Surely, we all remember doing homework assignments in school and being told whether or not they were complete.  In the verb sense, this idea of complete means the work is done, and all involved with it is finished.

As a kid, I enjoyed building model cars and model planes.  One of my favorites was an F15 Eagle.  Man, did that model have many parts to it?!

I remember the satisfaction I felt when I was done building it, and there were no leftover parts in the box.

You know Jesus completed a work as it pertains to us.  It says as much in the Bible.  But some people desire to tell us this is not true.

They speak to believers as if Jesus left some of the pieces needed for completion in the box, and now it is up to us to find those pieces and complete the build.

Colossians 2:8 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.

Have you ever taken time to think about what is being said here?

Should a beware like this be taken seriously?

I wonder how many believers have ever felt cheated in this way?  Constantly being told they do not measure up and need to step it up and then given self-improvement ideas rooted in the Law in order to bring to completion what Jesus began.

Pointing to things that draw on the strength of the flesh and turn our attention to ourselves distracts our attention and trust toward Christ and leads us to forget what He accomplished on our behalf.  That is what it means to say, and not according to Christ.

Should we take the next verse seriously?

Colossians 2:9 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.

The fullness of the Godhead bodily is not spoken of as a reality rooted in what we do to attain something.  It is not spoken about our merited condition rooted in having made ourselves attain righteousness on some level.  The fullness, the completeness we seek, is only found in Jesus, and when we rest in Him, we get to enjoy the fullness of God.

The finished work of who we truly are is only found in Him.  The place where the devil cannot get to us is where we’ve been hidden in God with Christ, who is the Head of all principality and power!

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

There’s no greater authority and power than Jesus! The false accusations of an enemy should hold no sway over us anymore.  We are complete in Jesus!  Don’t let the devil trick you into arguing on the basis of what you’ve accomplished.  Make the focus on the One who made you complete in Himself.