Colossians 2:6, 7 - Living In Christ.
Colossians 2:6, 7 (NIV) So then, just as you
received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your
lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him,
strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6, 7 (NLT) And now, just as you
accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue
to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into
him, and let your lives be built on him. Then
your faith will grow strong in the truth you were
taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6, 7 (TEV) Since you have
accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with
him. 7 Keep your roots deep in him, build your
lives on him, and become stronger in your faith,
as you were taught. And be filled with
thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6, 7 (TLB) And now just as you
trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each
day's problems; live in vital union with him. 7
Let your roots grow down into him and draw up
nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the
Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth
you were taught. Let your lives overflow with
joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.
COMMENTARY PEARL
God doesnt want you to have just any
faith. He wants you to have a strong and vigorous
faith - not a wimpy faith that collapses when
things get tough.
The Bible says in Colossians 2:7, Let
your roots grow down into him, and let your lives
be built on him. Then your faith will grow
strong in the truth you were taught, and you will
overflow with thankfulness (NLT).
How does God grow a strong faith like
that?
The first way God grows your faith is
through his Word. He wants you to know the Bible -
to read the Bible, listen to the Bible, study
the Bible, memorize the Bible, and talk about
the Bible. Why? Because Gods Word says,
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God (Romans 1:17 NKJV).
If your faith is weak, youre likely
not in the Bible very often. But the more
youre in Gods book, the more it will feed your
soul. Gods Word is soul food, and spending time
in it is the easiest way to grow your faith.
The second way God grows your faith is
the hard way - and thats through
circumstances that test you. While you may read the Bible
only a little bit each day, you have things
happening all around you 24 hours a day. Your
circumstances are what God most often uses to grow your
faith and build your character.
Faith is like a muscle. You don't grow
muscle without some sort of resistance. The only
way you grow a muscle is by stretching it,
testing it, and putting weight on it. The same is
true with faith. You don't grow faith just by
sitting around and saying, Oh, I want more
faith. Faith needs to be tested. So God allows
circumstances in your life to build your faith muscle.
Because God cares so much about your
faith, you can know that he will always answer this
prayer: Increase our faith (Luke 17:5 NIV).
Make that your prayer as God grows your faith
through his Word and through circumstances that test
you. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
So, then, as you have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, live your life in him. Continue to
remain firmly rooted, and go on being built up in
him. Continue to be established more and more
firmly in the faith, as you were taught it, and to
overflow with thanksgiving. Col 2:6,7 (Barclay)
In the true Church life must be in Christ.
Its members must walk in Christ; their whole
lives must be lived in his conscious presence.
They must be rooted and built in him. There are
two pictures here. The word used for rooted is
the word which would be used of a tree with its
roots deep in the soil. The word used for built is
the word which would be used of a house erected
on a firm foundation. Just as the great tree is
deep-rooted in the soil and draws its nourishment from
it, so the Christian is rooted in Christ, the
source of his life and strength. Just as the house
stands fast because it is built on strong
foundations, so the Christian life is resistant to any
storm because it is founded on the strength of
Christ. Christ is alike the source of the
Christian's life and the foundation of his stability.
[Barclay's Commentary]
The same faith that we exercised when we
turned our life over to God is to be used daily as
we walk with God. Paul urges us to improve our
conscious contact with God, so that his power will be
at work within us, filling us with joy and
thanksgiving. Without God's power feeding into our life,
we are at the mercy of our destructive habits
and dependencies. [Life Recovery SB]
Our growth in grace, our joy, our
usefulness,--all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by
communion with Him, daily, hourly,--by abiding in Him,
--that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the
Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ
first and last and always. He is to be with us,
not only at the beginning and the end of our
course, but at every step of the way.....
Consecrate yourself to God in the
morning; make this your very first work. Let your
prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay
all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy
service. Abide with me, and let all my work be
wrought in Thee." This is a daily matter. Each
morning consecrate yourself to God for that day.
Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or
given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus
day by day you may be giving your life into the
hands of God, and thus your life will be molded
more and more after the life of Christ. SC69-71
I have heard that if you walk three times
a day at a brisk pace, it can help keep you in
good shape physically. You wont move as
quickly as you move when you are running. Walking is
a regulated motion, but as you do it, you make
progress. You move forward gradually.
If we want to abide in Jesus, we must
walk as He walked. The Bible says, He who says
he abides in Him ought himself also to walk
just as He walked (1 John 2:6).
Walking with God is a picture the Bible
often uses to describe the Christian life.
Galatians 5:16 says, Walk in the Spirit, and you
shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Colossians 2:6 tells us, As you therefore have
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
And in Micah 6:8 we read, He has shown you, O
man, what is good; and what does the Lord require
of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with your God?
Again and again the Bible tells us that
we need to walk with God. Its something we
need to commit ourselves to. An interesting verse
in Amos 3 gives us an important aspect of
walking with God: Can two walk together, unless
they are agreed? (verse 3).
In the original language, the term
together carries the concept of two people moving as
a single unit. To walk with God means moving
together as a single unit. We are united toward the
same goal. We are putting our strength toward the
same end. We are moving together at the same
pace.
To walk with God means that we are moving
in harmony with Him. We are staying close to
Him. It is the same concept as abiding. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com re 1 John 2:6]
When my wife and I go on walks together
every now and then, I tend to walk a little faster
than she does. So she says, Greg, slow down.
Lets walk together.
Or, if Im walking with one of my
grandchildren, Ill slow down my pace so Ill be in
sync with them.
In the same way, walking with God
doesnt mean asking Him to keep pace with us.
Rather, were choosing to keep pace with Him, to
be in sync with Him. And theres no greater
way to walk with God than to walk in love.
Ephesians 5:2 tells us, Walk in love,
as Christ also has loved us and given Himself
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling aroma (NKJV). Then Colossians 2:6 says,
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him (NKJV).
Over the years I have found myself far
more impressed with character than charisma, with
persistence than power, and with faithfulness than fame.
I have found that maybe the greatest ability
of all is dependability.
As the years have passed, Ive seen a
lot of very gifted people essentially
self-destruct for no real reason. They have a gifting from
God and start off with a bang. But then they go
off the rails.
Others start something like a marriage,
and then it gets difficult. It isnt as easy
as they hoped it would be. So they give up. Or
they start a career, and it didnt go as they
hoped it would. Or they want to go to school, but
they dont complete it. And sadly, there are
even people who make a profession of faith but
then turn away later.
We want to make each day count. We want
to walk in sync with God and finish what we
begin. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
The best thing about building our lives
on a foundation of faith is that when life
doesn't make sense, we can still have peace. There
are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep
valleys of despair. Even if everything on earth is
broken, we can still have joy because of faith.
Faith takes us beyond circumstances, beyond
answers, and beyond what we see.
We can count on God to work actively in
our lives, building our faith. Even the smallest
bit of faith honors God, and he waters and
nourishes it. What a beautiful gift! Thank God and let
him strengthen your heart even more. Look for
people, events in the world, and passages of
Scripture that feed your faith. [The Daniel Plan
365-Day Devotional]
ILLUSTRATION
My wife and I often joke about having the
gift of a black thumb. Each year, our goals
for a healthy and vibrant garden are very high,
yet rarely if ever has that initial goal led to
the fruitful harvest we envision disappointment
is the inevitable outcome. Though there may be
multiple reasons for this challenge, there is one
that stands out above the rest: neglect.
In the midst of work schedules, parenting
three young children, and frequent travel during
the spring and summer months, our poor backyard
garden doesnt stand a chance. Though it may
start off strong, we arent able to continue to
provide the attention and care it needs to thrive
and flourish. However, the few times that we
have had success with this garden, it has been
because we were able to prioritize and build into
our lives ongoing and intentional care and
nurture, ensuring the healthy beginning continued
day-by-day, week-by-week.
