Sometimes I catch myself wrestling with this thought: am I really “complete in Him,” or is that some spiritual ideal I keep chasing but never actually grasp? The phrase sounds so good—comfortable even. You’re whole, lacking nothing, perfectly wrapped up in Christ’s finished work. But then reality snaps back. I see cracks, failures, questions that refuse to settle. How do we square this tension? How do we live like we’re complete when life screams otherwise?
Not About Effort, But Position
First off, let’s clear the air. Being complete in Christ has nothing to do with striving to be better—or checking off a holy to-do list. It’s not about climbing a ladder of moral success and finally shouting, “I’ve arrived!” If you’re a grace believer like me, you know this already, but it’s worth saying: our completeness is positional, not performance-based.
Paul nails this in Colossians 2:10: “And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Notice he’s not talking about becoming complete; he says you are complete. Full stop. This completeness is a settled status granted when we are joined to Christ by faith.
We can’t forget that. Everything hinges on our union with Jesus, not our works or feelings of adequacy. If you find yourself hinging your value on spiritual accomplishments, there’s good news—your status isn’t revoked because of a bad day, a weak moment, or a loaded conscience.
Why “Complete” Doesn’t Feel Complete
Now, here’s the kicker: if we’re truly complete, why do we feel so… incomplete? Surely, Paul was speaking to people not insulated from real struggles, temptations, and sufferings. We have the same experiences.
Because completeness in Christ isn’t the same as our natural experience of perfection. It’s the believer’s legal standing before God. Picture a courtroom drama. The verdict has been declared: guilty no more, Christ’s righteousness covers us fully. But walking out of that courtroom and living it day to day? That’s another story.
See, we navigate this “already-not yet” reality all the time. Spiritually, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Practically, we stumble, doubt, and wrestle. That doesn’t mean the verdict is changed. It only shows our human limitations.
The Danger of Mixing Law and Grace
One pitfall is thinking we need to “feel” complete or that we have to “become” complete by polishing our character or straightening our theology. This is a law-driven trap, no matter how subtle. The gospel says, “You’re accepted freely.” Legalism whispers, “But you must now prove it.”
When you rightly divide the Word, you see the distinct roles of law and grace. The law exposes sin and condemns; grace declares mercy and grants status. Completeness isn’t something earned; it’s something received because Christ already paid the price.
It’s tempting to add slippery steps to the gospel’s simplicity, especially when we don’t see immediate fruit. But that’s a misunderstanding of Scripture. Your completeness in Him isn’t linked to your ability to keep rules or manage doubts. It’s rooted in Jesus’ finished work, not your unfinished efforts.
Walking Out Completeness in a Broken World
What happens next, though? You can’t just sit on this doctrine like a trophy. We live on earth where everything screams imperfection—relationships messed up, spiritual battles raging, flesh screaming. How does this truth shape day-to-day living?
Humility and grace are your closest allies. You lean on the reality that your completeness is undergirded by Christ, not your strength. So when you fail (and you will), you don’t spiral. You acknowledge the stumble and press into grace, the same grace that secured your completeness in the first place.
And here’s something friendly no pastor or teacher can sugarcoat: you’ll sometimes feel completely incomplete. That’s normal, and that’s fine. The gospel doesn’t demand superhuman spiritual feelings or perfect emotions. It simply declares a status that’s independent of experience.
You press on by faith, not by sight. You walk with confidence because Jesus is your sufficiency. Though your feelings may waver, what matters is the fact He’s forever unchanging.
How Does This Look Practically?
If I were to put this into everyday terms, completeness in Him is like having a fully paid mortgage but choosing to still rent an apartment. The debt is cleared; that’s settled legal ground. But you’re still living in a space far from the freedom that ownership promises.
In spiritual life, completeness in Christ means your debt is paid, your verdict declared, but your life hasn’t fully caught up. Every day you choose to walk as one who is legally free, even though your heart, circumstances, or mind might scream otherwise.
This perspective frees us from performance-based Christianity. It grants permission to be weak, honest, and real, without losing your footing in who you are in Christ.
A Fresh Look at Colossians 2
If you read Colossians 2 carefully, Paul’s emphasis is not merely theological abstraction. He addresses believers entangled in worldly philosophies and legalistic pracitices, affirming their completeness in the One who defeated spiritual powers.
This has real punch today. We still wrestle with false gospels wrapped in good-sounding spiritual jargon. People push for “more” — more zeal, more rules, more experiences—yet miss the simple fact that we are already complete.
Saying “I am complete in Him” is both a sword and a shield in the spiritual battle. It cuts through condemnation and shields you from shame. It’s the anchor when everything around you feels like a mess.
If This Feels Too Good to Be True…
Please don’t toss this aside because it sounds “too easy.” God’s grace has a way of blowing our human reasoning out of the water. The cross is scandalous: the One who created everything died and rose again to give us completeness that is utterly undeserved.
And yes, it might shake your sense of control or achievement because that’s exactly what grace does. It dismantles your spiritual ladder to leave you resting at the foot of the cross, where the work is finished and “complete” is God’s word, not ours.
You’re done trying to earn it. You’re done trying to fix you. The real work is learning to live in what Christ already did.
For daily encouragement and a steady stream of God’s Word, check out this uplifting scripture resource. Sometimes just a single verse reminds us who we really are.
Our completeness in Christ is both truth and invitation. It’s truth that you are complete, lacking nothing in Christ. It’s the invitation to live by faith in that reality every day, no matter what the mirror, the calendar, or your emotions say.
Faith is the gritty act of holding on to what God said when it feels like everything is falling apart. Being complete in Him means your identity is no longer tethered to what you do, but to what Christ has done.
Trust that. Live from that. Breathe that freedom in—even on the hardest days.