Putting Christ First: Rooted, Built, & Established
Colossians 2:4-7
Paul’s Concern (v. 4-5)
- Paul’s reason for laying out his love and ministry for the Church is to fight against:
- False teachings
- Pithanologia: “arguments that sound reasonable”
- But are not rooted in the truth of Christ
- False allegations
- Against Paul as a minister of the Gospel
The Keep Walking (v. 6-7)
- Since we have received Jesus as:
- Christ: Savior
- Lord: King
- We need to live out that reality
- We live this out by being:
- Rooted in Christ
- A horticultural metaphor
- Like a tree needs to be rooted deeply in the soil
- We need to be rooted deeply in the person of Jesus in order to grow
- Built up in Christ
- A construction metaphor
- Adding to the firm foundation that has been laid
- Both the foundation and what is built upon it is centered in Jesus Himself (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
- Established in the faith
- A legal metaphor
- Like an argument with solid reasoning
- Unlike the false teaching which merely sounds reasonable
- All these metaphors are passive
- Meaning that it is God who is doing the work in us
- Our faith is built upon the person of Jesus
- And since this all comes as a gift
- It should lead us to thanksgiving
So What?
- Who we are is based in what and who we believe
- Our lives need to be found and defined in Jesus
- Are we rooted, built up, and established in Him?
Meditation Verse: Colossians 2:6-7