Rooted, Established and Abounding Colossians 2:7

Paul the apostle's desire for the church members in Colosse was that they not only receive Jesus Christ but that they also “walk” in Him. He knew it is one thing to profess to be a believer in Jesus and quite another to actually live as one. In other words, they were to let their “walk” match their talk with the Lord. In chapter two and verse seven, Paul gave the Colossians instructions that would strengthen their walk with Jesus. We read:

Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught,

abounding therein with thanksgiving.

The verse begins, “Rooted and built up in him,...” Paul begins with “Rooted” which means “to cause to strike root, to strengthen with roots, to render firm, to fix, establish, cause a person or a thing to be thoroughly grounded” “and built up in him” or “built up” in their relationship with Jesus. In order for the Colossians to “walk” with the Lord in a manner that was pleasing to Him, they needed not only to be strengthened but also continually built up in their relationship with Him.

The verse goes on to say, “... and established in the faith,...” Paul added “established” or “to make firm, confirm, or make sure” “in the faith” or “conviction of the truth of anything, belief” in their relationship with Jesus. Not only were the Colossians to be strengthened and built up in their relationship with Jesus, they were also to “make sure” and solid their “conviction” concerning the Lord.

The verse continues, “...as you have been taught,...” Paul notes that the Colossians “have been taught” or “to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses, to impart instruction, instill doctrine into one, the thing taught or enjoined, or to explain or expound a thing”. The Colossians were taught the principles that would root them, build them and establish them in their walk with the Lord.

Finally the verse says, “...abounding therein with thanksgiving.” In addition to the other attributes mentioned by Paul, he added that the Colossians should be “abounding” or “exceeding a fixed number of measure, to being left over and above a certain number or measure” “therein with thanksgiving” which means with “thankfulness and giving of thanks” in each of the areas he mention. The attitude of the church members was to be one which continually overflowed with “thanksgiving” as they grew in their relationship with the Lord.

As we take some time to think about each of these areas Paul has mentioned, we should ask ourselves if we are “rooted”, “built up”, and “established” with an attitude of “thanksgiving” in our relationship with the Lord. Are we continually “abounding” in our knowledge of Jesus, the gospel, and what it means to have a personal “walk” with Him every day? As we ponder these ideas, let us go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to make these areas abound in our lives, and may He give us the desire to grow in our relationship with Him in such a manner that not only we but also others will know that we “walk” with the Lord Jesus.

Next time Paul warns the Colossians about being spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.