Colossians 2:6-7, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
Paul repeated in Colossians 2:6, what he said previously in Colossians 1:10, “So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” What does that require, in walking worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and then bearing fruit? Jesus said follow me – two simple words, thirteen times in the Gospels. Those two simple words pack powerful meaning. It gives our life guidance and rules how we are to live. As I go about my workday, I need to check and ask myself: Am I walking in Jesus? Is my faith being shown in my total commitment with humility in my attitude and actions? Am I responding gently in moments of conflict and challenging circumstances? I confess, that trips me up. Then, am I bearing the fruit of forgiveness, love, patience, and discipline? That challenges me some days more than others, especially this past week. How about you?
Paul uses two images – a tree (rooted) and a building (built-up), a double metaphor. I picture the trees in front of all the houses on our block. They reach tall into the sky and have deep roots. These trees are sturdy, and their root systems grow deep. Roots serve to absorb water and minerals from the soil and transport them to the stems of leaves. They anchor and support the plant or tree in the ground, keeping them from being blown over. When we are firmly rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ and grow in our knowledge of Him from reading His Word, we are able to be steadfast, unmovable, standing firm in our faith and hope, as Psalm 73:26 declares, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Any building always starts with a foundation. It is what is buried in the ground and holds the building up. The land, especially in California, is not totally still or solid. Foundations distribute the load of the structure evenly to the subsoil. The stronger the foundation, the more stable is the structure of the building. Christ has not called us to a life of ease without struggles and battles when He called us to follow Him. There seems to be push-backs every day in our life all around us. Yet Christ requires us to stand firm, have stability, stand strong, grow deep in our relationship with Him, sending out deep roots of faith and hope by abiding in Christ and He in us. When your life’s foundation is built upon Christ, spiritual maturity takes root from the wisdom and knowledge of knowing doctrinal truth, and it is then that you will be able to withstand Satan’s attacks, having put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). You will have days when you feel everything is crashing down upon you. But take heart, remember and review what God has taught you in the past, what verses have taught you wisdom and knowledge, as you take refuge in Him. God will again provide all you need, for He is Jehovah Jireh. Dig deep into His Word. Stand tall in your position in Christ. “The deeper and more widespread our roots in Christ, the greater shade, fruit, and beauty we provide.” Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. The Fellowship of the Gospel and the Supremacy of Christ. R. Kent Hughes.
Listen to Danny Gokey’s new song, Stand In Faith (Official Lyric Video) 5/21/21