For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority (Colossians 2:9-10, NIV).
As we roll out of verse 8 into verse 9, you might recall that Paul was discouraging the church from following the empty, deceptive philosophy of the world. Today he gives them another option. What’s the opposite of empty, but full?
The fullness of God – everything that God is – can be seen in the person of Jesus. The author of Hebrews describes it this way: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being… (Hebrews 1:3, NIV).”
As Evangelical Christians, the deity of Christ is the basic building block of our theology…so nothing the Apostle says here should be surprising. What IS surprising is what Paul says next. That fullness has been given to you and me! Of course, that doesn’t mean you are divine, that you have equal standing with Jesus, or even that you’re made of the same spiritual stuff as him. Jesus, Paul notes, is after all the one that is “head over every power and authority (not you or me).”
The key is found in Paul’s favorite preposition “in” (he uses the phrase “in Christ” 84 times!). We get to experience the benefits of Christ’s fullness and be associated with his universal authority only as we are IN him. Here, “in” is what’s called a locative term…location, location location. It isn’t necessarily a literal place, but a sphere of influence.
As we immerse ourselves in Jesus’ sphere of influence we begin to experience his fullness (prayer, Scripture, fellowship, etc.). The implication, of course, is that you can be “out” as well. Reject his influence for deceptive philosophy and you miss out on his fullness.
So here’s the question: are you experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings? Are you walking in spiritual authority? If not, check your location.
