Colossians 2:6–7

The all-sufficient Christ gives freedom from human regulations

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Paul has eloquently spoken of the greatness of the Lord Jesus and of the immensity and completeness of the spiritual blessings that believers have in him. He has reminded the Colossians that the great purpose of his ministry was to preach that all-sufficient Christ. Paul closed the previous section by complimenting the Colossians on their firm stand in Christ. Now, in what is really the main message of the epistle, he urges them to continue in that firm stand. This encouragement comes in both positive and negative forms in verses 6 to 8, then moves on to another inspiring description of our all-sufficient Savior in verses 9 to 15.

The apostle was pleased by the reports Epaphras had brought him about the Colossians’ firm stand in Christ, but the false teachers were challenging that stand every day. Paul was concerned about the Colossians’ spiritual depth, so he encouraged them, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.” The Colossians had heard the gospel from Epaphras and believed it, embracing Jesus with a Spirit-given faith.

When they came to faith, Jesus came to live in their hearts. They lived in intimate fellowship with him, and they needed to continue to live in Jesus. They needed to live in conscious awareness of his presence in their hearts and lives. They needed to go forward in connection with Christ, trusting his Word, cherishing his forgiveness, obeying his commandments, and guarding against everything that might disrupt their blessed relationship with him.

With four brief phrases, the apostle expands upon what he means by “continue to live in him.” As he does, he suggests to us the key qualities of a life in Christ. When the Spirit first led them to faith in Jesus, the Colossians were “rooted” in Christ. They were implanted in Jesus, their all-sufficient Savior. Now they needed to continue to draw strength and nourishment from him, always sending their roots of faith down even deeper into Jesus and his Word, as a tree sends its roots deeper into the soil to draw nourishment from the earth. The more Christians use God’s Word and the sacraments, the deeper they sink their roots of faith into Christ. The more firmly they are rooted in Christ, the less likely they are to be blown over by the storms of false teaching and the fierce winds of the troubles and sorrows of life.

When he brought them to faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit established the Colossians upon Jesus. Jesus is the firm foundation on which the constantly growing structure of believers’ faith and lives rest. On that foundation the Colossians are to be “built up.” They are to grow in their faith and progress in their Christian living, like a building rising higher and higher as it progresses to its completion.

Sending their roots of faith down into Christ and being built upward upon Christ will result in the believers being “strengthened in the faith.” Their spiritual knowledge and their hold on Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden, will be strengthened. Their faith will be constantly confirmed. They will become ever more firmly convinced that no new doctrines or directions for their spiritual lives are necessary, because they have all that they need in Christ.

Because of all the blessings that result in the spiritual conditions described here, Paul urges the Colossians to be “overflowing with thankfulness.” As believers view their spiritual blessings from the perspective of a living, growing faith, their thanksgiving will overflow and rush forth in mighty streams into every area of their lives. Christians who are rooted and built up in Christ and daily strengthened in faith in him cannot help but be thankful, and they will cheerfully and lovingly make that thankfulness evident in their words and actions every day.