Complete means total, fullness, finished, finalized, wholeness, established, entire and many more synonyms. Col. 2:9 + 10 state – “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” NIV Or – “…you have been filled in Him/ made complete in Him…” ESV and NKJ versions.
Our Lord God is a loving, forgiving, patient and compassionate Father. ALL we need is found in and through Him, and our blessed Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Only Christ can give us a total, full-encompassing and complete, unconditional love. Jesus said in John 15:11 – “I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Do we love God completely? Jesus said in Matt. 22:37+ 38 – “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” “ALL” means EVERYTHING within us. Love is sacrificial, like Jesus, who gave up the glory of heaven and died on an agonizing cross for us. Love means placing others and their needs first, like a marriage or friendships or good relationships should be.
Complete love drives out fear. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” – 1 John 4:18. Christ’s love is so entire, that when He forgives us, He forgets those sins we confess. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” – Psalm 103:12.
If we are “complete” in God, then we are established firmly in His love and our relationship with Him lacks nothing. David penned the famous Psalm 23 which states in verse 1 – “The Lord is my Shepherd. I lack nothing/ I have ALL I need.” When we allow Christ to shepherd and lead us, then we flourish in His love. We accept that we are complete in Christ by faith, to live lives that are in line with our identity in Him. Wholeness is given to us because we are accepted in Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17 says – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We become brand new, like a butterfly that emerges out of a cocoon – beautiful, beloved, accepted, complete and whole.
It was rather difficult for me to give up all my earthly possessions, family and close friends, to move from a warm, sunny, very friendly country to Finland when I married my Finnish husband. I knew without a doubt that it was Christ’s guidance, but what carried me through when the going got tough, was the knowledge that it was Abba’s total will and the fact that my husband loves me unconditionally, wholly, with a Christ-like love – always. Christ-like love is sweet, complete, sacrificial, blessed, healing and eternal.
Just before Jesus died on the cross, and He was burdened with the whole world’s extreme sins and pain; He cried out to Father God – “It is finished/completed/ done!” – John 19:30. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant there was nothing else to do, nothing more left to pay. He paid it all – totally, completely, permanently. THAT is complete love to its overflowing fullness.
Precious, most Holy and blessed Jesus, thank You so much that You gave everything totally to complete Your work on the Cross which Abba Father gave to You to do on our behalf. Thank You that Your love encompasses wonderful wholeness and completeness in all its greatness. Truly there is none like You! Please help us to totally abandon ourselves to You in humility, surrender and complete, thankful love. Amen.
Myrtle Turunen