“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,” (Col 2:6a)
Continually walking with Jesus is easier said than done. Maybe we have gotten out of the habit, found another walking partner or we are just not feeling it. Whatever it may be, Paul knows it can happen, which is why he, like the good spiritual trainer he is, provides us with motivation for why we should keep walking with Jesus. (see Part 1)
(2) We must remember that God uses Jesus to save, grow, and establish us (vs. 7a-b)
Following on the heels of telling us that we are to walk in Jesus, in verse 7, Paul tells us that we are, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,” (Col. 2:7a)
(1) We are rooted in Christ
If you have ever planted a plant, I am sure most of you have, you know it’s important to make sure its roots are covered by the soil. If they aren’t, the plant will die for lack of nutrients. Just like a plant needs to be planted in soil in order to live, we need to be planted in the soil that is Christ in order to live. Without Him we are dead.
But here is the thing, just like a plant can’t plant itself in a pot, we can’t plant ourselves in Christ. God has to do that for us. We know God is the One who roots us in Christ because the verb “rooted” is a passive. The passive in grammar tells us that someone else besides the subject is doing the work and that someone else is God. He is the One who is rooting us in Christ, which means we are not the ones who save ourselves; it’s God who saves us by rooting us in the soil of Christ. It is through Christ, then, that we are saved, not anything else. He is the One who provides us with salvation and He alone.
(2) We are built up in Christ
After we are planted in Christ and receive life from Him, God not only keeps us planted in Christ, but He also uses the soil that is Christ to build us up in the faith. As we receive the spiritual nutrient that is Christ, we grow strong.
(3) We are established in the faith in Christ
As we continue to feed on the nutrient that is Christ, our roots grow deep, establishing themselves in the soil, allowing us to grow tall and mature in our faith.
When we are tempted to find another walking partner, we need to remember Jesus is the soil God uses to save us, grow, and establish us in the faith. Remembering, we should be motivated to continue to walk with Jesus.
Question for Reflection
- Do you realize God is the one who saves, grows, and establishes you in the faith?
Resources
Post adapted from my sermon How can we continue to walk with Jesus?