In the book of Colossians a number of important phrases or expressions point to our experience of Christ. Some of these phrases are “Christ in you” (1:27), “full-grown in Christ” (1:28), “walk in Him” (2:6), “according to Christ” (2:8), “made alive together with Him” (2:13), “died with Christ” (2:20), “holding the Head” (2:19), “out from whom” (2:19), and “grows with the growth of God” (2:19). These nine expressions give us a complete picture of the proper experience of Christ. In this regard, we need to pay special attention to the prepositions in, according to, with, and out from. Furthermore, it would be a great help to pray-read all the verses related to these points.
In addition to all these positive points, Paul gives the Colossians some negative points, in particular, four warnings. In 2:4 he says, “This I say that no one may delude you with persuasive speech.” In 2:8 Paul issues this warning: “Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.” The third warning is in 2:16, where Paul says, “Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of Sabbaths.” Finally, in 2:18 Paul says, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” Notice that in each of these verses Paul uses the words “no one.” If we would have the real experience of Christ, we must take heed to all these warnings and beware that no one delude us, carry us off, judge us, or defraud us of our prize.
In 1:27 Paul speaks of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Do you realize that Christ is in you? The Christ who is in us is the extensive, immeasurable, unsearchable One. How marvelous that such a Christ dwells in us! We need to become full-grown in such a Christ, to walk in Him, and to be according to Him. Having died with Christ and having been made alive with Him, we should hold Him as the Head out from whom the whole Body grows with the growth of God. All these matters indicate that Christ is near, available, and applicable. Otherwise, how could Christ be in us, and how could we be full-grown in Him? Unless Christ were applicable, we could not walk in Him, be according to Him, or die and be made alive together with Him. Neither could we hold Him as the Head out from whom the Body grows with the growth of God. All these points are related to the subjective experience of Christ. Furthermore, these points are neglected or altogether lacking among today’s Christians, where there is little emphasis on walking in Christ, being according to Christ, or holding Christ as the Head.
If Christ were merely objective to us, He could not be in us, and we could not be full-grown in Him. None of the other positive points of the experience of Christ covered in Colossians could be our experience. What other person is capable of being in us and of making it possible for us to die with Him, to live in Him, and to walk according to Him? The unique person qualified for all these nine points is the Spirit. This term, the Spirit, is of tremendous significance. John 7:39 says, “But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Although the Spirit of God was in existence, the Spirit was not yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified. In the Epistles the term the Spirit is used frequently. It denotes the processed all-inclusive Triune God. Ultimately, the Triune God reaches us as the Spirit.
To reach us the Triune God had to pass through the process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. By incarnation God came into man. Then for thirty-three and a half years the Lord lived on earth as a man. Jesus, the embodiment of the Triune God, lived for years in the house of a poor carpenter. Imagine, the almighty, infinite God living day by day in a carpenter’s home! Eventually, the Lord Jesus was put to death. But on the third day, having passed through death, conquering and subduing it, He came out of death and entered into resurrection. By incarnation, divinity was brought into humanity. But by resurrection humanity was brought into divinity. Through incarnation God was brought into man, and through Christ’s resurrection man was brought into God. Through Christ’s resurrection, the Triune God, mingled with man, became the Spirit. This Spirit includes God, incarnation, humanity, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. Redeemed and uplifted humanity is in this Spirit. The all-inclusive life-giving Spirit is the Triune God reaching us in a final and ultimate way. This is the Spirit. Furthermore, the very Christ today is this Spirit. Therefore, it is easy for Christ to be in us and for us to be in Him. It is also possible for us to become full-grown in Him, to walk in Him, and to be according to Him.