Colossians 1:24–29
Now I rejoice in sufferings for you, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church;
whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,
even the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to His saints,
to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
whereunto I labor also, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.
Colossians 2:9–10
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
and in Him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.
Dear Lord, we do thank Thee for inviting us to Thy table. We thank Thee for feeding us with Thyself.
We thank Thee for the communion of Thy blood and of Thy body. We realize once again that Thou art everything to us, and our hearts do bow in worship.
As we continue in Thy presence, we pray that Thou wilt speak to us through Thy Word, because Thy Word is life and spirit to us, and we need Thy sustaining Word.
We pray that Thy Holy Spirit will breathe again upon Thy written Word and give us light and life, and draw us closer to Thyself.
May we truly realize that Thou art all things to us. We want to give Thee all the glory. In the name of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
We thank God for gathering us together these days. I always feel that any opportunity of gathering together is God’s mercy. Who are we, that He should be so mindful of us? For this, we are very thankful to Him.
The burden of this time is the way to fullness. The Colossian believers really had a desire to grow into perfection, that they might experience the fullness of God. But unfortunately, they were ignorant of the way to fullness, and because of this they were being led astray.
Instead of seeing that Christ is the way to fullness, they began to trust in some laws and in some philosophy. So the apostle Paul wrote this letter to correct them and lead them back to Christ.
In this letter to the Colossians, the main thought is fullness. Where can we find fullness? And how are we going to enter into this true fullness?
Paul began this letter with a prayer because he fully realized that in spiritual things men are absolutely helpless. No matter how clever you are, you are not able to really grasp spiritual things. You may be able to understand them in your mind, but they do not affect your life.
It is only by the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we may be led into the truth—the truth that will set us free. So he prayed for the Colossian believers, and I believe that his prayer is still good for us.
How we need to be filled with the full knowledge of God’s will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
The will of God is very simple. His will is centered upon His own beloved Son. He wants His Son to have the first place in all things. That is to say, He wants His Son to be all and in all.
Because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him, I believe this is very easily understood. Yet somehow it does not seem to really affect our lives. It is because we know it only in a mental way, and have not received it in spiritual wisdom—the wisdom that is from above.
Wisdom is working knowledge. Wisdom is knowing how to use knowledge, so that we experience what we know.
And there must also be spiritual understanding. That is to say, it is not something merely registered in our mind; it is something that touches our heart.
This is the way that we need to learn to know the full knowledge of God’s will. If we are filled with such a knowledge, it will deliver us from all distractions and lead us captive to Christ alone.
So this is the full knowledge of God’s will, and by this knowledge we are led into fullness.
Now, we have already shared that all the fullness dwells in Christ. The fullness of God is in Christ. The fullness of creation is in Christ. The fullness of the new creation is also in Christ.
If you take Christ out of these, then you have emptiness. If you take Christ out of God, you will never be able to know Him.
If you take Christ out of creation, no matter how profound your scientific knowledge may be, you will not be able to understand creation. If you take Christ out of creation, all creation will disintegrate.
The same thing is true with the new creation. The new creation is the church. If you take Christ out of the church, then church no longer exists. You may have an institution, a religious organization, but there is no church—the body of Christ.
All fullness is found in Christ.
Not only Christ, but His work. We have considered together that by the blood of His cross, He reconciled all things in heaven and on earth. And not only by His blood, but by the body of His flesh, He reconciled us to the fullness of God.
These are the things that we have already shared before. This morning, we would like to go a little further. We have seen that fullness is in Christ, but how can His fullness become ours? In what way do we enter into His fullness and have His fullness become ours?
In Colossians 1:19, we read:
For in Him all the fulness was pleased to dwell.
In the original, you do not have “all the fullness of the Godhead” here. You simply have, “All fullness dwells in Him.”
This presentation is all fullness—not only the fullness of the Godhead, but the fullness of the outworking of God; not only all that God Himself is, but all that God has done, in creation and in the new creation. Everything—the fullness—dwells in Christ. This is the eternal truth.
But when you read Colossians 2:9, it says:
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Here you find a little difference from Colossians 1:19. Two things have been added. First, the fullness here is specified as the fullness of the Godhead. In other words, the emphasis now is on the fullness of the Godhead.
What is the fullness of the Godhead? That is to say, what is God?
When we think of God, we think of His love. But who can measure His love? Nobody can measure the depth, the height, the width, or the length of the love of God.
Even in the letter to the Ephesians, when the apostle Paul tried to describe the love of God, he could only say, “What length, what height”—he did not know to what degree he could describe it. The love of God is beyond our comprehension.
