In the next breath after the Apostle Paul tells us that all of God is in all of Jesus, he makes it personal:

…and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:10

Paul wrote these words to the Colossians — this whole letter, in fact — because other teachers were creeping in the back door of the new church, setting up spiritual Costco tables and handing out me-ology sauce samples for Christians to dip their theology into.

God’s work through Jesus is cool and all, but it’s not really enough.

You need to do something else — know something else — be something else — have something else — to truly open your eyes to God and be filled.

Hmmm. Seems like I’ve heard this somewhere before cough cough Garden of Eden cough cough Every Day of My Flipping Life.

Paul counters tired old lies with living and eternal truth:

Knowing and having everything of Jesus is knowing and having everything of God. There’s no need for spiritual condiments — add-ons to His work in me. In fact, I have been filled in Him. It’s done, past tense. My life is already complete in God because of Christ — wrapped up, packed in, stocked up, overflowing.

Jesus didn’t say It is finished on the cross but run out of breath to add except for that girl over there.

I don’t feel like it is finished sometimes, because I’m just like these Colossians, tempted by rule-following and idol fixes to put my heart at rest — turning Jesus paid it all into well, ok, so I did pay some of it.

I don’t feel like it’s finished sometimes, because I don’t really believe I’ve been filled in Christ.

I believe I’ve been filled with a shinier version of myself.

I don’t give reign to the new desires of Christ in me, but instead ask Him to baptize my old desires and make them holy. I ask God to improve me instead of make me new.

I don’t live in the present but in the past or the future, bowing down to new fears or old pains because I know there holes are too great for me to fill.

I try to stuff my old life back inside the new one that’s already full. I become spiritually conflicted, bloated and sore, unable to move toward obedience or blessing.

I fret about being good enough, betraying my trust in myself.

Because I would never doubt the work of Christ. I only doubt the work of me.

But this verse shakes me awake with the supernatural. I have been filled in Christ, who is the High Power over all the powers of the heavens and earth. My Rescuer has replaced my unrighteousness with His righteousness — siphoned me out and poured Himself in. He has delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).

It’s over. Done. I don’t have to settle for better, because He came to make me new — filled up, complete, and set apart for His Glory. He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world (I John 4:4).

The only work I have left to do is to tell people about the work that’s already done.

Read the next post in The Colossians Project.

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