Scripture Reading: Col. 2:8-15
Colossians 2:8-15 forms a complete section of the book. This section begins with a word of warning: “Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit” (v. 8). This section is also followed by another warning: “Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of Sabbaths” (v. 16). The warning in verse 8 is based on the verses which precede it. According to these verses, Christ is the mystery of God, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (vv. 2-3). In verse 6 Paul says that as we have received Christ, we should walk in Him. In order to walk in Christ, we must fulfill the two conditions mentioned in verse 7: we must be rooted in Him and be in the process of being built up in Him. Then we must beware that no one carries us off as spoil from the very Christ who is the mystery of God and in whom we should walk. We have received the wonderful Christ who is the mystery of God with all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now, having been rooted in Him and being built up in Him, we should walk in Him.
The section of Colossians which includes 2:8-15 is rather complicated. It contains a number of important points. Many of these points are related to Christ as the good land, as the rich soil in which we have been rooted. The expression “having been rooted” in verse 7 implies that there is soil. Verses 8 through 15 are a full description of Christ as the soil in which we have been rooted. Having been rooted in the soil, we grow with the elements we absorb from the soil. We know that Christ as the soil is in our spirit. Now we must go on to see, from verses 8 through 15, a description of the very soil in which we have been rooted. These verses present a full description and definition of the soil.
The first aspect of this very special soil is found in verse 9: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” We have been rooted in the One in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. We should not allow anyone to carry us away from such a soil. To be carried away from this soil is to be uprooted from it. When the book of Colossians was written, some were trying to uproot the believers from Christ. The believers had been rooted in Christ as the good land, as the One in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. Instead of allowing anyone to carry us away from this soil, we must stay rooted in it.
In 2:10 Paul continues, “And you in Him are made full, Who is the Head of all rule and authority.” Here we see more concerning the substance of Christ as the soil. One aspect of the soil is that of the fullness of the Godhead; another aspect is that Christ is the Head of all rule and authority. In Christ as the good land we have a number of different elements. The first element is all the fullness of the Godhead, and the second is the Head of all rule and authority.
In verses 11 through 15 we find more elements. Verse 11 says, “In Whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ.” The soil also includes the circumcision of Christ, which denotes cutting and killing. In the soil there is, therefore, a killing element. Verse 12, which says that we were buried together with Christ in baptism, indicates that the soil also contains the element of burial. In Christ as the soil there is a substance which causes us to be buried. After burial, we are raised up. In verse 12 Paul speaks of God who raised Christ from among the dead. This expression indicates that in Christ as the soil there is an element which causes us to be raised up. According to verse 13, we also are made alive. There is an element in the soil which gives us life, enlivens us. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul speaks of the life-giving Spirit. In Colossians 2:13 he uses the same Greek term for life-giving, only in the past tense. As the soil, Christ has made us alive; He has given us life.
In verses 14 and 15 Paul continues, “Wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us, which was contrary to us; and He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. Stripping off the rulers and the authorities, He made a display of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Here we have more elements that are found in Christ as the soil. The wiping out of the handwriting in ordinances is an element in the soil. The same is true of the stripping off of the rulers and the authorities, the making of a display of them openly, and the triumphing over them in the cross. As the soil, Christ includes all these marvelous elements. Praise Him that He is such a rich soil! We have been rooted in this soil. Day by day, our roots need to sink deeper into Christ as the unique soil.
When we are rooted in Christ as the soil, the first thing to take place is that we are made full in Him (2:10). The phrase “made full” implies a great deal and requires an amplified translation in order to bring out its real significance. The Greek word implies completion, perfection, satisfaction, and full accomplishment. In Christ as the soil we are filled, completed, perfected, satisfied, and thoroughly supplied. We have pointed out that the first element of the soil is the fullness of the Godhead. As we absorb into our being the rich nourishment from the soil, we enjoy this fullness. Then this fullness makes us full, completes us, perfects us, satisfies us, accomplishes everything for us, and thoroughly supplies our every need.
At this point, we need to consider further the meaning of fullness. What is the fullness spoken of in 2:9? As Colossians 1 indicates, the fullness is the expression of God. This expression is related to the image of God (1:15). As the image of the invisible God, Christ is both the Firstborn of all creation and also the Firstborn from among the dead (1:15, 18). The Godhead is expressed first in the old creation and then in the new creation, the church. Because all things were created in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ, and because all things subsist together in Christ, there is the expression of the Godhead, the divine Being, in the old creation. The new creation is the church, the new man, in which Christ is all and in all (3:10-11). The fullness of God is thus the expression of God in the old creation and in the new creation. This expression of God, the fullness of the divine Being, is the image of the invisible God. We have pointed out previously that in 1:15 the phrase “Firstborn of all creation” stands in apposition to the expression “image of the invisible God.” This indicates that the Firstborn of all creation is equal to the image of the invisible God. Christ is expressed in the items of the old creation. The same is true of the new creation, since Christ is the Firstborn from among the dead. Christ, the Beloved of God, is the image of the invisible God expressed in the old creation and in the new creation. This expression is the fullness of the Godhead.
