Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (7) rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7 AMPC As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. (7) Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.
We are talking about putting down roots in our Christian life.
There are many that receive Jesus but never put down deep roots into their relationship with the Lord.
Pastor Rick Renner from Sparkling Gems from the Greek – Volume 1:
…consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:7: “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” I want you to especially notice the word “rooted” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word ridzo, which means to be firmly and deeply rooted, making the object fixed, steady, stable, and strong. This is the picture of a strong tree whose roots go down deep and reach its source of nourishment. The tree is also held securely in place by those roots, regardless of the weather or the environmental opposition that comes against it.
Mark 4:14-20 NKJV The sower sows the word. (15) And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (16) These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17) and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. (18) Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, (19) and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (20) But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
When you are Born Again, you become a living tree but that is not all there is to the Christian life.
You must be planted somewhere. You must develop roots so that you can grow in your walk.
Paul said that you become rooted in your faith the same way that you were Born Again.
Romans 10:14 NKJV (14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
The process to being Born Again is that one must believe. They are able to believe because they have heard. They can only hear if someone preaches to them.
There is a four-step process that we go through in order to become Christians:
- Someone has to preach.
- Then we hear
- Then we believe
- Then we act on that which we believe.
These are the same four steps that must happen in order for us to become rooted and planted.
In today’s world, a lot of those that receive Christ do not stay with it and do not become rooted and planted.
Sometimes the way that we frame things, we give people false impressions.
If we are not careful, we give people the impression that the most important part of your walk with God is that you call on Jesus to be saved and that you get baptized.
That is the same as assuming that someone who has had a wedding and a honeymoon is happily married.
No relationship is like that. Every relationship requires ongoing, constant maintenance and work if it is going to be a successful, flourishing relationship.
Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV (24) “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (25) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (26) “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: (27) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
There are two houses in this story.
What makes the house to fall? Was it the storm? No.
What caused the house to fall is because it was built on a bad foundation.
The man that hears and does what the Word says is like a man that built his house on a good foundation.
We take in beliefs from people that we admire and look up to.
We incorporate into our lives belief systems that sometimes are based on the Word and sometimes they are not based on the Word.
Our responsibility is to make sure that our belief systems are in agreement with what the Word of God teaches.
In this, you will become grounded on the Word and when storms come you will be able to stand.
How do the storms come to us: Rain, floods, and wind.
- The rain
In scripture most of the time rain was considered a blessing but here it would be safe to say that it is a negative.
Proverbs 27:15 NKJV (15) A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;
The rain represents that little things that Satan pecks at you with every day that wear you down. Those negative thoughts that are constant. It isn’t one drop that does you in but it is the constant dropping that wears us out.
It is a constant build-up of the stuff that we deal with every day. They come all the time.
By themselves they are not a big deal but compiled together they become troublesome.
- Then there is the flood.
Isaiah 59:19 NKJV (19) So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.
We go through life and do not get hit with major catastrophes every day but it seems like when they do come, it is usually more than one thing at a time.
When it is something big, there is usually two or three “biggies” at the same time.
All of a sudden you feel overwhelmed.
A flood catches you off guard and you get hit.
- Then there is the wind.
Ephesians 4:11-15 NKJV (11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ–
If Satan does not get with the dripping of the rain, or the onslaught of the flood, then he will bring the wind of false teaching to you.
False teachings or false ideas that get introduced into the Church are designed to cause us to fall.
If the devil wants you to eat a little bit of garbage, then he knows that he has to mix it with some good food to get you to go after the garbage. He knows that most of us will not go after just pure garbage.
This is the whole idea to make poison work – it must be mixed with something tasty.
A wind of doctrine is a false doctrine that takes root and causes people to be led astray.
That is why people need shepherds.
Trials do not ever quit coming. They come more in certain seasons but they will always be there. The only way to avoid this is to go to Heaven.
We must learn how to draw our strength from God to get us through those trials.
Four things that give us roots:
- Spending time in the Word of God.
You are going to have to put time into it. You don’t measure time when you are with someone that you really love.
Psalms 1:1-3 AMPC BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. (2) But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. [Rom 13:8-10; Gal 3:1-29; 2Ti 3:16] (3) And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. [Jer 17:7-8]
- Spending time in prayer, particularly praying in the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:4 AMPC He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness].
1 Corinthians 14:4 TPT The one who speaks in tongues advances his own spiritual progress, while the one who prophesies builds up the church.
- Stay sensitive to the correction of the Holy Spirit.
Maintaining spiritual sensitivity is very important.
Proverbs 3:11-12 NKJV My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; (12) For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 AMPC Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), (17) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Correction – (Greek) to set right or make straight.
Repentance is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength.
- Be a doer of the Word.
James 1:22 NLT But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.