We’re studying the letter to the Colossian church. Paul is encouraging them to continue on the course they started at their salvation.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7 NIV
Here, Paul is speaking to a church that he knows about because of the testimony of their pastor, Epaphras. They were evangelized by one of Paul’s spiritual sons, so he knew their foundation was solid.
But, that’s not always the case for us. I get concerned when I read a passage like this one. I have to ask myself some important questions. Unfortunately, there are too many times when we read through these verses without giving them a second thought.
The huge red flag that I see is the phrase, as you were taught. When we see a phrase like that, we have to ask ourselves, “Is that what I was taught?”
There were certain things that Paul and his team taught those who were turning to Christ. We need to judge our experience based upon these truths.
The first is…did I receive Christ Jesus as Lord? That’s a very important question. Too often in our generation we stress the fact that Jesus is Savior, and He is. But He’s more than that.
Our salvation is not just a matter of Jesus wiping our sins clean. I have to establish Christ Jesus as the Lord…supreme Ruler…of my life. Everything I am, must be submitted under His authority.
We need to stress this in our generation. At one point I heard a minister say that receiving Jesus as Savior is enough to start with. They can deal with the Lordship issue later.
Truthfully, I don’t see that way of thinking in the Scripture. I don’t have all the answers, but I wonder sometimes if you can be truly saved with acknowledging Christ as Lord of your life. I, personally, don’t want to take that chance.
Another big issue that this passage brings up is remaining in Christ, being rooted and built up in Him. Jesus talked about this in His parable of the seed.
In Matthew 13:21, the Lord makes it clear that without being rooted in Him, your spiritual life will wither. As that occurs, you run the risk of falling away from the truth. That’s a dangerous place to be.
The last thing they were taught was to strengthen their faith. That comes from reading, memorizing, and meditating on the Word of God. Without this in place, there will be no spiritual growth.
So, this is the important question to ask ourselves. Were we taught these fundamental truths? If not, then we need to start implementing them today. According to the Word, the result will be a life that’s overflowing with thankfulness.
Question: How important are these three issues to your walk with God?
© 2023 Nick Zaccardi
The Spirit and the Word 