Colossians 2:9 – For in HIM (Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. {10} And ye are complete in HIM, which is the head of all principality and power.

    What a great and glorious message this is!  All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all who are united to Him are complete in HIM!  Christ is the fullness of all the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification (holiness), and redemption, God requires.  And this is true of all who believe in Him, all who rest in the blessed fact that His righteousness alone entitles them to the whole inheritance of eternal life and final glory in Heaven.  If all who believe in Him are complete in Him, and it is all based on the merits of His righteousness alone, then there is nothing left for believers to do in order to attain salvation.  They have it completely, and it will never be lost. There is nothing for believers to do in order to be qualified, fit, or entitled to any part of eternal life.  Christ has done it all for them, and they are complete and secure in Him.  Is He qualified and able to attain and maintain all of this for them?  Well, in His Person dwells all the fulness of the Godhead, and His righteousness satisfied God's law and justice for His sheep.  His righteousness alone demands their whole salvation, from the new birth to final glorification.

    In light of this glorious message, you would think that the whole world would believe it.  You would think multitudes would come to hear this message.  You would think that the churches where this message is preached would overflow with people.  This is the only message by which God saves sinners.  But the sad fact is this – Men and women by nature will always choose their own self-righteous efforts over the righteousness of Christ.  Why?  It is because of self-righteousness, self-love, and religious pride.  Man by nature will not see himself as complete based on the righteousness of another.  He by nature will insist on his own efforts at religion and morality as contributing to his completeness.  This is the height of total depravity, human pride, unbelief, and idolatry.  So the command of the Gospel is for self-righteous sinners to believe God's gospel proclaiming how all of salvation is based on the righteousness of Christ, and to repent of such dead works and idolatry.  God promises to save and to make complete all who come to Him pleading the merits of His Son.