Thank God, we have tasted a little bit of His love, but that little bit is more than we can contain. We do not know how measureless and incomprehensible it is, and yet this love of God fills Christ Jesus. He is the fullness of the Godhead.
When we think of God, we think of His righteousness. Again, this is something beyond us. We have tasted a little bit of His righteousness. How we are condemned in our conscience because of our sins! But that is only a little bit of it.
The righteousness of God is beyond our understanding. He is righteousness. Again, all the fullness of God’s righteousness dwells in Christ.
We think of God’s holiness. How He is altogether different! You cannot compare Him with anything. He stands all by Himself. He is unique. He is altogether other. We cannot measure His holiness, and yet all the fullness of God’s holiness dwells in Christ.
You can go on and on without limit, because God is infinite, and that infiniteness is in Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him.
Why is the emphasis here centered upon this point? Because it is something related to our life. This fullness of the Godhead has something to do with us.
Another word is added: “bodily.” In Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. What impression does this give you? What does it mean that the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily?
Does it give you some idea of His incarnation?
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
On the other hand, when you think of something in a body, it means that it is something available. The fullness of the Godhead is so heavenly that it is as if you can see it from afar, but it is beyond your grasp.
Yet now the fullness of the Godhead has come down in a body. It becomes available. We can see it, we can hear it, we can touch it, and we can experience it.
It is no longer something transcendent and beyond; it is something so close, so near, so real to us. Thank God, the fullness of the Godhead is now being brought to us.
That is the reason why it is immediately followed by, “And ye are complete in Him.” In other words, ye are now being made full in Him.
Here is the secret to the way of fullness. Because this fullness of the Godhead is now presented to us in a body, we can experience His fullness.
The mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it is something intensely inward. It is not something external.
In the Word of God, we find a little preposition: in. This “in” is the secret that opens the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It makes the gospel of Jesus Christ altogether different from all religions.
All religions are outward. They are outward teachings, outward forms, and outward rituals. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ is intensely inward.
The fullness of the gospel is in Christ, and Christ in us. This speaks of the mystery of the gospel. The apostle Paul said, “The riches of the glory of this mystery,” which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” His ministry is to present every man perfect in Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, ye are complete in Him. Now we can look at this verse from two directions.
One direction is that this verse tells us that we are in Christ, because it says that you are made full in Christ. Do we know that today we are in Christ?
When we believe in the Lord Jesus, somehow, by the working of the Holy Spirit, we are placed in Christ.
Whenever you see the word believe in the original, it is “believe into.” It is not merely to believe upon, as if Christ were something outside. When you believe, you believe into Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 1:30, we read:
But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus.
God has put us in Christ. He has translated us out of the power of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
This is where we are today. We are in Christ Jesus. This is our real address. When people ask you, “Where do you live?” you may say, “I live in Westminster.” But that is only a temporary address. Your real address is in Christ Jesus.
God has put you in Christ, and, brothers and sisters, this is something tremendous. Why? Because we are no longer living in a wilderness; we are living in Canaan.
Thanks be unto God, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. In other words, all those spiritual blessings in the heavenlies God has already given to us in Christ Jesus.
He does not give us blessings in piecemeal. He put all His spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, and then He gave His Son to us. It is all there.
Just like the children of Israel: you remember how God promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. God said He would give this land to them.
Before they entered into the land, when they were at the border of the promised land, Moses described it. If you read Deuteronomy 6, 8, and 11, you find Moses describing the land that God had promised to them.
Now you may ask, “How did Moses know?” He was not allowed to enter into the land. When he described the land, it was before the time that he was allowed to have a far view of it. Evidently, he received a revelation. In a vision, he saw the land.
He saw the land so clearly. He said that the land God would lead them into had everything prepared and ready: houses already built and filled with good things, vineyards already planted, wells already dug. Everything was ready for them to go in and enjoy.
There was nothing that needed them to do anything. It was a land of great variety. There were streams, fountains, and rivers; mountains and valleys; all kinds of grains for food and all kinds of fruits for enjoyment. Even under the earth there would be copper and iron.
Not only that, but he said this land was altogether different from Egypt. The children of Israel knew Egypt because they had lived there. Egypt was a flat land. There were deserts and the Nile River, and when they wanted to plant, they had to use their feet to bring water up from the river to the land.
I suppose those older brothers and sisters who came from China knew this. When I was young, the farmers had to use that kind of foot paddle and bring water from the river to the field. It was very hard labor.
Yet the land they were going into was a land where the rains would fall, because God’s eyes were upon it. It was different from the world.