This fullness is inexhaustible. Such an inexhaustible fullness is the first element of the rich soil in which we are rooted. God has planted us into a rich land. The first aspect of this land is the fullness of the Godhead, the expression of God in the old creation and in the new creation. Thus, the fullness implies the expression of God in the old creation and in the new creation. Having been planted into such rich soil, we absorb nourishment from the soil. The first element of the riches of the soil is the fullness. In this fullness we have been made full. Thus, we are short of nothing.
Paul wanted the Colossian believers to realize that since they had been made full in Christ, they had no need to worship angels. Christ was the Head of all rule and authority, and angels were just one item of God’s creation. In the fullness we are made full, complete, and perfect. Everything necessary is accomplished, and we are supplied and satisfied. Oh, this fullness is all-inclusive. It includes righteousness, justification, holiness, sanctification, and whatever we may need. Having been planted into this fullness, we should simply absorb nourishment from it. As we do so, we shall find that we have no lack. The experiences of crucifixion and resurrection are in the fullness. Praise the Lord that we may enjoy the universal, eternal, extensive, all-inclusive fullness! This fullness dwells in Christ bodily. Since Christ is the good land in which we have been rooted, we have been rooted in this fullness; in it we have been made full, complete, and perfect. We have no need whatever.
Before we were rooted in Christ as the good land, we did not have anything positive. Instead, we were involved with the flesh, the ordinances, and power of darkness. But now that we have been rooted in the good land, the fullness has become ours, and we are supplied with every positive thing. In this all-inclusive and extensive fullness, we have everything. We have God, we have an uplifted humanity, and we have divine attributes and human virtues. Do you need life? It is found in this fullness. Do you need love or patience? They also are included in the fullness. Because this fullness is all-inclusive, it accomplishes everything for us, it fully satisfies and supplies us, and it makes us full, perfect, and complete. How rich is the soil in which we have been rooted! It supplies us with everything, and we have no lack. We have the all-inclusive, inexhaustible fullness. In this universe there is such a thing that Paul in Colossians calls the fullness. This fullness dwells in Christ bodily. In Him, the embodiment of the fullness of the Godhead, we are made full.
On the negative side, however, as 2:11-15 indicates, we have the flesh, the ordinances, and the rulers and authorities. Young and old, male and female, cultured and uncultured — we all are troubled by these three categories of negative things. We all have the flesh, we all have some type of ordinances, and we all are subject to the evil authorities in the atmosphere. Sin, worldliness, and offenses have their source in these negative things. Praise the Lord that in Christ as the soil we have the element of circumcision which puts the flesh to death! In Christ as the soil there is killing power. This killing element can be compared to salt, which when added to soil can kill corruption. In the soil of the good land in which we are rooted is the “salt” of circumcision. This element does not cause anything to grow, but it is effective in killing germs. It cuts the flesh and kills it.
After the killing, we have burial. In Christ as the soil there is an element which causes us to be buried. Furthermore, there is another element which raises us up. Thus, first the elements in Christ as the soil bury us; then they raise us up. In Christ as the soil we are put to death, buried, raised up, and given life. The killing and the burial take the negative things away from us, whereas being raised takes us away from the negative things. Then the element in the soil which gives life makes us living. Therefore, in Christ as the soil there are elements which kill us, bury us, raise us up, and make us living.
According to 2:14, the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us and contrary to us, has been wiped out. It has been nailed to the cross. In the soil there is also the element of the wiping out of the ordinances.
We all have certain kinds of ordinances concerning the way we conduct our daily life. These ordinances may not be in writing, but they are inscribed in our mentality. Perhaps you have never realized this, but ordinances hinder your growth in life. In order for you to grow properly, they need to be wiped out, nailed to the cross. I can testify that as I absorb nourishment from Christ as the soil, my ordinances are wiped out. Today we do not need ordinances. We simply need to assimilate the riches from the soil that we may grow and be built up.
In the soil there is also an element which strips off the rulers and authorities and triumphs over them (2:15). This element is victorious over the evil spirits in the atmosphere. Both believers and unbelievers realize that there is something evil surrounding them. People try to be good, but something causes them to do evil. They are enveloped with an evil atmosphere. If we try in ourselves to combat the power of darkness in the atmosphere, we shall be defeated. But there is an element in Christ as the soil which defeats the evil spirits. As we stay rooted in the soil and absorb its rich elements, the rulers and authorities in the heavenlies will be stripped off. There is an element in the soil which strips off the power of darkness. We have been planted into this soil, and now we must enjoy all its riches.
