As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who want God to do big things in our lives, we have to be incredibly interested in what it means to be complete in Christ. God’s Word is packed with promises that not only affirm His plans for each of us individually but for the entire world. There’s no mistaking His faithfulness to His children. We can receive what God says we can have, become who He says we can be, and do what He says we can do. However, we must also acknowledge that on our own, we lack the power to be truly effective for His Kingdom. As Jesus Christ said in John 15:5 (NLT): “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” Thankfully, we are not apart from Christ but united with him through our faith in God! Philippians 4:13 promises that we can do all things because Christ gives us the strength we need.
The Assurance of Wholeness in Christ
Our completeness in Christ provides us with a profound sense of wholeness and assurance in life. This completeness means that we lack nothing that is necessary for spiritual growth and fulfillment. We receive it all when we give our lives to him! Colossians 2:10 (NLT) affirms, “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” We are filled to the brim and overflowing with God’s goodness; it is all the fullness of Christ, because he lives within us through the Holy Spirit. This abundance reflects the strength of God’s grace and power working within us, enabling us to experience and share His blessings in every aspect of our lives. We lack nothing in Christ and understanding this profound truth should motivate us to live fully, while seeking God diligently and desiring His best in everything we do.
Living Out Our Completeness
Sometimes, our faith is hindered because we fail to link our belief in our completeness in Christ with the outcomes we experience through our faith. While believing in our completeness in Christ is the foundation for greater blessings, belief alone is not enough to advance our faith. Our actions, behaviors, thoughts, and words must align with what we profess to believe.
Simply said, we want and desire blessings that exceed the amount of faith we’ve actually demonstrated in our everyday lives. In the Old Testament, God chose David to become king of His people, because David had demonstrated great faith in the Lord even as a child, when he used a slingshot and a rock to take down Goliath. The dynamic power of God’s gifts cannot be kept to ourselves. They can’t stay latent in our minds and hearts but must be expressed outwardly. When we fail to demonstrate our faith in our actions, it remains dormant and needs the exercise of both belief and action to grow stronger.
The wealth of empowerment that the Holy Spirit provides is undeniable and overwhelming. With all that God has given us through the Spirit, we have the ability to win many souls for Christ, consistently embody a godly character that reflects the Spirit’s fruit, and showcase the miracles, signs, and wonders of God’s power through the Spirit’s manifestations. As the Bible says in Acts 1:8 (NLT), “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” However, many of us have not fully allowed this power to work in our lives to the extent that it could.
Our completeness in Christ is purposeful to God’s plan for the entire universe, but we must remember how our faith connects us to this completeness. The extent to which we live out completeness in Christ depends on the strength and depth of our faith and how we act upon it. As James 2:17 (NLT) says, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” We can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results. Faith sometimes requires us to adjust both our approach and our commitment to serving others. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) says, “For we live by believing and not by seeing.” Therefore, it’s important to understand that a deeper trust in our completeness and empowerment should translate to a greater demonstration of God’s power in our lives. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Complete in Christ”, written for Walk in the Light Outreach ©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
