Complete in Christ.

Man's philosophy and vain deceit, traditions of mankind, rudiments of the world.

How many of us live our lives by various philosophies of men? Good men perhaps, good sounding philosophies, maybe even harmless philosophies however- they are mankind's philosophies NOT GOD'S. 

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 

Col 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 

Col 2:8  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. 

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power

No matter how wonderful a man's philosophy may be it can never offer eternal salvation to a single person.

We can be spoiled through man's devices, man's deceptions, man's traditions, man's principles. Spoiled by believing they make us good enough human beings that should there be an hereafter then we lived our lives good enough to deserve that hereafter.

There truly are many good people who have brought happiness, contentment, help to many people yet without Christ, without His offered salvation will they be His? Would they even want to be His? A lot of them do not believe there is an evil in need of repentance and forgiveness outside of men forgiving men and men repenting of their evil and using their own moral fortitude to shun the evil they are prone to. They don't believe they need a God, or a Savior- yet they are tremendously wonderful people in the scheme of humanity's terms. Why don't they believe in God? If they don’t believe in God they don't have to answer to anyone but themselves. They don't have to live in fear of a judgement. They believe in themselves and maybe other people and to them it is all that is needed. Man looks to himself making up all sorts of excuses why they don't need to believe in God or a Savior. These wonderful people are deceived. Nothing says that the deceived have to be bad, morally corrupt people. There are many deceived who live only good lives and they will even tell Jesus about how much good they did in their lives as if that alone warrants eternity. They'll cry out about their good deeds and they won't be lying, they will have done good. These people will claim to believe in Jesus but Jesus won't know them. Of course there will be many who won't even claim to know Jesus but they'll tout their good deeds as they've laid claim to their title of 'Good Person'.

The truth is- we are only complete in Jesus Christ. Seriously, we are ONLY complete in our Savior. We can deceive ourselves all we want and lay claim to our own goodness, but that deception will deny us salvation. It's a self-deception- allowing ourselves to be deceived. Yes, we can allow ourselves to be deceived. We don't take precautions not to be deceived and therefore are accountable for the deception.

Eve's deception by Satan was forgivable because it was not self-deception. When we purposefully choose to align ourselves outside of Christ we have opened ourselves up to the deception of the worst kind. Remember, just because you're deceived doesn’t mean you're going to be a horrible monster of a person- that's just another fallacy that Satan likes to encourage. Sweet, kind, lovable people can be caught up in the deceptions of Satan.

Col 2:8 …Christ-

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power

Christ is the head of all principality and power -

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 

Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 

1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 

Christ suffered unimaginably when He didn't have to, He choose to redeem us through His sacrifice.

Did Christ like this world He was living in?

Joh_17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Joh_17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Joh_16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Joh_14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Suffice it to say that Christ was NOT of this world. And the world has not gotten any better since He walked the earth- not in their love of Him and His truth.

We need to be complete in Christ and no other!  By His grace may this be! All through HIS LOVE!