Seeing a Complete Picture of the Proper Experience of Christ as seen in Colossians

In the book of Colossians, there are a number of important phrases that point to our experience of Christ; as we read and pray over this book, we will have a complete picture of the proper experience of Christ.

In this book we see that Christ is in us, we are full-grown in Christ, we walk in Him, we are according to Christ, we are made alive together with Him, we died with Christ, we are holding the Head, out from the Head we receive the supply, and we grow with the growth of God.

In the book of Colossians, we see that Christ is the allotted portion of the saints; He is the reality of the good land, and He has been allotted to us for our enjoyment and experience today (Col. 1:12).

God qualified each one of us, the believers in Christ, to have a share in the allotted portion of Christ, the reality of the good land.

The allotted portion makes reference to what we see in the Old Testament, the allotted portion given to the people of Israel as they took over the good land.

Even before Israel entered into Canaan, God promised the good land to Abraham and to his descendants, to him and to the generations that followed after him.

Even though Abraham went to Egypt, and later Joseph and the others also went to Egypt, God brought them out of Egypt and into the good land, for He wants His people to enjoy their allotted portion of the good land.

Throughout the Old Testament we see that, even though the people of Israel were rebellious against God and forsook Him as the fountain of living waters, therefore being taken into captivity by the nations God allowed to come in and conquer them, they always returned to and wanted to come back to the land.

The good land of Canaan is an all-inclusive type of Christ; Christ as the Spirit is the reality of the good land.

The blessing of Abraham, the promised blessing of Abraham, is today fulfilled in and by the Spirit (Gal. 3:14), for the Spirit is all-inclusive, bountiful, and rich to apply to us all that the all-inclusive Christ is and has.

What we believers in Christ enjoy and receive today is not a portion of a physical land; it is the all-inclusive Christ.

He is the image of God, the firstborn of the dead, having the preeminence in both the old creation and the new creation, and He is the Head of the Body, the church.

This Christ who is all-inclusive and extensive now lives in us to be our hope of glory.

He is the reality of all the positive things, the body of all the shadows, and He is everything to us for our enjoyment.

We simply need to exercise our spirit and enjoy Christ, experience Christ, grow in Christ, walk in Christ, and be one with Christ, even become Christ for His corporate expression.

He is our satisfaction and enjoyment.

He is our real food and drink. He is even the reality of the air that we breathe.

Christ is the reality of all the positive things and the reality of all our needs.

A Complete Picture of the Proper Experience of Christ as seen in Colossians

In the book of Colossians, we see an amazing vision of the all-inclusive Christ and, in particular, by the expressions that Paul uses when speaking of our experience of Christ, we see a complete picture of the proper experience of Christ that we as believers can and should have.

Paul does not only speak of Christ being the Firstborn from the dead but even more, he says that Christ is in us (Col. 1:27), we can be full-grown in Christ (v. 28), we can walk in Him (2:6), we can be according to Christ (v. 8), we are made alive together with Him (v. 13). we died with Christ (v. 20), we are holding the Head (v. 19), out from Him we receive something (v. 19), and we grow with the growth of God (v. 19).

These are not things that have nothing to do with us; they all indicate our proper experience of Christ in our Christian life.

The best way to understand and apprehend these matters is to take these verses and pray over them, making them our prayer, and asking the Lord to make them real to us in our experience.

God has allotted the all-inclusive Christ to us to be our portion, and we can partake of Him by exercising our spirit to fellowship with Him, pray, read and pray over His word, and open to Him in our daily experience so that He may make this Christ real to us and work Him into our being.

“Christ in you” – Col. 1:27

The first thing we need to see as part of the complete picture of the proper experience of Christ seen in Colossians is that Christ is in us.

Christ in you, the hope of glory. Amen! Christ is not only in the heavens but in us.

This is a cause of great joy, for He is now right within us, in our spirit. We are joined to the Lord as one spirit, and the Lord Jesus as the life-giving Spirit is now within us, in our spirit (1 Cor. 6:17; 2 Tim. 4:22).

The riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is that Christ is in us.

The Christ who is in us is the extensive, immeasurable, unsearchable One.

“Full-grown in Christ” – Col. 1:28

Not only is Christ in us, but He is growing in us and we are becoming full-grown in Christ (Col. 1:28).

All genuine believers in Christ have Christ in them, but not all of them are full-grown in Christ.

There must be a strong aspiration in all of us to cooperate with the Lord these days so that Christ may grow in us and we would be full-grown in Christ.

Our daily life is very meaningful and significant, for in the daily experiences of our daily life we can gain more of Christ, grow more in Christ, and grow with the growth of God.

We should not think that, since we’re just doing our daily job at the office and not much is happening, God may not be growing in us; rather, even in these situations, we need to open to Him and let Him grow in us.

