Yes! You Really Are Complete

I want to caution you today about the dangers of religious tradition.

You see, when religious traditions contradict the truth about God’s grace and who we are in Christ, what they are really doing is telling you that you’re not complete if you don’t follow certain principles and rules.

In the 1950s, it was do not dance and do not play cards. In the 1980s it was do not watch R-rated movies. Today it’s thou shalt do your quiet time. Thou shalt spend time with God. Thou shalt change the world. Be a world changer. Move the needle.

And we hear this and it’s heaping pressure on our heads, especially upon our youth. We’re told we need to be better, and do more, and be more, and try harder.

That’s the only way to be truly complete Christians.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Look at what Paul says in Colossians 2:8–10…

See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority.

The order of these statements is not a coincidence. Paul’s saying there’s tradition, and tradition is going to insinuate that you’re not complete.

But the truth is, you are complete now.

Ask yourself this question: How does today’s tradition insist that you are not complete? We often ask for all kinds of things that we’ve already got in Jesus. We’re asking to be made complete.

Lord, please give me more forgiveness. Lord, please reign down on me, fall fresh on me. Come down into this place. Give me a new heart and change me.

We keep asking for what we’ve already got. And we’re begging and pleading and hoping and even shopping for the opportunity to somehow fill this hole. But you see, God says He’s already filled it.

That we’re complete in Him. All the fullness of God is in Jesus and all of Jesus is in you.

And if that’s true, then when religious tradition comes knocking, you can turn a deaf ear. You can ignore when religion says that you’re not complete, that you need more, and that you need to beg and plead and hope and wait to be filled.

That maybe you’re a Christian, but you don’t have the Spirit. Maybe you’re a Christian, but you don’t have this spiritual gift yet. Maybe you’re a Christian, but…

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Paul is saying you are complete in Jesus. You don’t lack anything. Yes! You really are fully complete.

You can discover more grace-filled truths about your completeness in Christ with Andrew’s NEW series Already Enough! Resting in Christ’s Sufficiency. This teaching, along with a bonus PDF study guide, comes as thanks for your gift this month.