In 2:10-15 Paul uses a number of verbs in either the past tense or the perfect tense in order to point to various accomplished facts. These facts should also become our experiences. According to our faith, the items in verses 10 through 15 are facts. But as we contact the Lord who is the all-inclusive Spirit in our spirit, these facts become our experience. We should not stop with simply believing the facts. We must take time to enjoy the Lord as the all-inclusive land so that these facts may become our experience.
If we take time to enjoy the Lord, we shall take adequate time to absorb Him. We have heard a number of messages concerning who the Lord is, what He is, and where He is. We have also learned how to exercise our spirit to contact Him. But now we must take sufficient time to absorb Him. We should not be lazy or indolent in this matter. From my experience I can testify strongly that when we take time to enjoy the Lord, all the elements of the rich soil are absorbed into us.
Immediately after I was saved, I came to love the Lord and began to seek Him. As a seeker of the Lord, I longed to be victorious. I read books which taught me to reckon myself dead to sin. However, although I tried this, it did not work very well in my experience. For many years, I was groping to find the way to be victorious. Eventually I came to see that the crucifixion with Christ spoken of in Romans 6 can be experienced by us only in the Spirit, as revealed in Romans 8. A number of experienced saints in the Lord can testify that this is true. If we wish to be victorious, we must take time to absorb the Lord. As we absorb Him into us for our enjoyment, we shall have the fullness, the circumcision, the burial, the raising up, the impartation of life, the wiping out of the ordinances, and the stripping off of the power of darkness. Day by day we may enjoy the rich Christ by absorbing Him into us.
I am thankful that the Lord has opened 2:7 to us, showing us that we have been rooted in Christ as the rich soil. I am also thankful to see from 2:8-15 the kind of soil in which we are rooted. If you see that we have been rooted in Christ as the rich soil, you will be comforted and encouraged. Do not be troubled by your weaknesses. Consider the rich soil in which you are rooted. In this soil do you not have the fullness, the circumcision, the burial, the raising up, the giving of life, the wiping out of the ordinances, and the stripping off of the powers of darkness? Forget your situation, your condition, your failures, and your weaknesses and simply take time to enjoy the Lord. Take time to absorb Him, to assimilate the rich elements from Him as the soil. If you take time to absorb the Lord, you will be able to testify that in Christ you have no lack.
Every morning we need to take an adequate amount of time to absorb the Lord. Although even ten minutes is good, it is best to spend thirty minutes to enjoy Him at the start of each new day. If you spend thirty minutes to absorb the Lord and to enjoy Him in the morning, you will not be bothered by negative things during the day. The “flies” and “scorpions” will not pester you, for the elements in the soil will repel them. However, if you fail to absorb the Lord in the morning, you are apt to be troubled by “flies” and “scorpions.” Many saints can testify that absorbing the Lord in the morning supplies them with the best insect repellent. However, we should spend time with the Lord not only in the morning but also throughout the day. If we have a good time with the Lord in the morning, afternoon, and evening, not only shall we be supplied with the most effective pest control, we shall also enjoy a feast. However, if we are not faithful to take time to absorb the Lord, our condition will gradually deteriorate. Our experience confirms this. Let us turn from our thought, emotion, and intention and open ourselves to the Lord, exercising our spirit to say, “O Lord Jesus, I love You, I worship You, and I adore You. Lord, I give myself to You. I give You my heart and everything concerning this day.” As you contact the Lord in this way, do not be hurried. Take time, the more the better. As you spend time contacting the Lord, spontaneously you will absorb into you the riches of the soil. The fullness, the circumcision, the burial, the raising up, the imparting of life, the wiping out of the ordinances, and the stripping off of the authorities will be yours. All these facts in the book of Colossians will become your experience.
Whereas the facts are in Christ, the experience is by Christ. We experience these things as we contact the Lord and are one with Him in a practical way. Recently I have been praying to the Lord every morning, “Lord, grant me the grace to live one spirit with You. Lord, I have no doubt that You are one spirit with me. But, Lord, I ask You to remind me that I am one spirit with You.” The more we live one spirit with the Lord, the more we experience the all-inclusive and extensive Christ revealed in Colossians. All those things that are facts in Christ thus become our experience by Him and with Him. Oh, let us absorb Him, enjoy Him and experience Him! Praise Him that we have been rooted in a rich, fertile soil filled with the divine attributes and uplifted human virtues! Everything we need is in this soil, in this good land in which we have been rooted. For the practice of the church life, let us stay rooted in this soil and absorb all its riches.
