presence
all divine?
True and tender,
pure and precious,
O how blest to
call Him mine;
Chorus:
All
that thrills my soul is Jesus;
He is more than
life to me;
And the fairest of
ten thousand,
In my blessed Lord
I see.
Every need his
hand supplying,
Every good in Him
I see;
On His strength
divine relying,
He
is all in all to me.
For further Bible Studies, books, manuals, and information, please contact us at the following:
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"The Gospel Faith Messenger" Ministry |
Telephone: (64 4) 904 0727 |
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P. O. Box 57 |
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Paraparaumu 5254 |
E-Mail: gfm@gospel.org.nz |
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New Zealand |
Website: www.gospel.org.nz |
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