Daily Bread Colossians 2
Daily Bread Colossians 2
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
Observation:
Paul again gets at the heart of what it means to be a Christ-follower (aka disciple). Keep in mind as I wrote yesterday, Paul is countering those that were trying to deceive these new believers by getting them to observe certain religious holidays, or “new-moon” celebrations. While some things like the Sabbath day observance were important, they were only a shadow of what is to come in Christ.
All we need to live a life of discipleship is to have Christ within us. We start by receiving Jesus as our Lord, meaning that Jesus becomes the ruler of our lives. A more contemporary way of saying it is to say, “Jesus is the leader of your life.” Many talk about accepting Jesus as their Savior, but don’t have the concept of making Him their Lord. The New Testament simply does not know of this false idea.
As we receive Jesus and make him the leader of our lives, he will live through us and give us everything we need for a life of godliness. It is not what we do that makes us a Christian, but who we are in Christ. Do you remember growing up, when you got in trouble and your parents might have said, “that is not how an “Anderson – substitute your last name” acts? You might have wanted to say what does that mean? But it meant that you were to represent your family in the way you acted and conducted yourself.
In the same way when you become part of God’s holy family through Christ, you begin to bear the family resemblance. A key word is here is to be “rooted and built up in him”. A strong tree is not knocked over by a strong wind, because of its deep roots. Likewise a strong Christian has strong roots in who Jesus is and by living out His principles our roots will go really deep. Therefore, when the wind of the world beckons, our rootedness keeps us standing on a solid foundation, which cannot be toppled.
Application:
How is your foundation feeling lately? With all of what is happening in the world Christians are being challenged as to the authenticity of their faith? When we go through hard times, our faith is often challenged? We may ask, “Why are things so hard?” “Why am I having to deal with this disappointment over and over again? “
As we are rooted in him, and his power and authority reign in our lives, we can meet these challenges and overcome them. Our power and authority come as a result of our position in Christ. As we accept Jesus as Lord, we have a power and authority we have never had before. All the petty rules and religious acts, pale in comparison with a living, breathing relationship with Christ.
When you feel powerless remember the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive within you, as you stay rooted in God’s promises and in relationship with His Son. As we stay connected to the Head of the body, all the ligaments and sinews will hold us together and God will cause us to grow more and more to be like His Son.
Prayer: Help us to remember our roots. As we were baptized in all that you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit: we have died to the principles of the world and been made alive in You. May these roots grow deeper and deeper as we live out our calling with others who are also a part of the Body of Christ. Amen.
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
Observation:
Paul again gets at the heart of what it means to be a Christ-follower (aka disciple). Keep in mind as I wrote yesterday, Paul is countering those that were trying to deceive these new believers by getting them to observe certain religious holidays, or “new-moon” celebrations. While some things like the Sabbath day observance were important, they were only a shadow of what is to come in Christ.
All we need to live a life of discipleship is to have Christ within us. We start by receiving Jesus as our Lord, meaning that Jesus becomes the ruler of our lives. A more contemporary way of saying it is to say, “Jesus is the leader of your life.” Many talk about accepting Jesus as their Savior, but don’t have the concept of making Him their Lord. The New Testament simply does not know of this false idea.
As we receive Jesus and make him the leader of our lives, he will live through us and give us everything we need for a life of godliness. It is not what we do that makes us a Christian, but who we are in Christ. Do you remember growing up, when you got in trouble and your parents might have said, “that is not how an “Anderson – substitute your last name” acts? You might have wanted to say what does that mean? But it meant that you were to represent your family in the way you acted and conducted yourself.
In the same way when you become part of God’s holy family through Christ, you begin to bear the family resemblance. A key word is here is to be “rooted and built up in him”. A strong tree is not knocked over by a strong wind, because of its deep roots. Likewise a strong Christian has strong roots in who Jesus is and by living out His principles our roots will go really deep. Therefore, when the wind of the world beckons, our rootedness keeps us standing on a solid foundation, which cannot be toppled.
Application:
How is your foundation feeling lately? With all of what is happening in the world Christians are being challenged as to the authenticity of their faith? When we go through hard times, our faith is often challenged? We may ask, “Why are things so hard?” “Why am I having to deal with this disappointment over and over again? “
As we are rooted in him, and his power and authority reign in our lives, we can meet these challenges and overcome them. Our power and authority come as a result of our position in Christ. As we accept Jesus as Lord, we have a power and authority we have never had before. All the petty rules and religious acts, pale in comparison with a living, breathing relationship with Christ.
When you feel powerless remember the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive within you, as you stay rooted in God’s promises and in relationship with His Son. As we stay connected to the Head of the body, all the ligaments and sinews will hold us together and God will cause us to grow more and more to be like His Son.
Prayer: Help us to remember our roots. As we were baptized in all that you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit: we have died to the principles of the world and been made alive in You. May these roots grow deeper and deeper as we live out our calling with others who are also a part of the Body of Christ. Amen.
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