The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ

Do you feel spiritually complete, or do you feel as though something is missing? You wouldn’t be the first person to feel that way. Often, we find ourselves trying to add something to our spirituality to make up for some perceived lack. Entire book stores are filled with shelves and shelves stocked with lessons on how to try and do just that. Here is an amazing truth: today, you don’t have to feel that way anymore.

Let’s get started.

What a supernaturally reassuring reframing of our lives. What we are called to is not to come alongside Jesus and offer Him a 50/50 partnership between Christ AND us. No, we were created to surrender all we have and live our lives through the power of Christ IN us. Maybe to you, this feels too easy to be true, like surely there must be a part of this equation that comes from you. Let’s work through this together and see what conclusion we come to.

Look at Colossians 2:6-7 again,

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord… how did you receive Him? Turn to Ephesians 2:8-10:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

How did you receive Christ Jesus as Lord?

By Grace through Faith.

How do you continue in Him?

By Grace through Faith.

Turn back to Colossians.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:6-8

Notice how Paul is doing more than just rebuking the heresy we’ve been discussing that was making its way through the Church at Colossae. He is instructing those who have received Christ Jesus as Lord in how to live on guard against any teaching that is peddling any knowledge that does not come from and point to Jesus and the supreme and sufficient source of life.

This changes everything. In fact, Louie Giglio taught us in this video that we can sum up the book of Colossians with a single statement:

He is, in me, changing everything.

Often times people will say that they want spirituality, but they don’t want it to change thier lives. But Jesus changes everything. In fact, He intends to change every single thing about us. Why? through Jesus, we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and delivered into redemption, and that kind of change results in a total life makeover from the inside out.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Colossians 3:1-11

This is the plan of God in your life, to change everything. To reach into all of the facets of who you are and to transform you to look more and more like Jesus. He wants to change the way you think, the way you act, the patterns and appearance of your life.

Why? So that we can earn favor with God? No!

It is because we have shed our old selves and been clothed with our new selves; because we are not our own any longer, but we are Christ’s.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 1:12-17

In other words, when you see that Jesus is everything and that He has given you everything He is, then you see that your life is defined by this transaction, and the why becomes clear.