For in Him the entire compliment of the deity is dwelling bodily. And you are complete in Him, Who is the head of every sovereignty and authority.
Paul to the Colossians 2: 9-10, Concordant New Testament
I overheard a fellow gym patron proclaim the other day that they were a Christian. Sensing an opportunity, I also introduced myself as a believer. The issue was that this person wasn't filled with the usual happiness found in new believers. He mentioned that he indeed had been a follower of the Lord for some time, but that lately had fallen upon some shaky times. He ended our conversation by saying that he still believed, but that he was a "Work in progress." I've often wondered what this comment meant to the believer. A work in progress? I admit that in my younger day that I sometimes felt as if I was also a work in progress for the Lord. The underlying feeling which contributes to this frame of mind is the idea that sin continues to play a dominant role in our lives, that sin continues to control us. I believe in the Lord, but due to my sin nature, I'm continue to be a work in progress. That is, I fully expect sin to control me from time to time until such time as Jesus returns for me. Far too many believers get caught up in this lie because far too many believers are not aware of the truth of Christ Jesus and our old man. The apostle Paul gives us a definitive oratory on the defeat of sin by Christ in the book of Romans. Paul calls upon the believer to consider themselves to be "Dead, indeed" to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:11}. For it is Christ who has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. Paul also proclaims that Christ was made to "Be a sin offering for our sakes that we may becoming Gods righteousness in Him" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. How is it that we, as believers, can continue to be a work in progress for the Lord knowing all which Jesus has accomplished on our behalf? Well, the sad part is that many believers are unaware of this truth. It is a truth which is not proclaimed from the pulpits of the mainstream church. Yet just because one has not heard the truth does not mean that the truth is disqualified in any way. What it means is that some are unaware of the works of Christ Jesus on our behalf.
Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, having been roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament
The belief that we are simply works in progress for the Lord gives us the false idea that we are somehow incomplete. That God needs to somehow refine us into who He desires us to be. People, we ARE ALREADY THERE! Paul proclaims that we are complete in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Colossians 2:9-10}. It is God who has created us in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}. God has not created us in His imperfect likeness, that we should continue to be a work in progress. No, God is perfect, and our spirit is the perfect image of His likeness. We are complete in Him. To believe that we are simply a work in progress is to believe in the lie spoken by Satan in the garden {Genesis 3:4-6}. Adam and Eve believed in the lie that once they partook of the forbidden fruit that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}. This belief introduced the false narrative that we are somehow separated from God. How is it that we can ever be separated from He Who created us? The apostle John proclaims that we are not separated, but complete in union with the Father and Christ {Johns Account 14:10}. We are not a work in progress, but complete in Him.
With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living, no longer I; but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.
Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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