What does it mean that Jesus is enough?

But what is to maintain us in such a pathway? The Lord Jesus Christ as our Head. Let us read a wonderful verse: "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power" (Col. 2:9-10). See what is said: "are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." But who is it that is the Head of all principality and power and in whom we are complete? The One in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. There is a Man upon the throne of God in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. All the mighty resources of God are in Him for us; we are complete in Him. That means there is no necessity to go outside Him for anything we need. We do not need philosophy, the wisdom of man, religious organizations, or anything men can produce. We are complete in Christ. We have everything we need in Him, for in Him are all the resources of God.

And we are complete in Him. All the completeness of the Godhead is presented to us in Jesus, and in Him we are presented complete before God. We require no additions to the revelation of God in Jesus, neither do we require any additions from the creature to complete our acceptance before the face of God. In every way He is enough for the need of our souls. And therefore, as we have received Him, so are we to walk in Him; “rooted” in Him, drawing from no other source the nourishment that we need for our growth in the true knowledge of God.

With wholesome zeal the apostle writes, “Beware!”—Yes, for it is easier to behold the danger of others than to be awake to our own—“BEWARE!!” therefore be says, “lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit” (Col. 2.8). And then, as if he were anxious that we should not dwell unduly on the evil, he at once points us to the Divine Source of all good—to the infinite plenitude which resides in the One who is the Head of the assembly, as well as the Head of all authority, and in one magnificent Spirit-given statement of fact, which might well bow our hearts in adoration and worship—he sweeps aside all rivals, and places us in the presence of Christ, the all-sufficient One, as he says—“IN HIM DWELLS ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY. AND YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM WHO IS THE HEAD OF ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER” (Col. 2:9-10). Here then is the grand antidote! The fullness of the Infinite One dwells in Him in whom we are complete—in Him who came down beneath all for our salvation, who is now above all in exaltation—in the glorified Man who glorified God on earth, who is now crowned on high: in Him the Godhead fullness dwells bodily, and we, too, are filled full in Him. The Plērōma (fullness) of the Godhead is there, and we too are Plēeroō (filled full) there also.

Such is the doctrine as to the Church's place with Christ — a doctrine replete with the richest privileges for the Church, and each member thereof. Everything, in short, is involved: the perfect remission of sin, divine righteousness, complete acceptance, everlasting security, full fellowship with Christ in all His glory. "Ye are complete in him." This, surely, comprehends everything. What could be added to one who is "complete?" Could "philosophy, "the tradition of men," "the rudiments of the world," "meats, drinks, holy days, new moons," "Sabbaths" "Touch not" this, "taste not that, "handle not" the other, "the commandments and doctrines of men," "days and months, and times, and years," could any of these things, or all of them put together, add a single jot or tittle to one whom God has pronounced "complete?" We might just as well enquire, if man could have gone forth upon the fair creation of God, at the close of the six days' work, to give the finishing touch to that which God had pronounced "very good?"

This being true, then in Him believers find all fullness. They are complete or filled full in Him. This is not experience, but a fact which all believers have title to enjoy. Further, Christ is the Head of all principality and power, that is, the highest dignities and authorities are subject to Him and dependent on Him. We therefore are not dependent on them , but on Him.

The word is from πληρόω, 'to fill full.' The believer is complete in Christ, or filled full, referring to all fulness dwelling in Christ: the fulness of the Godhead is in Christ, as towards the believer, and the believer, as toward God, is complete in Him. Col. 2:10. The Colossians are prayed for that they might be 'complete in all the will of God,' or 'fully assured' in all the will of God, as most Editors read it. Col. 4:12.

"And ye are complete in him," v. 10. Not only have I all I want, but I am all I need to be in Him. I must appear before God, and have to say to God, as a responsible being; looked at as what I am in myself, I am lost; in Christ, I am complete, as complete as Christ is, for I am complete in Him. There are these two sides: if God is manifested to us, we must also be manifested before God. Blessed be God! I have not anything to seek out of Christ as to completeness. And mark, it is not merely what there is, but what we have in Christ. Our hearts are so deceitful and treacherous, they do like to get in a little bit of their own. But let it be humility, or what else it may, there is no room found here for anything of self. In us, that is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing. There is neither righteousness, nor holiness, nor humility out of Christ.

But if the completeness of the Godhead is revealed to us in Christ, so also we are complete before God in Him. I use the word completeness instead of fulness, not that I like it better, but because it makes the connection with the following verse plainer: "Ye are complete in him." All the completeness of the Godhead comes down to us in Christ, and in Him we are complete before God. It shows out what a wonderful place we are set in. What is the measure of the completeness of it? God looked down upon earth, and found in Christ all that His heart could desire in every sense, righteousness, obedience, and everything else; and we are complete in this Christ. All that satisfies God's delight and spiritual judgment, if we may use such a word, He brings us into. We are "complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." Above all these things that He has created, whether heavenly or down upon the earth, He is far above them all. He was always God's delight, "rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and his delights were with the sons of men." Therefore He became a man, and then, by grace, becoming our life He takes us into His own place before God. He satisfies all God's thoughts: He is the satisfying object of them, and all that we are brought into. We are in Him, "complete in him." What a place that is! That we should get thus the fulness of the Godhead brought down to us in perfect grace, and that we should be made complete in Him! There is growth, of course: "To him that hath shall be given;" but we have the fulness of the Godhead in Him, and we are complete in Him before God. And complete according to what? God has no measure but His own, and that is Christ. When we talk of our responsibility to God the law is the measure of it; that is what man ought to have been; but this is where all God's thoughts are satisfied, and that not in the first man but in the second.

"And ye are complete in Him." He was complete before man in his sins, and those who believe are complete before God in Him. This "completeness" was manifested to man, and now what is man (who believes)? "Complete in Him." There was the completeness of God before man in sins, and now the completeness of man before God in holiness. All the fulness of everything God could delight in is in Him, and I am in Him.

"And ye are complete in Him." He was complete before man in his sins, and those who believe are complete before God in Him. This "completeness" was manifested to man, and now what is man (who believes)? "Complete in Him." There was the completeness of God before man in sins, and now the completeness of man before God in holiness. All the fulness of everything God could delight in is in Him, and I am in Him.