Read Part Two: Jesus is Not Enough 

Today, is there a danger of us feeling that in order to ‘connect’ with God we need to ‘add’ to Christ? Perhaps by attending this or that meeting, or flying half way around the world to the latest revival meeting? Might we find it easy to get swept away in different forms of Christian spirituality, or expressions of worship? In our churches do we feel ‘incomplete’ if we don’t seem to be ‘experiencing’ God in the same way as the person in front of us, or if we don’t agree with one type of teaching?

Short-lived fulfilment

In themselves these may offer a bright hope and happiness, they might be neatly packaged and properly presented. The preacher might go into great detail about what he has seen, [but] an unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions (Col 2:18). They may, as Paul says in verse 23, indeed have an appearance of wisdom, but do they offer genuine fulfilment and absolute completion? Will they last, or will they fade away?

Forgiven and alive

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh [sinful nature], God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:13-15).

In Christ there is absolute salvation, total completion, and entire fulness. There is no need to supplement the work of the cross with anything else. Because of the generosity of God, demonstrated in the person Jesus, the gap between man and God has been bridged and God is totally accessible to all. There are no barriers, no hurdles, no powers, or authorities natural or supernatural in the way. There is one way to God, and that is through Jesus, enabled by the Holy Spirit. 

No qualification needed

On the cross Christ did away with the legalism of the rule book, the regulations, and the need to 'do' certain things. The former ways of doing things, qualification rituals for relating to God, were over. God (Yahweh) was not just for the Jewish people anymore, but for everyone. There was no qualifying status, religion, colour or creed, but all people could now come close to God. 

The cross of Christ changed everything.

To discover more about Paul's teaching to the Colossians, read Part Four, coming soon...