We may be a mother with a two-year-old at home, and waking up during the night is a regular occurrence; even in such a situation we can call on the Lord and He can grow a little bit more in us.

We should not be envious of those who serve the Lord full-time or the young ones on the campus, who seem to have more opportunities to speak Christ to others; in all our situations we can gain something of Christ.

No matter where we are, we can grow in Christ until we’re full grown in Him.

And we can pray and present the saints to the Lord full-grown in Christ.

“Walk in Him” – Col. 2:6

As therefore we have received Christ, Jesus the Lord, we can walk in Him (Col. 2:6).

Verse 7 says that we have been rooted in Christ and we’re being built up in Him, and here in v. 6, we are told to walk in Him.

If we are rooted in Christ, how can we walk in Him? The secret is to be rooted in Christ.

When we send our roots deep down in Christ by spending time to enjoy Him and absorb Him, Christ will do the walking.

We simply remain in Christ and He does the walking. We participate in God’s move simply by being rooted in Christ.

We may be going to the office and doing our job before the Lord, and as we do this, we send our roots deep down in the Lord; as we’re rooted in Him, we participate in God’s move, for we walk in Him.

Our job is to remain rooted in Him; when we’re rooted in Him, His walking becomes our walking.

Walking in the Lord is not something that we do out of our own energy or effort; it is Christ who walks and moves, and we are one with Him.

We simply need to join ourselves to Him, be one with Him, and enjoy Him.

As we enjoy Him, we walk in Him, and we are one with Him in His move.

Lord Jesus, we want to be rooted in You and walk in You. We just want to remain in You, sending our roots deep down into Christ as the rich soil to absorb the riches of Christ. Amen, Lord, bountifully supply us with what You are. Keep us enjoying You. Keep us joined to You as we do this and that throughout the day. May Your walking and moving become our walking and moving. Oh, what a privilege for us to be one with Christ and be rooted in Him so that we may walk in Him!

“According to Christ” – Col. 2:8

Our proper and complete experience of Christ includes us being according to Christ (v. 8).

Christ is the governing principle of our life.

Christ is the only measure of all concepts that is acceptable to God.

If we do or say something that is not according to Christ, God is not interested in this.

He’s not interested in our human effort or struggle. He wants us to be according to Christ.

Everything we do, everything we say, and everything about us needs to be according to Christ.

We are organically joined to Him, we are one with Him in spirit, and we need to be according to Christ in all things.

May nothing carry us off as spoil from Christ through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ.

There are so many things that are good, especially in the philosophies of men, the elements of the world, and the traditions of men; however, they are not Christ, nor are they according to Christ.

Every good thing in the world and even in the Bible can be used by Satan to frustrate us from enjoying Christ.

Culture, religion, and philosophy with all their good aspects can be used by Satan to distract us from enjoying and experiencing Christ.

May we come back to Christ and enjoy Him and do all things according to Him in our spirit.

“Made alive with Him” – Col. 2:13

God made us alive with Christ; in His resurrection, not only was Christ made alive but we, the believers in Christ, were also made alive together with Him (Col. 2:13).

This is quite amazing. Jesus Christ did not just do a great work, live, die, and resurrect two thousand years ago.

We were in Him and with Him, for He made Himself one with us and made us one with Him.

We were dead in sins and offenses, in the uncircumcision of our flesh, but God made us alive together with Christ.

He forgave all our offenses and raised us with Christ.

Hallelujah, we are together with Christ, Christ is together with us, and we were made alive together with Christ!

“Died with Christ” – Col. 2:20

We have died with Christ from the elements of the world (Col. 2:20); therefore, we should no longer subject ourselves to ordinances, even as we live in the world.

In other words, since we have died together with Christ, we are no longer subject to ordinances, nor are we subject to the elements of the world.

These ordinances and elements of the world refer to anything such as ordinances, routines, practices, and methods that replace Christ.

We may come into the church life and give up all the traditions and elements of the world, but then in the church life we may pick up some methods, practices, and ordinances, and these replace Christ in our being.

If we only pick up some elements and ordinances but miss Christ, we are deprived of the enjoyment of Christ.

Why would we allow other things to come in to replace Christ?

We need to be rescued from human concepts and ingenuity, improved methods, organization, strategies, and practices that we may hear about or apply in the church life, which replace Christ.

There should be no ordinances or traditions in the church life – there should be just prayer and ministering to the Lord, as the brothers did in Acts 13:1.

Because we are desperate to know the Lord’s will, we may even fast and pray, for we want the Holy Spirit to speak to us.

May the Lord shine on any ordinance, practice, or element of the world that has crept into our being and in the church life to replace Christ, and may we realize that we died with Christ and now we should just live Christ!