Brothers and sisters, there you find only the shadow, the type. The children of Israel were a type of us today. They were God’s earthly people, and we are God’s heavenly people.
God’s promises to them were earthly and material, but God’s promises to us are spiritual and heavenly. How much better are the heavenly blessings!
Before the children of Israel entered the promised land, they passed their days in the desert. In the wilderness there was absolutely nothing, yet God would bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey.
When they entered into the promised land, they found everything was ready. Wherever they put the sole of their foot, it was theirs. They simply entered in and enjoyed all that was there. Nothing was lacking.
It is a type of our Lord Jesus. As a matter of fact, God has already put us in that land. Every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies has already been given to us in Christ Jesus. All that we need is to claim it and to experience it.
That is grace—just amazing grace.
But in order to enjoy this grace, we need faith. You know, the children of Israel at one time could not enter into the promised land because they did not believe. Because of their unbelief, they were not able to enter into the promise.
The same thing is true for us today. God has already put us in Christ, and all the fullness of the Godhead in Christ is available to us. It does not require our labor, our striving, or our struggling. By faith, we enter into that fullness.
What is faith? In the Bible there is one place which is very close to a definition. The Bible never defines terms, because God is infinite. But so far as faith is concerned, there is one place where it is very close to a definition: Hebrews 11:1.
According to Darby’s translation, which tries to bring out the original thought, faith is “the substantiating of things hoped for.” It is a little difficult to understand.
In other words, you have a substance there, and that substance is something that you hope for. It is not an abstract thing. There is something very solid, very real, substantial there. Yet it is as if it is far away and beyond your reach.
What is faith? Faith is to substantiate—that is, to bring the substance close to you so that you can enjoy it.
For instance, if you come into this building and there is a wall clock there, by watching the clock you know what time it is. But suppose a person who is blind enters into this room. The clock is there; it is a certain substance. But because he is blind, to him it is unreal. To him, that clock is an abstract thing.
Or suppose there is a beautiful picture. If you have eyes, you can substantiate that beautiful picture to yourself, and you enjoy the beauty of it. But if you do not have eyes, even though that picture is so real and so beautiful, it is as if it has no existence to you. Because of that, you do not enjoy it.
It is not in you; it has not entered into you. But with eyes, that picture enters into you. That is what faith is, brothers and sisters. Faith substantiates the substance into your experience.
Oftentimes, you find our Lord Jesus saying, “According to your faith be it done unto you.” In other words, there is a reality there, but only faith can substantiate it.
Brothers and sisters, God has already put us in Christ, and all the fullness of the Godhead is there. Do you believe it? Do you believe that the fullness of the Godhead is available to you?
His love is there, His holiness is there, and His righteousness is there. You can enjoy His love, His righteousness, and His holiness because you can bring them into your life, that His fullness may become your fullness. That is what faith really is.
In Hebrews, we are told:
Looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
The reason why we lack in faith is because we look around. We have a double sight; we do not have a single eye.
If we look off from everything—do not look at our environment, do not look at people, do not look at your own self—but look unto Jesus, He is the author of your faith. The more you look at Him, the more faith rises up within you.
He is also the completer of your faith. Dear brothers and sisters, it sounds amazing: faith is not in us. Faith casts its anchor upon Christ. If we have faith, truth is brought into our life.
Thank God, we are in Christ Jesus. It only takes faith to see it, and when you see it, you begin to enjoy it.
Then you have the other side: Christ in you, the hope of glory. Thank God, His work is so complete. He has not only put us in Christ, but He has also put Christ in us.
In 1 Corinthians 1:30, it continues:
But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.
In other words, not only has God put us in Christ, but when we believe in the Lord Jesus, Christ is in us. Do you know that Christ is in you?
As a matter of fact, this is a test of our faith. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, we read:
Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate.
It is a test of our faith. How do you know that you are in the faith? It is because you know Christ Jesus is in you. That is an inward evidence.
When you really believe in the Lord Jesus, you do not merely have a superficial outward thing. You really believe Him with your heart, and God puts Christ in you. Christ in you is the hope of glory.
Brothers and sisters, today in every believer Christ lives in him or her—a living Christ. He lives in you by His Spirit. Hallelujah!
It is such a glorious thing. If some prominent person visits you in your home, you feel what an honor that is. But if he can live in your home permanently, what a glory that is!
Thank God, Christ, the Son of God, in whom is the fullness of the Godhead, now lives in you by the Spirit. He is not merely visiting you; He is resident in you.
How will you treat Him? Do you put Him in the attic, and only when you are desperate consult Him?
