Sermon or Lesson:  Colossians 2:9-10, with 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  The Fullness Of Deity In Christ Is Internally Present Within True Believers
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READ:  Colossians 2:9-10, with v.8 for context

BACKGROUND:
- - There are people in our churches who use "fine-sounding arguments" to effectively persuade undiscerning believers into believing and adopting false doctrines, that are deceptive, contrary to Scriptures, and destructive to their spiritual well-being.  (v.4)
- - Believers have the Scriptures to help them thwart the adopting of false doctrines, which can be assisted by them being orderly and being firm in their faith in Christ.  (v.5)
- - God instructs believers to comprehensively orient their life in Christ, being tenaciously anchored and spiritually maturing in Him with thanksgiving, which will strengthen them to repel the teaching of false doctrines.  (vv.6-7,4)
- - Philosophies about the things of God can easily become "hollow, deceptive", and enslaving because the process that is used to construct the philosophies is prone to be in error.  (v.2:8)
- - The humanistic source of "human tradition" and "the basic principles of this world" automatically makes philosophies about the things of God false, and/or deficient, and/or distorted, and/or in error.  (v.8)
- - Therefore, philosophies about the things of God that are based on humanistic sources are not acceptable to God, particularly because they are not properly based on "Christ" - the key to understanding God.  (v.8)
- - So, believers are warned not to believe philosophies about the things of God that are based on humanistic sources because they lack truth and reality that can only be found in Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures.  (v.8)
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v.9 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Describe the characteristics contained in verse 9, and relate them to preceding verse 8.]

SECTION POINT:  Because Christ is God Himself revealed in physical bodily form, Christ is the only appropriate foundation upon which we humans can construct accurate philosophies about the things of God.

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,"
- - From verse 8, Christ is the key to understanding God and to formulating correct philosophies about the things of God because "in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form".
- - Christ is the physical manifestation of God in "fullness", lacking nothing in possessing and manifesting the "Deity" or "divinity" of all that God is.  (Strong's #2320)
- - Furthermore, the "Deity" or "divinity" of God that is manifested in Christ is alive, "living", "dwelling, and residing" within the physical body of Christ - fully conscious, fully aware, fully functioning, and fully possessing all of the essence of God, which includes such aspects as comprehensively in His personhood, nature, character, qualities, virtues, attributes, abilities, functions, supremacy, reign, authority, infiniteness, eternality, and etc.  (Strong's #2730)
- - God Himself has taken on physical bodily form.
- - Revealing Himself in this physical bodily form, the visible God-man Christ is the only appropriate and acceptable source or foundation upon which we humans can accurately and acceptably ascertain, construct, and base philosophies about the things of God.
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v.10 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Using the first phrase in verse 10 and the cross-reference of 1 Corinthians 2:12-16, find and formulate as many reasons as you can as to why it is important that we true believers "have been given fullness [of the deity] in Christ".]

SECTION POINT:  In Christ and through Christ, true believers have internal access to God and internal influence from God, in fullness.

"and you have been given fullness in Christ,"
- - "God has chosen to make known" to true believers, on a personal level, the glorious riches of "the word of God in its fullness", "which is Christ in you".  (vv.1:25-27)
- - At the moment true and saving faith in Christ is achieved in a person, God places His Spirit to live within and permanently reside within that person.  (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
- - The Spirit of God, who indwells or lives within true believers, is present in fullness of deity.  (Colossians 2:9)
- - So in Christ and through faith in Christ, true believers become the temple of the Lord, where His presence in fullness lives.  (vv.2:10, 1:4; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

-- Some reasons that can be surmised as to why it is important that we true believers "have been given fullness [of the deity] in Christ" are:
- - - - that we have more than "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" - John 1:14, or "Immanuel ...God with us" - Matthew 1:23; we have the fullness of God in us - Colossians 1:27;
- - - - that we may understand our completeness in Christ, and thereby have no need to look for anything more beyond Christ;
- - - - that we may understand we have direct access to the fullness of Deity now;
- - - - that we can access "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" that "are hidden" in Christ;  (v.2:3)
- - - - that we may understand that no further processes are necessary to enter the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place - we believers are already standing in there, directly in front of the Mercy Seat or Throne Of Grace.  (Hebrews 9:1-15, 4:6; Exodus 25:17-22, 26:33-34, 30:6)

The verses in 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 cite additional benefits and dynamics that occur to us believers because we "have been given fullness in Christ".

READ:  1 Corinthians 2:12-16

-- We true believers "have been given fullness in Christ" so:
- - - - "that we may understand what God has freely given us";  (1 Corinthians 2:12)
- - - - that we may gain "wisdom" that is from God;  (1 Corinthians 2:13)
- - - - that we may be "taught by the Spirit" of God;  (1 Corinthians 2:13)
- - - - that the indwelling Spirit will give us understanding of "spiritual words" that "express spiritual truths";  (1 Corinthians 2:13)
- - - - that we may "accept the things that come from the Spirit of God";  (1 Corinthians 2:14)
- - - - that we may recognize that which comes from the Spirit of God as being wisdom;  (1 Corinthians 2:14)
- - - - that we may understand that which comes from the Spirit of God;  (1 Corinthians 2:14)
- - - - that we may gain spiritual discernment;  (1 Corinthians 2:14)
- - - - that we may become spiritual in our thinking and perspective;  (1 Corinthians 2:15)
- - - - that we may make correct godly "judgments about all things";  (1 Corinthians 2:15)
- - - - that we may become answerable to God over being answerable to humans;  (1 Corinthians 2:15)
- - - - that we may know "the mind of the Lord";  (1 Corinthians 2:16)
- - - - that we may gain and voluntarily be controlled by "the mind of Christ".  (1 Corinthians 2:16)
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[Lesson Question:  From the reality cited in the second phrase in Colossians 2:10, what effect does this reality have for or on believers, in relation to the reality cited in the first phrase in verse 10?]

