What is Paul’s struggle? He’s concerned for the church. He’s concerned for people he’s never met. He wants them to reach the full assurance of understanding.

We can have full assurance in Christ. We don’t have full assurance just because someone told us we’re saved. We don’t have full assurance just because we can quote a Bible verse about it. We don’t have full assurance just because we raised a hand or joined a church.

The riches are in the full assurance of understanding.

You can be assured when you understand your life is given over and Christ has come to take your life. You can have full assurance when you know the Holy Spirit has been given you with the evidence of righteousness and holiness in your life. If the Lord has marked you for His own, you can live in the full assurance of understanding your riches in Christ. God chose you to be in Christ and keeps you there.

We are assured we won’t get away from Truth because Christ is our wisdom. We don’t listen to other arguments. We let the Lord teach us from Scripture, alone with Him. He has the knowledge.

We stay rooted in the Word and built up in the inner man through praying in the Spirit, and we overflow with thanksgiving because He saved us and keeps us in Him.

If we’re looking to Jesus as our teacher, then we won’t be led astray by philosophy and human traditions.

Practically speaking, don’t get mixed up with people who say you have to follow a certain law or way of doing things, like Jewish holidays. Be careful of those who have pride in doing things the “right” way. Stay away from people who are always talking about visions and spiritual experiences. Look for the fruit of the Spirit. Look for one who loves those who can’t offer them anything in return.

Jesus is our fullness. He is our life. He made us alive, not just alive, though. He made us alive together with Him, the fullness of God.

He did this by taking the record of our debt, from all our sin, and nailing it to the cross. He triumphed over sin and death.