“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to
live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were
taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” -Colossians 2:6-7
Have you noticed that the Christian life continues the same way
it begins – through faith? I
believe the apostle Paul gives us three practical ways here in
these verses to keep us moving forward
and growing in our walk with Jesus
Abide in Him
Jesus told us Himself in John
15:4, “Abide [remain] in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in
the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your
faith] unless you remain in Me.” (AMP)
We are to remain in Him in order to be rooted and built up in
Christ. Imagine a large oak tree that is able to withstand the wind,
rain (the storms of life) and even seasons of drought! It is able to flourish no matter what life
throws at it because of its strong root system. What we
see above ground is only a fraction of the tree; the most important part of the tree is hidden underground.
David saw that as well when he says in Psalm 1, “…That person is like a tree planted by streams
of water, which yields its fruit in season and
whose leaf does not wither whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:3 Emphasis mine).
Our root system is to be built on the Lord Jesus and one another. Notice what Paul says in
Ephesians 2:19-20, “So then you are no
longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you
are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s
household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone,”
According to Paul a strong faith is also dependent on a
strong support system around you as well as your walk with Jesus!! Which leads
to the second key in Paul’s message:
Being Strengthen in Faith
We begin our journey with Christ by faith so it only makes sense that this is how we continue to grow our faith our entire lives; “becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith as you were taught” (Colossians 2:7b AMP). I want to highlight, "as you were taught", for this tells us we need others as well.
Think of faith like a muscle that needs to be constantly exercised so that it will grow strong, get in shape and be ready to withstand anything and everything. Often times God uses times of adversity, or those who rub us the wrong way and cause friction to strengthen our faith. BUT He also uses godly believers as Solomon stated in Proverbs 27:17, " Iron sharpen iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
As in our example of the oak tree, faith is like the trunk of the tree that grow tall and strong over the years. It is the part of the tree that is exposed to the elements so it needs to be strong and able to withstand outside forces.
But take note, it is also the part of the tree that never stops growing which means neither should we. And finally we should be,
Overflowing with Thankfulness
In keeping with our tree analogy, gratitude is the branches and fruit; the natural and visible part of the tree showing the health of the tree, and when dead branches are trimmed it benefits the life of the tree.
In the same way, a believer's life without thanksgiving and gratitude can damage the spiritual health
of the believer, and a life that overflows with gratitude flourishes.
Colossians 2:6-7 is a
beautiful picture of the redeemed life; rooted, secure, strong, mature, and continually bringing glory to God through a life of gratitude.
And Jeremiah tells us we will be blessed to live a secure life without anxiety concerning the future:
“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the LORD
And whose hope and confident expectation is the LORD.
“For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,
That spreads out its roots by the river;
And will not fear the heat when it comes;
But its leaves will be green and moist.
And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought
Nor stop bearing fruit." - Jeremiah 17:7-8
It just doesn't get better than this!
Blessings,
Sue