Nothing To Prove Series

Intro: Have ever been told that you weren’t good enough; maybe by someone at work or school? Maybe by a friend or loved one. Maybe you simply felt that way as you compared yourself to others or even to the standard of God’s word?

Typically, in a sermon you would experience these types of probing questions followed by a 30-40-minute build-up to some type of life-altering answer.

I suppose we do that to keep you intrigued enough to allow the fullness of what God has to say to sink into your heart, but today I’m going to let you in on God’s life-altering truth early.

The answer to the incessant voices of comparison and competition you hear is to know God as your qualifier and your approver. It is the same answer we have been echoing week after week since June.

(Colossians 2:6-10 NASB) "6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;"

Whenever we read the word therefore we ought to determine what it’s there for.

Let us consider Paul is not sitting in some lavish climate controlled office with an orthopedic chair typing this from his MacBook.

In this case, Paul is imprisoned in Rome desiring to visit Colosse to encourage stability in the faith of believers.

Paul has plenty of reasons to sulk; plenty of reasons to be depressed or discouraged. Instead Paul leans on his identity in Christ and says, “be gracious.”

“Regardless of what you are facing today, or any day, honor and obey Christ because He has made you complete. Rejoice and give Him praise.”

As a Christian, you might not have too much trouble believing the first part of today's scripture, but believing the second part - that you have been brought to fullness in Christ - may be more of a struggle.

But verse 9 and the verses leading up to it about Jesus cannot be true unless verse 10 about you is true as well.

In essence, Paul says, "Let me tell you how full and complete Jesus is." Then in the same breath, he says, "And let me tell you how full and complete you are." He doesn't pause. He doesn't qualify his statement.

In the context of the perfection of Christ, he makes a declaration of fullness over you.

Christ has absolute supremacy and sole sufficiency. (vv. 9-10)

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

Satan is the ruler of this world and he wants to remind you of your sinful past.

(John 14:26-27, 30 NASB) "26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ... 30 "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;"

(2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NASB) "3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

(John 12:31 NASB) "31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out."

Satan wants to point out your sin today. He wants to create fear in your heart. He wants to manipulate you like a puppet. And he wants you to make excuses that separate you from God; such as blaming your sinful nature, the hand that life dealt you, or how others have treated you in order to unqualified you.

However, we are the Bride of Christ and therefore we are complete because of Christ. We might not yet be perfect. We might wrestle with our humanity, but God has brought us together thru His son, thru the cross and sealed us with the Holy Spirit into a Holy Union.