"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
Colossians 2:6-7
Part 2
Yesterday:
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,”
Receiving Christ is the beginning of the believer’s life. Have you “received” Him?
“So walk ye in him:”
Keep on living in a way that honor’s Him by walking every day with Him.
Today:
Salvation is a priority for a personal relationship with God. But there is so much more that God wants for His child after He saves him. The “new birth” is just the beginning. Believers don’t stay in the nursery but keep on growing in Christ!
“Rooted and built up in him,”
Sorry English teachers, these are mixed metaphors, but they help us to understand how to start right in the faith.
Be “rooted in Him.” The picture of a healthy tree.
For a tree to be rooted implies life. This is something experienced in the past with the results continuing into the present.[1] At salvation, we were planted in Christ. The roots go down deep into the soil, and they bring up the nutrients the tree needs to be fed. Being rooted also implies strength for the tree with deep roots will not be moved when the storms come. When we are “rooted in Christ,” our nourishment comes from Him in His Word, and we are held fast close to Him. We are in a safe place.
Paul used this metaphor one other time in this book.
“…That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love”….(Ephesians 3:17).
Believers, how well do you know your Savior? Do your roots go deep? Are you nourished from His Word every day? How is your love life?
Be “built up in Him.” The depiction of a building being constructed.
Where “being rooted” speaks of life, being “built up” speaks to being reliable and the structure that is done well (1 Corinthians 3:9). This “construction” is being carried on each day.[2] We are buildings in progress in the Lord. I remember many years ago, attending a Basic Youth Conflicts seminar and learning the phrase, “Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” As we attend to His Word and allow His Holy Spirit free reign in our hearts, He is building us up each day.
“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:20-21).
“And stablished in the faith,”
“Stablished” is an old Greek word that means “to make firm or stable” [3] (Robertson). Our deep roots and constant building in Christ make us “solid” in the faith. This too is an ongoing process as we grow in Christ.
“As ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
We are taught to be thankful for all that God does and that He provides for us. This is an emphasis in Paul’s teaching.
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).
This process of being “rooted” and “built-up” sounds a lot like being discipled. Let’s make sure we are helping all new believers to grow in Christ.
[1] This participle “rooted” is in the perfect tense, passive voice. “Having been rooted.”
[2] “Built-up” is the present participle, passive voice. “Being built up.”
[3] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword. This is also a present participle, an ongoing process in our lives.