Thank You, Lord, we have died with Christ and we are no longer subject to ordinances and the elements of the world. Hallelujah, we have died with Christ and now we live in Christ, by Christ, and for Christ. Shine on us, dear Lord, to expose any ordinance, practice, or method that has crept in and is replacing You in our being or in the church life. Shine on any method, organization, or strategy that replaces You in our being. Keep us in fellowship and prayer before You, ministering to the Lord both personally and corporately, so that we may have the fresh speaking of God and the instant leading from the Spirit. Amen, Lord, we want to have a proper experience of Christ and have nothing replace Him!

“Holding the Head” – Col. 2:19

Col. 2:19 speaks of holding the Head, Christ. May no one defraud us by judging us unworthy of our prize, which is Christ (v. 18); may we rather hold to Christ as the Head and enjoy the rich supply coming from Him.

We may think we’re unworthy, but Christ made us worthy; because of Christ, we are worthy, for God qualified us for a share of the allotted portion of Christ.

Some today may speak things to cause others to feel unworthy of enjoying Christ, and many Christians think they have no right to come and enjoy the all-inclusive Christ.

But according to the Lord’s estimation, He desires for us very much to come forward to the throne of grace so that we may enjoy the all-inclusive Christ and be one with Him, even to do all things according to Him.

We are joined to the Lord as the Head.

May no one come in with the pretense of false humility to defraud us from enjoying Christ.

There is no mediator between us and Christ – we have direct access to God.

We are joined to Christ, and He is our Head; we hold Him as the Head and enjoy the rich supply coming from Him.

“Out from whom all the Body…grows with the growth of God” – Col. 2:19

Out of Christ, the Head, all the Body comes out, is richly supplied, and grows with the growth of God by the operation in the measure of each one part and by the rich supply of Christ (Col. 2:19).

As we hold to Christ as the Head, out from Him we receive the supply and the growth, and the whole Body grows with the growth of God.

All these subjective experiences of Christ revealed in the book of Colossians give us a clear picture of the proper experience of Christ that we as Christians should have.

Christ is not objective to us; He is very subjective to us.

He went through a process to become the Spirit to come into our spirit, and now we have Christ in us, walk in Him, are according to Christ, are made alive together with Him, died with Christ, hold the Head, receive the supply from Him, grow with the growth of God, and will be full-grown in Christ. Hallelujah!

Christ is in us and we are in Christ. We live in Christ, walk in Christ, move in Christ, and have our being in Christ.

We are not according to ethics, philosophies, culture, or religion; we are according to Christ.

We deal with one another not according to any ordinance or method but according to Christ.

Christ is everything to us and we are in Him, doing all things in Him and one with Him. Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, we want to have a proper experience of Christ as portrayed in the book of Colossians. Thank You for being in us and for putting us in Christ! Hallelujah, we can enjoy, eat, drink, and breathe in Christ as the life-giving Spirit who has become our life and life supply! Amen, Lord, we want to live in Christ, walk in Christ, move in Christ, and have our whole being in Christ. We do not want to live and walk according to philosophy, ethics, culture, or religion, but according to Christ. We open to You. We want to remain in You as You remain in us. We hold You as the Head and receive the rich supply from You so that we may grow with the growth of God. Amen, Lord, keep us enjoying You so that we may grow in life unto maturity!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ray Mulligan in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 6, 24, 34, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Enjoyment of Christ and our Growth in Life unto Maturity (2023 Thanksgiving Blending Conference), week 4, entitled, Knowing the All-inclusive Christ and Growing with the Growth of God.
• Similar articles on this topic:
  – Christ dwelling in us subjectively, a portion from, Life-Study of Colossians, Chapter 50.
  – The Good Land as a Type of the All-Inclusive Christ, via, Living to Him.
  – The experience of Christ, a portion from, The Experience of Christ in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee.
  – Why We Need a Hidden Life with the Lord Jesus, via, Bibles for America blog.
  – Holding to Truth in Love—What it Means and How to Practice It, via, Holding to Truth in Love.
  – Growing up into the Head, Christ, in all things, a portion from, The Subjective Truths in the Holy Scriptures, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – Christ is the hope of glory, He is God’s mystery; / He shares with me God’s fulness and brings God into me. / He comes to make me blended with God in every way, / That I may share His glory with Him for aye. (Hymns #949 stanza 2)
  – When Christ once died on Calvary, / I too was there; / ’Twas in my place He stood for me, / And now accepted e’en as He, / His name I bear. / I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, / Yet, not I, but Christ who liveth in me; / And the life I live in the flesh, / I live by the faith of the Son of God, / Who loved, and gave Himself for me. (Hymns #484 stanza 1 and chorus)
  – To the Head fast holding ever, / That we may together grow, / From the Head supplies incoming / Thru us to the Body flow. (Hymns #913 stanza 7)