When our Lord Jesus visited the house of Martha, you find that Martha was busy with serving, while she saw her sister sitting at the feet of Jesus, simply listening. Martha called, “Lord, do You not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.”
Martha knew better than that: she asked the Lord Jesus. When the Lord visits a home, the Lord is not a guest. The Lord is the Master.
Brothers and sisters, do you realize that you have a Master living in you? Since the day He came into your heart, you are no longer the master of yourself. He is the Lord.
He is not there as a guest. He is there to be the Master of the house. He is going to transform that house, so that the house will be suitable to His taste.
When Christ comes into our life, it is the hope of glory. What is glory? Again, glory is a term that cannot be defined. The only thing we know is that where glory is, there is the manifestation of God Himself.
Once I read an article by T. Austin-Sparks. There he tried to explain what glory is. He said that when you do something that really satisfies you, somehow your face shines.
What is glory? Glory is when God is satisfied with what He does. Glory is none other than the presence and manifestation of God Himself.
It is His satisfaction, because He finds that everything is according to His taste. That is the meaning of our being conformed to His image.
Brothers and sisters, how we do thank the Lord. He has not only put us in Christ, but He has put Christ in us, and He is there continually transforming us.
There is so much in us that is shameful, and He is trying to transform us so that we may be conformed to His own image. That is glory. That is the hope which is before us.
How can His fullness become ours? It takes the Holy Spirit. According to Christ, He will transform us to conform us to His image.
He will take away anything in us that is not of Christ, and He will fill us with Christ Himself. That is how the fullness of Christ comes into us, and we are being made perfect in Him.
Of course, during the process, sometimes we need to be disciplined by God. When we are under His discipline, at the time of the discipline it is painful, but it will bring us into His holiness. It will bring us into glory.
In this sense, there is something we need to do. So far as being in Christ is concerned, we need to believe. So far as Christ in us is concerned, we need to obey.
When the Spirit of God is working Christ into us, we need to submit and obey. We need to cooperate.
We cannot do anything. We cannot transform ourselves. It is all His working; it is all grace. But it requires us to cooperate, to yield, and to obey.
The quicker we cooperate, the faster will be the completion of His work.
We cannot prevent God from completing His work in us, but we can delay and postpone His work. It is wise for us to cooperate.
Eventually, He will bring it to completion. Whom He hath predestinated, them He also called; whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified. The work will be done. So it is wise to learn to obey.
“And ye are made full.” Then in Colossians, from chapter 2, verse 16 onward, you find something that concerns our daily living.
Actually, it is the consequence of knowing the will of God. You remember that at the beginning, in Colossians 1:9, Paul prayed that we might be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Then from verse 10 onward, you have the result, the consequence, of being filled with the full knowledge of God’s will: that we may walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, and so on.
The first chapter and the second chapter, up to verse 15, are concerned with our being filled with the full knowledge of God’s will. From chapter 2, verse 16 to the end, you find what it means to walk worthily of the Lord and to be well pleasing to Him.
Oftentimes in the New Testament, a teaching or a truth is presented, and it is followed by what we call conduct or behavior. But we need to remember one thing: what follows the presentation of truth is not ethics.
These are not things that we have to strive to attain. They are the description of a life that is filled with the fullness of God.
Do not look at these things as ethics, because ethics is something that you try to attain. These are simply a description.
If you are filled with the full knowledge of God, if the fullness that is in Christ really fills you, these are the ways in which you will live.
You will live your personal life, your church life, and your family life. In every area of your life, it will simply be the expression of Christ.
You find that it is all grace. Nothing is of law. Nothing is of man. Everything is of the grace of God. It is not merely outward behavior; it is the outflow of an inward life. That is the expression of fullness.
Dear brothers and sisters, all fullness is in Christ. God has put us in Christ, and He has put Christ in us. If we allow Christ to live in and through us, God will be glorified in our daily life.
May the Lord help us.
Dear Lord, we want to thank Thee for gathering us together these days. We fully understand that unless Thou speak to us, all speaking is in vain. Unless Thy Holy Spirit makes the Word real, it will not affect our life.
So we come to Thee in humility. We ask that Thou wilt not allow Thy Word to return void.
We pray that Thou wilt bless Thine own Word, that it will accomplish Thy purpose to the praise of Thy glory. We commit one another into Thy keeping.
We pray that in the days ahead, before Thy return, there will be a growing understanding of Who Thou art, that we may know Thee as God, and may allow Thee to be everything to us.
Take away from us anything that is outside of Christ, and fill us fully with Thine own Son. It is all for Thy own sake. In that precious name we pray. Amen.
Thank you.