"You Are Complete in Christ"

by Jerry Robinson

Over the years, I have learned that there is nothing more frustrating than trying to accomplish something that you have not been equipped to do. This frustration can be seen in the auto mechanic who doesn’t have the right tool for a certain vehicle. It can be seen on the face of a child extending his hands for something that he is too short to reach. And it is most definitely seen in a believer who tries to live the Christian life without relying upon the Holy Spirit. "Trying" to live the Christian life in our strength is impossible. The only way we can ever hope to live a pure life before God is by trusting in the Lord and relying upon the comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Fortunately, those who place their faith, hope, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are given everything they need to navigate the rough waters of this physical life. We should thank God that He has not left us to our own devices! Instead, we are complete in Christ. When the apostle Paul wrote to the believers at the church in Colossae, he informed them that they "had been made complete" in Christ at at the moment of their salvation. This word for “complete” in the Greek language is "pleroo." Pleroo is a nautical term and in Paul's day was often used to describe a ship fully rigged and equipped for a voyage. In the English language, the word "complete" is fairly self-explanatory. If something is complete, then you can add nothing to it!

So what does this mean for the believer in Christ? It means that when we receive salvation, we are made entirely complete in Christ. No special works were needed to improve this "completeness." God rescues drowning sinners when they are helpless. Because we could not save ourselves, we can never take any credit for our salvation. Instead, God deserves all of the praise for His miraculous rescue of every sinner.

And when God saves a sinner, He does not "save" part of them. His work is a complete work that cannot be added to.

Likewise, when God saves us, He does not clean us up and makes us perfect in ourselves. Instead of receiving our own perfection, the perfection of Jesus is imputed to us. Therefore, we made complete only by the finished work of redemption that God worked in Christ. It is in Christ alone that former sinners now stand in righteousness. Christ is our "all in all." (Col. 3:11) Without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) All things were created by Him, and for Him: He existed before all things, and by him all things are held together. (Phil. 1:16,17)

You need not look any further than Jesus. He is "the Way, The Truth, The Life." (John 14:6) He is "the Door." (John 10:9) He is "the same yesterday, today and forever." (Heb. 13:8) He is "the Word of God." (John 1:1) He is "the First and the Last." (Rev. 1:17) He is "the Chief Shepherd." (1 Peter 5:4) He is "the Bread of Life." (John 6:48) He is "the Lion and the Lamb." (Rev. 5:5,6) He is "the fairest among ten thousand." (Song 5:10) He is "the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords."(Rev. 17:14)

Saints, take heart. We are entirely complete in Him.