Complete in Thee (No Work of Mine)

Complete in Thee (No Work of Mine) is a doctrinally rich hymn text by Aaron R. Wolfe that clearly affirms the biblical doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The hymn’s opening line immediately rejects human merit as a basis for acceptance before God and directs the believer’s confidence entirely to the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The text draws directly from Colossians 2, where the apostle Paul declares that believers are complete in Christ, who possesses the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This completeness is not achieved through spiritual effort, moral improvement, or religious observance, but is granted through union with Christ. The hymn faithfully reflects this Pauline teaching by emphasizing that Christ’s work is sufficient and final.

A central theme of the hymn is the contrast between human insufficiency and Christ’s all-sufficiency. The believer’s righteousness is not self-produced but imputed, echoing Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3, where all personal righteousness is counted as loss compared to the righteousness found in Christ through faith. The hymn thus guards the gospel against legalism and works-based confidence.

The assurance expressed in the text is grounded in Christ’s completed atonement. Because His sacrifice fully satisfies the demands of God’s law, there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. This truth offers strong pastoral comfort to believers struggling with guilt or doubt, directing them away from introspection and toward the unchanging sufficiency of Christ.

Complete in Thee serves the church well as a teaching hymn, reinforcing sound soteriology and encouraging believers to rest in Christ alone. Its clarity, theological faithfulness, and gospel-centered focus make it especially appropriate for worship services that emphasize grace, assurance, and the finished work of Christ.