Knowing God Through Christ: Rooted, Built, Filled

The fullness of God is in Jesus Christ, and your fullness is in Jesus Christ. And every power in heaven and earth is under him. Jesus Christ is the lord of the of the natural world. He is the lord of the spiritual world. Everything, all things, all authority has been given to Jesus Christ who is your life, who fills you. You don't need anything else except him. That means that the safest place that a Christian can stand is exactly where Paul began this passage, walking in Christ, rooted in Christ, built up in Christ, giving thanks that in him we got everything we need. [01:10:42] (66 seconds)  #FullnessInChrist

He's saying that all the fullness of the godhead. We sang this morning, god in three persons, blessed trinity. All the fullness of the godhead dwells in Christ. Not a portion of the presence of god, not a mere reflection of the glory of god, but the fullness of deity dwells bodily in Jesus Christ. It means everything that God is has been revealed and made presence in the son of God. And he adds a remarkable word to that. He says, bodily. God's fullness is not scattered among little spiritual intermediaries. It's not distributed among angels. It's not hidden in mystical experiences. It has come to dwell in the incarnate son. In Jesus Christ, the living God makes himself known. [01:06:05] (69 seconds)  #DeityDwellsInChrist

Each one of these ways that I just mentioned, it it there are ways of thinking that promise fullness in the life of a believer. All of them offer something that sounds wise, and it sounds helpful, and it sounds like a it sounds like a level up. But in the end, all they do is direct the heart somewhere other than Christ. And that's why Paul speaks so strongly here because anything that convinces us that Christ is not enough eventually carries us away from the freedom that is found in Jesus Christ. [01:04:21] (38 seconds)  #ChristAloneSatisfies

What makes the I a danger real is that these ideas don't they don't usually appear as if they're hostile to the the faith. They often sound like they're nice and thoughtful and reasonable additions to our spiritual practices. They they sound like things that might add wisdom or fulfillment or a deeper life, and and Paul is just giving the churches very simple test. Is what you're thinking about adding to the teachings about Jesus, is it according to Jesus Christ? Right? See to it that no one takes you captive in things that are not according to Christ. Well, you know, anything that promises fullness in something other than Jesus Christ will eventually lead us away from him. [01:00:32] (59 seconds)  #DiscernAccordingToChrist

So the question of identity is not something you have to solve by by proving yourself. Our worth is not secured by our achievements in this life or the recognition that we get from those whom we want recognition from. It's not defined by how much we can control. We are anchored by our union with Jesus Christ, the shape of our life, the source of our life, the destiny of our life. And Paul's not saying this so that you can sit comfortably in that truth. He's saying it so that the church will live from it. And so bell one, if the fullness of God is in Christ, and if your life is hidden in Christ, then you have freedom in Christ to serve him and to live differently in this world. [01:14:33] (68 seconds)  #IdentityInChrist

And so bell one, if the fullness of God is in Christ, and if your life is hidden in Christ, then you have freedom in Christ to serve him and to live differently in this world. You don't need to chase every promise of wisdom that comes along. You don't need to measure your life by the standards of this world and this age. You don't need to live as though something essential is still missing. Now you are called to walk in the one who holds the fullness of God. You are called to walk in Christ. Walk in him when the world pressures you to define yourself by your success. You're called to walk in him when fear note when fear tells you to secure your life by, like, keeping control of everything. How many of you guys do that? You try to play with your world like it's little, like, Lego guys. Right? You're called to walk in him when the voices around you promise a deeper life somewhere beyond the gospel even if that thing seems kinda good. [01:15:23] (83 seconds)  #LiveFreelyInChrist

The stability comes from holding firmly to the gospel that they first received, holding firmly to the teaching about Christ that has been handed down to them. And then he says that their lives should be overflowing with thanksgiving. It sounds like it's just a throwaway statement, but it is just as important as the rootedness and the being built up and the being established. Because gratitude gratitude keeps us anchored in the grace of God. To say thank you, Lord, for what you are doing reminds us of who's doing the doing. When believers remember what they received in Christ, our natural response is gratitude. [00:56:33] (62 seconds)  #GratefulForTheGospel

Paul is using the word captive, and it's a vivid word. See to it that no one takes you captive. It refers to carrying somebody off, kidnapping them. Right? Somebody just like taken off as as plunder, booted out, exiled from their home. It's the language of war. After a battle, the people who are defeated are led away as captives. And Paul says to the church, see to it that no one takes you captive. Paul saying that ideas can take people captive. Teaching that is not true can take people captive. Philosophies that kind of capture people and carry them away from Jesus Christ. And it might be slow, but that's actually what we're talking about. We're talking about the drift away and the drift towards empty philosophies. [00:59:26] (66 seconds)  #DontBeTakenCaptive