Grace Leadership Institute (As Jesus Is, So Are We)
Facilitated by Pastor Joedy
Transcribed and internalized by Yours Truly
You Are Complete In Him
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10
The goal is to realize and to naturally appreciate how when we, say, look in the mirror, we see Jesus. The mirror never lies about our other blemishes and imperfections, but beyond this, we ought to be seeing Jesus. The Bible does say that Word of God us as a mirror… we’re not denying what the mirror shows us, especially what we’re used to seeing… but we also ought to understand that though we deny it or not, Christ paid a great price for us to see Him in the mirror. That’s another way of seeing how Christ is so close to us – and we’re so close to Him, that we see Him in the mirror. And consequently, we see Him in the Word of God.
But here’s the thing: We’re seeing Jesus, but it goes deeper than that – As Jesus Is, So Are We! And one thing we ought to know, beyond all the titles given to Christ, we can say that as Christ is God’s beloved Son, we are also His beloved children!
Therefore we ought to know: The child of God has grasped the power behind discipleship, which is God’s grace in progressively manifesting the complete reality of all of Jesus in us. (note: the slide says ‘God’s grace in manifesting more of Jesus through us’). Pastor Joedy clarifies from here, that the greek word of discipleship has the context of a person walking along another person. Therefore, it’s not us trying to be like Christ, but us enjoying Christ who is with us! You are not a ‘convert’, as we used to insinuate when we share to others; No, the moment you believe in Christ, you immediately are set into motion, walking with Christ – You are a disciple, walking with Christ!
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.Luke 6:12-16
[On a personal note… I suppose I couldn’t walk alone anymore. Part of my life, if not all of it, is going to have to be an open book; because it’s not like I’m going to be walking with people in awkward silence]
This ought to minister to us, because contrary to our work, it’s Christ’s work that has fully guaranteed that we are with Him, and He is with us forever. Therefore it all comes out naturally, and it all flows out, so beautifully.
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10
The word ‘filled’ is actually ‘complete’ in the NKJV. The word ‘complete’ in the Greek means finished, among other meanings; it’s important for us to understand this because again, we’re defined by who we are, and not what we do. We do not do to be; We are, therefore we do – and what we are, according to this verse, is ‘complete’; and, apparently, according to other translations, ‘filled.’
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:17
In the NIV it says love is made ‘complete’ among us.
Pastor Joedy presents ‘The Galatian Syndrome’, based on Galatians 3:1-6:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
We see, in Paul’s passionate words, that the Galatians have been rendered:
- Foolish
- Bewitched
- Confused, no longer sure of their salvation by faith in Jesus Christ
- No longer sure that they received the Spirit by faith
- Inconsistent: Beginning by the Spirit, but now finished by the flesh?
- Unsure if it’s the law or faith that gave them the Spirit and miracles.
The mingling of our own self-righteousness can do so much to us; but the Truth of the matter is, if we are being brought to do and/or observe any sort of discipline (discipling), we’d come to the natural conclusion that these Spiritual disciplines we have are joys, and not burdens. It’s not about striving, because if we view it as such, we would eventually feel condemned and fearful… and apparently, our insistent striving results in us having the aforementioned Galatian Syndrome.
We are to Progress, and not Process. It’s a key to experiencing Christlike life and discipleship. We’ve already been made complete in Christ – what’s left to process? It’s because we’ve been made complete in Christ that we are actually progress. We need to see the great difference between the two. Pastor Joedy points out that this is how we can be complete and incomplete in the same time: We’re complete in Christ, but we’re incomplete in our realization of this completion. [and quite frankly I think we’re never going to be complete in the realization – just as the finite would never be able to contain the infinite; We’d always be in this cycle of never being able to fully grasp what it means to be complete, and just enjoying how we’ve been made complete to begin with.]
Christ has already processed us. By His finished work He has also effectively completed the process – we have been made perfect in Him! We’re standing on a firm and sure and absolute Rock, and everything we live from here is progression, no matter if we see it or feel it or not.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.2 Corinthians 3:17-18
What a beautiful Truth. That’s progression. We’re being moved from glory to glory. We may call it maturity, but I’d rather stick to us saying that we’re moving from glory to glory. Lots of kids couldn’t wait to grow up, and sure, we’re being told, even by Peter, that we shouldn’t remain as spiritual babes. But we really shouldn’t be so impatient. The progress is present, no matter how we see it or feel it.
At the moment of conception, one cell of a male merges with one cell of a female. That’s a complete life already. It’s not a mere glob of flesh and blood. The life is already complete at conception. We start as a product of union, growing, first in the womb, and then growing after birth… but all this time, we’re complete. We’ve been complete all this time… but we’re in need of revelation to grow, and to progress. We grow FROM completion. We grow FROM perfection.
So. If it hasn’t been so emphasized before, we’ve already established that Christ has fully processed us. Christ’s finished work has rendered us complete. And while we ought to always keep this in mind, while we would do well to meditate on this truth, we would do well to go a bit further regarding what Christ has done for us.