This image of a healthy and thriving
garden can be directly applied to our spiritual
lives and the need for continual growth into
Christs likeness. As St. Paul reminds us, just as
you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to
live your lives in him. Our initial reception
of the Lord Jesus is a profound and wonderful
mystery. It is the joy of new life, freedom from sin
and death, and the hope of resurrection life in
Christ. Yet our Christian lives are meant to be so
much more than a one-time encounter with the
Lord!
Jesus desires to not only give us the
hope of eternal life but the joy of living every
single day as his beloved sons and daughters. The
new life that begins in our conversion is meant
to grow and flourish, yielding the fruit of the
Spirit in countlessly beautiful ways. Yet for this
to be true, we mustnt neglect the continual
care and nurture of our spiritual health! Like an
attentive and faithful gardener, we too must daily
attend to the health of our souls and our
relationship with God and with one another.
Spiritual neglect leads to spiritual
sickness. Thinking you are okay on your own or only
need Jesus from time to time is a sure recipe for
failure. Root yourself today and every day in the
soil of salvation, trusting that the Spirit of
God will bring about an abundant and fruitful
harvest! [Wisdom Hunters Devotional]
CLOSING THOUGHT
God wants you to focus on growing,
sowing, and going in faith.
First, God wants you to grow in faith. He
doesnt want you to be a spiritual baby. The Bible
says in Colossians 2:7: Let your roots grow
down into him, and let your lives be built on
him. Then your faith will grow strong in the
truth you were taught, and you will overflow with
thankfulness (NLT).
God also wants you to sow in faith. He
wants you to learn to become generous - because
you cannot become like Christ without becoming
generous. The Bible says, Remember this: Whoever
sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
whoever sows generously will also reap generously
(2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV).
This is the law of sowing and reaping,
and its true in every area of life. If you
sow criticism, youre going to reap criticism.
If you sow love, youll reap love. If you sow
kindness, you will reap kindness. And you always reap
more than you sow. When you plant one corn kernel
in the ground, you dont get one kernel back.
You get a whole stalk. You always get back more
- positive or negative - of what you put out
in life.
Then, God wants you to go in faith.
Hebrews 11:8 says, It was by faith
Abraham obeyed Gods call to go to another place
God promised to give him. He left his own
country, not knowing where he was to go (NCV).
Would you do that? Abraham was in his
retirement phase, just about to hang it up and settle
down. Then God said, No, dust yourself off, and
get ready for the greatest journey of your
life. When you live by faith, it involves going,
often to places you were never planning to go.
Why is it so important for you to develop
your faith? The Bible explains it over and over
again:
Without faith it is impossible to
please God (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).
Let it be done for you according to
your faith. (Matthew 9:29 CSB).
Anything that is not done in faith is
sin (Romans 14:23 GW).
Everything God does in your life is does
by his grace and through your faith. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Continue to live in Me, rooted and built
up in Me - and overflowing with thankfulness.
The relationship you have with Me is unlike any
other. You live in Me, and I live in you. You never
go anywhere without Me! This amazing degree of
connectedness with Me provides a rock-solid foundation for
your life. I want you to continue building on
this foundation - living in joyful awareness of
My Presence.
Thankfulness provides some of the most
important building blocks for your life. The more of
these blocks you use as you build, the better your
life-experience will be. Thankfulness enlarges the capacity
of your heart for abundant Joy. It also helps
you endure suffering without falling into
despair or self-pity. No matter what is happening,
you can always thank Me for your eternal
salvation and My unfailing Love. These are constant,
unchangeable blessings. Other blessings - such as your
relationships, your finances, your health - may change
quite frequently. I encourage you to count both
types of blessings until you overflow with
thankfulness! (Col. 2:6, 7; 1:27; Psa. 13:5, 6) [Jesus
Always by Sarah Young]
Trust and thankfulness will get you
safely through this day. Trust protects you from
worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness keeps you from
criticizing and complaining: those "sister sins" that so
easily entangle you.
Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing
as trusting Me. It is a free choice that you
must make thousands of times daily. The more you
choose to trust Me, the easier it becomes. Thought
patterns of trust become etched into your brain.
Relegate troubles to the periphery of your mind, so
that I can be central in your thoughts. Thus you
focus on Me, entrusting your concerns into My
care. (Col. 2:6, 7; Psa. 141:8; 1Pe. 5:7) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
Ask Me to increase your thankfulness.
This will brighten your day and open your heart
to Me. Seek to "see" Me in the midst of your
circumstances. Look for signs of My unseen Presence as you
walk along the path of Life. Gratefulness opens
not only your heart but also your eyes. When you
know Me intimately, you can find Me in myriad
tiny details as well as in the big picture of
your life. Take time to notice all My blessings -
small and large - and to thank Me for them. This
practice will help you enjoy My many gifts.
Ask Me also to train you in trusting Me
more consistently. Well-developed trust enables
you to go across treacherous terrain without
stumbling. The more challenging your journey, the more
frequently you need to voice your confidence in Me. You
can pray, "Lord, I trust in Your unfailing
Love." This short prayer reminds you that I am with
you, I am taking care of you, and I love you
forever. Rejoice, beloved, for I am truly worthy of
your thankfulness and trust. (Col. 2:6, 7; Psa.
16:11; 52:8) [Jesus Always by Sarah Young]
SPECIAL APPLICATION FOR COUPLES
You can do many different things to keep
your marriage growing. You can show affection,
act unselfishly, and forgive each other. But by
far the most important decision you and your
spouse can make in your marriage is to remain
committed to following Jesus together.
The Bible says, Keep your roots deep
in him, build your lives on him, and become
stronger in your faith (Colossians 2:7 GNT). Both
you and your spouse may have committed your
lives to Jesus at some point, but you need to ask
yourself, Are we continuing to live out our faith
as a couple?
Here are some practical ways you can
follow Jesus together (many of these ideas can
apply to other family relationships too):
1. Get baptized together. If you
havent done so already, publicly identify yourself
as a Christian. If Jesus is going to be the
center of your marriage, it only makes sense that
you both tell the world youre following him.
I love to see husbands and wives get baptized
together. Its a wonderful way to declare youre
committing your lives and marriage to Jesus.
2. Get in a small group together.
Challenge your marriage spiritually by connecting with
other Christian couples. As you learn together to
apply Gods Word to your marriages and lives,
youll sharpen one another spiritually. Youll
also be challenging each other to serve in
ministry and share your faith regularly. Growing as a
follower of Christ and as a spouse requires
consistent accountability from other believers.
3. Renew your wedding vows. If youve
committed your life to Jesus or renewed your
commitment in a meaningful way since you first said
your wedding vows, consider renewing those vows.
Its likely theyll mean something different to
you today.
4. Pray for and with each other. Make
this your common practice: Confess your sins to
each other and pray for each other so that you
can live together whole and healed (James
5:16 The Message). Who doesnt want a marriage
where you live together whole and healed? The
Bible says this can happen when you confess to one
another when youre wrong and pray for and with
each other.
5. Follow Gods Word. When couples read
Gods Word together and apply it to their lives,
it transforms their relationship and
establishes a firm foundation for a lifetime together.
Your marriage may be going through a
difficult season, but theres still hope. Your
marriage can find life again. But it has to start
with you putting Jesus at the center of it. Do
what God tells you to do in his Word, and your
marriage can start growing again.
Jesus is the glue for any marriage. When
everything else is tearing you apart and you feel like
giving up, he will hold you together. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Colossians 2:6, 7 - How To Live In Christ.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20151206-1407.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
