Colossians 2:8-15
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
What is said in today’s verses is linked to verse 8 which tells us to beware, lest any man spoil us through philosophy, vain deceit, the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Our verses today are informing us why we should never be deceived into letting another man add anything to Christ and His finished work. What value can philosophy add to the gospel message? What tradition makes Christ more valuably, what systems of the world can add one iota to Christ? Any addition to Christ or his Gospel message is actually a subtraction. What can a man add to God? Is there anything that we could do to make him more glorious? Of course not, but when we add philosophy or psychiatry or anything to our Gospel message and ministries we have actually been spoiled of the power and authority that comes with taking Christ as he is. This is precisely the issue the church at Colossae is facing, not removing Christ from their teaching but supposing to add to him by their teaching and philosophy of that day. This is also what has invaded the church of today, they haven’t removed Jesus completely from Church but supposing that adding entertainment or becoming more “inclusive” or any other addition of something or someone to the gospel ministry is going to somehow improve it. In reality, they have not added to, but subtracted from the preeminence of Christ.
Why shouldn’t we add to Christ? because it is impossible to add to Him, He is
The fulness of the Godhead bodily! God is Omnipresent, everywhere all the time and all at once. God is omniscient, knows all things from all age’s past, present, and future. God is omnipotent, He has all power in every realm of our universe, seen and unseen, known and unknown. Not only are these things true of God the Father but also of Jesus Christ, “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Jesus is not a shareholder with God in some of his powers and authority he is God and in his body was and is the power of the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent creator. Supposing that our additions to him can make him more is total nonsense. We should not endeavor to add to him but subtract everything that distracts from and hides his true person. Philosophy, entertainment, programs, and every other thing that is distracting us from Jesus needs to be put away so we can see Jesus for who he is and have a fresh revelation of his power.
Verse 9 tells us that he is complete and therefore there is nothing that can add to him. Verse 10 tells us that we are complete in him! What a joy to know that the fullness of all things has filled me! If we have not been guilty of the first(adding to Christ) then we have all been guilty of this second(adding to self). We may have a high enough view of Christ and who he is to never attempt to add to Him but our trouble has been supposing that the addition of these things may somehow add some value to our lives. Dear Christian, you are complete in Him. That is the reality, and we should live in reality and not in delusion. The times that my life has been most complete and my heart most content were not the times that I have hoarded the world’s pleasure around me like a rat in its den, or the times that I have supposed that some new thing, or some new hobby or some new wisdom was going to enhance my life. My life has been most complete and my heart most content when I esteemed Christ for who he is and what he has done for me, it has been in Him that my desires have found their end, my insatiable heart has found its rest, “Ye are complete in him!” These additions to our life are also subtractions, if we have the fulness of all things, if he who is the fulness of the Godhead bodily has been given to us what do you suppose will satisfy you, if the all supreme creator does not. So many of us are not satisfied because we have tried to find our completion in philosophy, tradition, wisdom, entertainment, material substance, and other rudiments of this world. We should endeavor to remove all these subtracting additions. Then we can find rest and peace and joy. The things that really complete a man can only be found in Him. All these things are given to us that are in Him! He is complete, therefore we are complete in Him! Lord, help us remove everything that distracts and separates us from you!