We’ve been made complete, and we’ve already been made masterpieces. Ephesians 2:10says: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Just as Christ is able to call all of us His favorite, so we have been re-created and completed, each and every one of us who have come to believe proclaimed as His Magnum Opus.
Finally, if we’ve realized Christ has brought us into completion, and if we’ve taken in the truth that we are Christ’s workmanship, and His masterpieces, it just follows that we would realize that Christlikeness is our destiny:
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”1 Corinthians 2:9-13
The Holy Spirit is more than willing to oblige to teaching us, with each and every day, what it means to enjoy Christ in each and every one of our personal lives.
Here’s another set of verses to consider and to appreciate as we speak on just how much we’ve been completed in Him. David once cried, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”Psalms 51:10; God answered as follows through Ezekiel: “…I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”Ezekiel 36:26
All this is what the Holy Spirit is said to convict us of. The Spirit lifts Jesus up, as does so naturally. Christ, therefore, is the one we proclaim.
How does one discover his or her completion in Christ? It’s seen and made known in everything: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
We know this, we believe this, we claim this, and naturally live this! Our completion is seen from all that is outside.
It’s seen and made known in our DNA. God has placed His DNA, His culture in us:
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
1 John 3:1, 9, 14
Our completion entails that we have been born again, which means that Christ has been encoded into our being – our cells. Our completion is seen from within. And to clarify – we are not made God. God’s seed has been encoded into us. He’s that close to us, and we are that close to Him.
At this point Pastor Joedy talks about the shema, or the law that we’re told to observe – that we are to love the Lord our God with all our strength, etc; However, we apparently leave out the rest of that Scripture – that ‘All the prophets and ministers point to this’; But he does point out, we could not love the Lord in such a capacity… and what’s left is being pointed to us – Christ! (Write and clarify more of this)
It’s seen and made known in Christ’s life in us, bringing us to Christ-likeness. God has made us like His Son.
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.1 John 4:17
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.Galatians 2:20-21
At around this time Pastor Joedy ended the first speaking session and encouraged all of us to join him in praise and worship. As we were singing, here are some revelations and thoughts that came up.
At one point after all the singing Pastor Joedy began to encourage us by way of sharing that Christ was known in Scripture in so many titles: King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Rose of Sharon, Lamb of God… but in that particular moment, he asked, who was Christ to us? What facet or perspective of the infinite Christ was standing out to us personally? I thought, that Christ is our Redeemer – the first word that actually came to mind was ‘rescue’, so ‘Rescuer’, but it sounds a lot cooler to call Him our Redeemer, I guess.
And what a Redeemer Christ was. He did it out of His own volition. The word says that even while we were sinners He came and loved us and gave His life to us. Through this absolutely selfless act, we realize, among other wonderful things, that we certainly did not choose Him, but He intentionally, absolutely chose us.
Maybe, I thought, it wasn’t really so much as Him delivering us from anything and everything that would harm us, but it was more of His faithfulness to us – That is, His faithfulness to make all things work for the good of those who love Him. I was thinking, is there an actual one-word term for someone who excels and revels in doing exactly that? In thinking about this, I asked in my mind: What is the personification of Romans 8:28, where it states: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
By this can we say that Christ is our ‘Adjuster’? Is He our Fixer?
Around this time, I was thinking about Christ, represented by Liet Kynes of Dune lore; Off of the top of my head, I can imagine the parallels. He – and yes, I say ‘He’ because Frank Herbert says that Liet Kynes is a man – He is representing the Emperor, but he is not with the Emperor, but actually on Arrakis. And though he did represent the Emperor, so he also lived with the Fremen, so much that the Fremen regarded him as one of their own.
And I should probably go there; See that there are some similarities between Liet Kynes and Jesus Christ – He was born into this reality on behalf of His Father; He was not physically with His Father, but He was constantly in touch with Him, praying to Him in the early hours of the morning; And though He is inseparable from God, He was present with us during His time with us in this finite reality, being more of us than Liet Kynes would ever be by way of being born as one of us.
I’m only making these explanations now, but I was more taken aback at the time of realization by more than Liet Kynes’ function, but his actual title – He was Judge of the Change. Now off the bat I think that’s a great title for Christ, who is in charge of what happens in our lives, with us in every change and adjustment, but is also faithful to make all changes and adjustments work for our good… But apparently, just as Liet Kynes was interested in doing the impossible – that is, to turn the dust planet of Arrakis into a world revived with flora and fauna – Christ is not only interested in bringing miraculous, world shaking change into our own lives as He sees fit, but by working in us and through us, we also bring the same change through our own lives. So the Judge of the Change is in charge of the change IN us, and the change THROUGH us. But, astounding as this is, it all pales in comparison to what He was absolutely determined to do for us before anything else – Something that was absolutely impossible for us to do on our own – That is, to save us, and to reconcile us.
And save us He did… Reconcile us? Sure, He did… how? Well, by making us complete in Him. And that’s another thing. Any sort of change we see Him working in our lives isn’t to say that He’s completing us… but in celebration of the Truth that we have been made complete in Him.
This is the first transcript of three speaking sessions Pastor Joedy had today, January 28, 2023. I will follow this up with the next transcripts very soon.
Until the next post, God bless you.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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