Romans 6:3 English Standard Version (ESV) Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

This is a continuation from yesterday’s devotional.

“What does it mean to be filled in Him? Filled is an indication that there is no room for self; the old man has died and relinquished control of our lives.”

Many will come to a point in understanding where we cry out “But Lord I am still a sinner.”

Consider this, that the indwelling Christ who has entered our hearts is fully God, fully man, fully Lord and fully Savior. He is able to maintain perfect performance of each and performs each role in us without compromising the other identities. As fully man, He knows how we feel. He knows us better than we know ourselves. As fully Savior He knows best how to deal with our concerns. As fully God He knows the final outcome and has the patience to see us through this life. As fully Lord He guards and protects our new heart which is His and will not allow anything to interfere with His plans for us.

Hebrews 11:1 English Standard Version (ESV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This brings us full circle once again to the words in Colossians 2:2 to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge.

How precious to us is the full assurance of faith in Christ? We do not reach that point of understanding right away. This can be seen in the words “to reach” which is an expression of a thing hoped for as in Hebrews 11:1.

So why do we still cry out “Why Lord.”? It is an emotional response to a spiritual condition. We still have a mind, will and emotions which are flesh. He abides in our hearts not our heads.

John 8:34-35 English Standard Version

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not remain in the house forever; the Son remains forever.

Patience, our Savior is at work in us.

Colossians 2:6-10 English Standard Version

Alive in Christ

⁶ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. ⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits^[principles] of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

While we were talking about the door to our heart and using faith as the key to open up the door, the next question begs to be asked. Who is knocking? If we peek out the peephole, do we see a Savior or a Lord? Do we see a man or God? He is all those things but how we see Him determines how we receive Him and threat Him once He enters.

It might be easier to understand if Colossians 2:6 said “received Christ Jesus as Lord”. The Lord is a definitive statement and attaching that to our walk of faith declares us in Him, not with Him. In Him takes on a new outlook which is described in the following passages.

Galatians 3:27 English Standard Version (ESV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

This is tied directly to a regional attitude of understanding that the clothes identified who they were in society. Roman soldiers were easily identified by their armor, priest were identified by their robes. It was a social understanding of personal identity.

If we put on Christ in that same sense of identity, what do we look like? If we believe Colossians 2:9-10 then the key to being seen as having put on Christ, He is the Lord of our lives. What does it mean to be filled in Him? Filled is an indication that there is no room for self; the old man has died and relinquished control of our lives.