It’s not what you know, but who you know, namely Christ Jesus. He is the Key to everything.

22 The LORD chose Me, appointed Me, anointed Me, and sacrificed Me as the first of His works [of salvation], before His deeds of old [creation];

If we want to know God, we must get to know Jesus. Colossians 2:9 tells us that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity [God the Father] lives in bodily form.” Jesus IS God. John 1:1-3 says that Jesus is the Word, and the Word is God, therefore Jesus is God. This “Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” He was God, but also the “Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. “Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been with you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father...Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?'” John 14:8-10. We have been given fullness in Christ. Fulness of what? Christ Himself! Colossians 2:10.

We come to understand the love of God and the full riches of complete understanding of Christ through experience. We must experience life with Christ. Doing things for Christ doesn’t qualify. We must do these things WITH Christ. His Spirit within us IS Christ. He is the One who reveals everything as we go through everything with Him. If He is not in charge, then He remains quiet and we miss the opportunity to learn from the experience. He will have to take us through it again WITH Him so that we may learn the lesson He has for us, the wisdom we are to gain, and the experiential knowledge of Christ that He wants to reveal to us.

Colossians 2:2-3 and 6-7 give us all this information. Let’s read it:

How I long that you may be encouraged, and find out more and more how strong are the bonds of Christian love. How I long for you to grow more certain in your knowledge and more sure in your grasp of God himself. May your spiritual experience become richer as you see more and more fully God’s great secret, Christ himself! For it is in him, and in him alone, that men will find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. J.B. PHILIPS

Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in him—in simple faith. Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it [experientially], and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness.

Hint: Reading Colossians 2:1-15 in several different translations and paraphrases will give the reader a fuller grasp of the text’s meaning. What else will we find?

1. Our whole self that was ruled by the flesh was put off [discarded] when Christ circumcised our hearts upon salvation.
2. God made us alive WITH Christ. That’s HUGE!
3. Jesus canceled our debt by nailing it to the cross.
4. He disarmed the powers and authorities of Satan, triumphing over them by the cross.

Powerful passage! It’s worth spending a few days soaking up the meaning of each truth given in it. Let’s see: Encouraged hearts, knowing the mystery of God (which is Christ), hidden treasures of experiential knowledge, strengthened faith that is overflowing with joy and thankfulness, having the fullness of Christ dwell in us, made alive WITH Christ, and having our sin debt completely erased…it doesn’t get any better than these! Aren’t you glad you know Christ personally? They are all yours through and with Him!

Abba, what wondrous works You have wrought! Thank You for making Yourself available to each of us through Your Spirit. May I learn each of these wonderful truths and learn to manifest them in my life. I’m ready, Lord! Lead the way. Amen.