How To Be Rooted in Christ

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7

-Excerpt is taken from “Exalted: Christ in Colossians,” written by Esther Dorotik.

“Therefore,”–a pivotal transitional word–pointing us back to the previous verses on the deity of Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection, and our new reconciled life. Paul is saying, in other words, because you have received these things that are so, continue to walk in these truths grounded in Him. Do not entertain, put up with, or accept a different gospel and turn from the One who called you into grace (Galatians 1:6).

From Genesis to Revelation, walking is used metaphorically as a spiritual sense of direction. Because we cannot walk in two directions at once, we are either walking towards Him or away from Him. Even one degree off can lead a person to wander down perilous unpaved paths. The subsequent descriptions Paul uses are rich in meaning: rooted, built up, and established.

Rooted in Christ

ῥιζόω | rhizoo | hrid·zo·o

Rooted is an agricultural term being firmly established in the ground. Like the roots that anchor a plant in the ground, Jesus anchors our faith. We can only be as established, nurtured, and growing as our roots system in Him and His word. Otherwise, we are like saplings vulnerable to the heavy rains of life and the winds of false doctrine. We must take root downward to bear fruit upward (2 Kings 19:30).

Built-up in Christ

ἐποικοδομέω | epoikodomeo | ep·oy·kod·om·eh·o

A term meaning to come closer to completion as in a building nearing the final touches. Remembering the parable of the wise man who built his house on the solid rock and the foolish who built upon sand, Christ remains the only solid Rock foundation. To build on any other foundation is to build on shifting sands of current trends and cultural acceptances. They will crumble, leaving devastation behind.

Established in Christ

βεβαιόω | bebaioo | beb·ah·yo·o

To be established means to make firm, confirm, and make sure. This is a well-established, deeply-rooted fixed faith in Jesus Christ, clinging to the foundational truths of the gospel taught from the beginning. Like the Colossian church, which faced war on the gospel from within the walls of the church, the modern-day body of Christ is facing false teachers and doctrines, threatening to unravel the very cornerstone teachings of Christ. But a house divided cannot stand (Mark 3:25); therefore, we must take a stand against such divisive teachings.

Paul’s last admonition is to abound in thanksgiving. The Christian who is deeply rooted in the word of life, firmly built upon the foundation of Christ, and well-established in faith will also overflow abundantly with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a heart posture gratefully acknowledging the kindness, favor, blessings, and eternal benefits of knowing God. As Christians who have received eternal life through no part of our own, we should be the most grateful people, truly abounding in thanksgiving.

-Excerpt is taken from “Exalted: Christ in Colossians,” written by Esther Dorotik.

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