Rightly Rooted

Intro.

I’ll never understand how people keep plants alive for long periods of time. I am not the “green thumb” type of person, and I come from a household where nearly every plant we tried to keep died pretty quickly. Maybe our home wasn’t a sufficient environment, or maybe its necessities were not provided; but, plants could never be made to thrive in that household.

In ancient Roman times, when at war the army would, as armies do, take prisoners. Often, these prisoners were taken as spoils. They would be shamefully paraded through the street, and they would normally be made into slaves.

This, in a spiritual sense, is what Paul was warning the Colossians about in his letter to them. As we will see today, Paul calls them in Christ to: Remember Their Reception, Stay Rooted, and Reject Deceptions

Remember the Reception

Colossians 2:6 LSB

6 Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

1 John 1:7 “7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

As we saw last week, Christ alone is the storehouse of all wisdom and knowledge worth having, as well as the full knowledge of understanding our salvation. Outside of Christ we have no such assurance, and through love we are united together as we all as one grow toward the treasure of knowledge and wisdom we can have in Christ.

Remember, the reason the Colossian letter was written was because there are certain teachers in Colossae who would possibly even say they come from God and bear His revelation, but all they hold is the mist of morning dew. it is not substantial or lasting or deep. And Paul, the deeply compassionate man he was, is very concerned that these Christians know to avoid them.

Therefore, in v. 6 Paul says they are to walk in Christ exactly as they received Him!

How did they, and likewise we, receive Him?

In Person

Col. 1.15-20; Phil. 2.6; John 1:1-3, 14;

We know that Jesus is God Who took human existence and flesh to Himself.

Eph. 1.7; Gal. 5.1; Rev. 5.9; Tit. 2.14

We received Jesus as our Redeemer Who poured out His own life so give life to us.

Matt. 28:18; Rom. 10:9; Lk. 6.46

Jesus is our Lord and Master. He is the One — the only One to Whom subject ourselves.

It is in this, the way we have recieved Christ Himself, that we continue to walk. We are reminded by the holy Apostle to not go beyond Christ in all His awesomeness. You received Him as everything you need, so keep living like He is.

Remain Rooted

Colossians 2:7 LSB

7 having been firmly rooted and being built up in Him, and having been established in your faith—just as you were instructed—and abounding with thanksgiving.

As you received Christ, you were “firmly rooted” in Him and given a strength to you faith in Him.

“...having been firmly rooted,” is another passive verb. Meaning, just as God Himself anchors you in Christ (Col. 1.23), so also does God Himself give you depth of root in Christ which also strengthens (establishes) your faith in Him.

“...just as you were instructed”

Jude 3 “3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”

Remember from Col. 1..23 that “the faith” is the total sum of all we are to believe and practice throughout our lives in Christ.

As brother Jude says, the faith is “once delivered” to the Church, literally meaning the whole things was given one time, for all time.

This faith, fully given, is what the Colossians had been given. Paul is telling them that they only needed Christ as He had been taught to them.

In other words, Paul tells them that if they heard a teaching about Jesus that was in any way contrary, they must reject it.

Reject Deceptions

Colossians 2:8 LSB

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

“...takes you captive...”

*REFER BACK TO THE ROMAN EXAMPLE*

Philosophies & Vain Deceit

One thing which needs to be specified is that Paul is not speaking against all philosophical learning and wisdom. In some sense, philosophy is almost an unavoidable part of life — everyone has some!

Rather, what he means is that people are trying to use cunning and persuasive tactics to kidnap their souls. Therefore, they are to “see to it” that they cling to the truth and are able to mark and reject anything which would possibly deceive them.

Elementary Principles and Traditions

“Elementary” meaning basic and rudimentary.

In essence, Paul says the things which were being taught, even though made out to be great and deep, were nothing more than rudimentary wisdoms. What truth there may have been was only the beginning of the depth of truth.

Not According to Christ

Here is the grand point: These teachers were offering a way living and believing which was not aligned with Jesus as the Church knew Him to be.

And there are still teachers today that would offer up something that claims to be Christ, dresses itself up as Christ, and to some might even sound like Him — but His sheep will know His voice!

You don’t need worldly knowledge, you don’t need the stars to align, you don’t need the Almanac, you don’t need the Gospel of Thomas, or acquaintance with aliens or dead people. You don’t need fame, money, TV, AC, pews, fast food, coffee, miracle foods.

You and I need Jesus and if we’ve got Him, why would we dare to live and think as if we need anything more?

Conclusion

Brethren, put away from you any and all things that would distract you from Jesus or call you away from Him.

As Paul warns these Christians to mark and avoid those who teach falsehood and deceptions, so too must we mark and avoid them in our day and in all forms that they come in!

Purge from yourself that which is not of Christ, and being united in love let us all continue in the faith, living after Jesus Who alone is worthy!