The Perfections of Christ | Grace House Church in Florence, AL

Three Portals of Revelations: The Message, The Goal & The Power

A sermon by Pastor Eddie Lawrence at Grace House Church in Florence, Alabama.

Scripture reference: Colossians 1:27–29

Sermon series: The Perfections of Christ

One of the most transformative truths in all of Scripture is this: you are complete in Christ. Not almost complete. Not complete if you work hard enough. Complete. Paul makes this clear in Colossians 2, and it stands as one of the most liberating declarations a believer can receive. The problem for so many Christians is not a lack of effort. It is a misunderstanding of identity. Religion has often taught that if you do enough, long enough, you might just make it. But that is not the revelation of Scripture. Your life as a believer is hidden with Christ in God, and that is your foundation, not your performance. Everything you need has already been provided as a gift: grace, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and spiritual gifts. You cannot earn any of it, and you were never meant to.

Paul describes his mission in Colossians 1 as preaching a person, not a system or a checklist. The goal of that preaching is to present every believer fully mature in Christ. God is not simply giving you a ticket to heaven and asking you to wait. He is actively conforming you into the image of His Son, working all things together for your good and His purpose. Spiritual maturity is the goal, and it is measured not by how long you have been saved, but by what comes out of you when life squeezes you. The aim is that when pressure comes, what pours out reflects Christ.

The difference between exhausting religion and grace-empowered living can be illustrated by the contrast between a rowboat and a sailboat. A rowboat moves only when you paddle, making everything dependent on your effort. A sailboat requires your participation, but the power that moves it is the wind, not you. The Holy Spirit is the wind of God. When you move in obedience to His leading, He fills your sails and carries you in ways your own strength never could. You are not called to be passive, but you are called to co-labor with the Spirit, stepping out in obedience and trusting that grace will meet you there with supernatural enablement. You are complete in Him. Let that truth move from your head into your bones.