Colossians 2. The first two chapters of Colossians reveal a sacred secret not revealed in the Old Testament. We read yesterday that this mystery hidden for ages and generations has now been revealed to God’s people (1:26). The secret is that Christ lives in you, the hope of glory (1:28) This is a powerful, transformative truth, made possible by the humanity, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – his Spirit lives in us, in everyone who believes!

What does it mean that Christ lives in us? Let’s explore all the in him and with him statements in Colossians 2:6-15.

We are commanded to walk in him (2:6) having been established in the faith.

We have been filled in him (2:9-10) with the whole fullness of God. We are made complete.

We also have positional authority in him who is the head of all rule and authority (2:10). In resurrection he disarmed the rulers and authorities, triumphing over them (2:15) and because we are in him we belong to the triumphant side of the battle.

In him we were spiritually circumcised, and the old self and its ways were set aside (2:11). This has implications for how we live, and how we battle sin.

We were buried with him in baptism and raised with him from the dead by the power of God (2:12). That means that our old self is dead and buried, and we are raised to a new life. We have been spiritually resurrected from the dead.

God made us alive together with him (2:13) and forgave our sins and canceled our debts. Our sin has been removed from us.

The fact that Christ lives in us gives us the promise of a future restoration and the hope of glory to come at some point in the future (1:28).

Christ lives in us – what an amazing, transformative truth!

It is such an important principle that Paul warns the church see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition (2:8). Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship or angels and so on (2:18). There are many other “religious practices” in the world that have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism… but they are of no value… (2:23).

Our lives are to be grounded in Jesus Christ alone. Walk in him.