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Colossians 2:6-10 - Deceptive Philosophy or Complete in Christ.

Colossians 2:6-10 - Deceptive Philosophy or Complete in Christ.

Colossians 2:6-10 (NKJV) As you have therefore received Christ 
Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and 
established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with 
thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty 
deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic 
principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells 
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in 
Him, who is the head of all principality and power.  

Colossians 2:6-10 (TNIV) So then, just as you received Christ 
Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up 
in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and 
overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive 
through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human 
tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on 
Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily 
form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head 
over every power and authority. 

How Can I Partner With The Holy Spirit In My Life?
  Before I answer, let me ask a question. What allowed you to 
begin a relationship with God? How did you - a sinner - enter into a 
friendship with a holy God? What brought the two of you together? Was it 
dedication on your part? Was it a result of your unceasing effort? Of 
course not! You entered it by faith. And nothing has changed. 
  "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk 
in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as 
you have been taught" (Col. 2:6, 7). 
  We are not the first generation of Christians who have tried 
to take matters into our own hands; the early church had the same 
problem. It's part of fallen human nature to want to maintain control, to 
do things ourselves. When it comes to righteousness, whether for 
salvation or for living, we must allow God to do the work. 
  The Spirit-filled life is a life of faith. It started by faith 
and it runs on faith. It is faith from start to finish. 
  Then we believed that Jesus saved us from the guilt of sin; 
now we must believe that He saves us from the power of sin. Then we 
trusted Him for forgiveness and it became ours; now we must trust Him 
for righteousness and it shall become ours also. Then we took Him as 
a Savior from the penalties of our sins; now we must take Him as a 
Savior from the bondage of our sins. Then He lifted us out of the pit; 
now He seats us in heavenly places with Himself. 
  The Bible never makes a distinction between the faith that 
saved us from the penalty of sin, once and for all, and the faith that 
saves us from the power of sin, every day. It is all the same. 
  So what is faith? Faith is believing that God will do as He 
has promised. Faith is not a power or something we're supposed to 
drum up inside ourselves. Faith is trusting that God will honor His 
promises. That's all there is to it. We are to go about our lives, making 
decisions, handling crises, raising our families, and so on, as if God will 
really do what He said He would do. That is what it means to partner 
with the Spirit. [Life Principles SB By Charles Stanley re Col. 2:6, 
7] 

Complete in Christ
  This verse expresses the uniqueness of "God's one and only 
Son" (John 3:18, NIV). The Messiah was not merely a prophet on whom 
the Spirit of God occasionally settled. Even in the beginning, Jesus 
was "with God, and he was God" (John 1:1). If he were anything less, 
Christianity would be just another human attempt to bring peace on earth. The 
fullness of God - everything that God is - lives in Jesus, and Jesus 
lives in us, and we are complete in him. Think about that! 
  When we struggle with our daily cares and lose sight of our 
purpose in life, we usually begin to feel that much is lacking in us. 
And that's true! As a matter of fact, that's exactly why God takes 
us through the tribulations of life. It is when we think we've got 
it all together that we tend to be the farthest from God. But if we 
recognize and acknowledge our genuine need of him, we will find that in 
him we are complete. 
  Prayer: LORD JESUS, you are so completely great and awesome! 
How can it be that you have chosen to live in me? And yet you have. 
Help me to trust you, knowing that you are in control and that you 
are using everything that happens in my life to show me that in you 
I am complete and lack nothing. 
  Quote: Holy has the same root as wholly, it means complete. A 
man is not complete in spiritual stature if all his mind, heart, 
soul, and strength are not given to God. R. J. Stewart [Praying 
Through The Bible By Fuller re Col. 2:9, 10] 

"Self-fulfillment" is a popular idea, and people pursue it 
through money, power, and the pleasures of life. But only in Jesus are 
we truly complete. The One who created the universe and keeps it 
running (Colossians 1:15-20) will actually live in us (John 15:4). This 
is a promise of ultimate fulfillment. What more could you possibly 
hope for? [The 365 Daily Promise Bible By Barbour re Col. 2:10] 

SPECIAL LINK REGARDING THIS PASSAGE:

COL. 2:6-10: Distractions by Shawn Boonstra: 
http://www.itiswritten.com/betterway/episode/2010/03/15 

www.aBible.com