SECTION POINT:  In Christ and through Christ, true believers can benefit from Christ's supremacy over every power and authority that exist.

Colossians 2:10 - "who is the head over every power and authority."
- - From Colossians 2:15, we believers are to realize and comprehend that Christ accomplished victory over "every power" or "rule" "and authority", which includes those who are angelic (good or evil), and those who are human (good or evil), disarming those who oppose Him and publicly humiliating them by the cross.  (v.10, Strong's #0746)
- - Christ "is the head over every power", rule, "and authority", having reign and command over them as He so chooses to exert when and how He wants to do that.
- - Furthermore, Christ has supremacy "far above" every power and authority, being in nature and essence far more powerful in every aspect.  (Ephesians 1:20-21)
- - Because of the fullness in Christ we have been given, thereby we believers share Christ's victory over every power, rule, and authority.
- - We believers are heirs to, or have access to, or can benefit from all that has been won by Christ's victory over every power, rule, and authority.
- - This sharing of Christ's victory over every power, rule, and authority also applies to believers corporately as the church, "which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way".  (Ephesians 1:22-23)
- - By implication then, believers can request through Christ that God intercede on their behalf to protect them from or stop any of the various human or demonic authorities from harming them, and He will grant and accomplish that request but in accordance to His purposes and timing.
- - Also by implication, believers can request through Christ that God intercede on their behalf to protect them from or stop the promoting of "hollow and deceptive philosophies" among them in their church, even if it is being conducted by humans in authority or who are collaborating with demonic powers in authority.  (Colossians 2:8)
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BIG IDEA:  The fullness and the authority supremacy of the divine Christ are internally present within true believers, and they are available to help us successfully resist falling into hollow and deceptive philosophies.

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IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS:

- - Are you in complete agreement with the assertion here in verse 9 that "in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form"?  If not, then according to what God says in verse 8, you are formulating or holding a "hollow and deceptive philosophy" regarding this doctrine.
- - For those of you who claim you are a believer, do you accept that "you have been given fullness in Christ"?  If not, then according to what God says in verse 8, you are formulating or holding a "hollow and deceptive philosophy" regarding this doctrine.
- - For those of you who claim you are a believer, do you accept all of the additional benefits and dynamics of "having been given fullness in Christ" that we cited from 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 a few minutes ago?  If not, then according to what God says in Colossians 2:8, you are formulating or holding a "hollow and deceptive philosophy" regarding each of those doctrines that you are not accepting.
- - Do you get the point here?  In every instance in which you fail or refuse to accept a doctrine from the Scriptures that is soundly interpreted and sufficiently explained to you from the Scriptures, then in each instance you are failing to adequately access the "wisdom and knowledge" that is internally available to assist every true believer in Christ.  (Colossians 2:3)
- - And when you fail or refuse to accept a doctrine from the Scriptures that is soundly interpreted and sufficiently explained to you from the Scriptures, then in each instance you also are, by default or deliberately, holding an erroneous or false doctrine or philosophy in its place - in other words, a false doctrine or philosophy can even be your response of "I do not believe this".
- - God regards that you failing to accept and believe Him at His word is a serious matter for God, especially since He does so much to assist you in having integrity in the doctrines of the faith, such as "giving [you] fullness in Christ".
- - Make a firm decision right now to henceforth always be receptive to and adopting of what God says in His Word when it is soundly interpreted and sufficiently explained to you from the Scriptures.  This takes ongoing effort, work, diligence, and discernment, but it is well-worth the corresponding benefits, blessings, and "all the [spiritual] treasures" in Christ that will come to you.  (v.3)
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[Additional Lesson Questions to ponder (optional, if time allows):
-- As a note of interest, are there any similar precursors of the fullness of the Lord living, dwelling, or residing like this in any instances in Old Testament times?  Two answers are:
- - - - On the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of the Lord Almighty was "enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark".  (2 Samuel 6:2; cf. 1 Samuel 4:4)
- - - - In the temple of the Lord that Solomon built, the glory and the presence of the Lord filled his temple and dwelled there, in the form of a cloud.  (1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 7:16; Matthew 23:21)
- - - - Now in New Testament times and through Christ, the Lord is living, dwelling, and residing in the hearts of those humans who believe in Christ.

- - For believers who fall into "hollow and deceptive philosophies" and thereby fail to access the divinely-empowered assistance that is internally available to them in Christ to resist these philosophies, what does this dynamic indicate about the process they are using in their attempt to achieve spiritual maturity?  And what does this dynamic indicate if they adamantly claim and strenuously strive to present themselves as being spiritually mature?  Hint: They are not actually doing or effectively doing what is prescribed and/or commanded in Colossians 2:6-7,3,8,4.]
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Works Cited:
Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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Copyrights:
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File name:  Colossians2_9-10-SermonOrLesson.___ (.htm, .rtf, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used:  NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within this document
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