Colossians 2 Devotional

Nothing Missing in Christ

“And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”Colossians 2:10 (BSB)

Paul writes Colossians 2 to a church being pressured to add something to Christ. Some urged human philosophy, others food rules, festivals, Sabbaths, visions, and harsh treatment of the body (2:8, 16-23). Paul answers by pointing to who Christ is. All the fullness of God lives in him in bodily form, and believers have been made complete in him (2:9-10). Nothing is missing for a ritual to supply.

Then he reminds them what God has done. When they were dead in their sins, God made them alive with Christ and forgave all their trespasses. He canceled the record of debt that stood against them, fixing it to the cross, and he disarmed the powers and triumphed over them there (2:13-15). The rules being pressed on them were only a shadow, and the reality belongs to Christ (2:17). They look wise but are powerless against the flesh (2:23). The Christian life is not an upgrade on Christ. As you received him, so you keep walking in him (2:6).

To think about: What are you tempted to add to Christ in order to feel secure before God?