Those Hidden Gems
Col 2:6-7
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
When I am reading through some books, I tend to skip right past things that might be important to the story. In others, I know that there are things that are said or mentioned that have an important part in how the end is shaped. It’s a little like the difference between watching a Die Hard movie and watching a Ms. Marple series. You know someone gets shot up but there isn’t too much more than that. But with Ms. Marple, you better have your finger on the rewind button if you miss something because later in the story, you won’t be able to remember how she got there.
This short passage in Colossians is a little like that in that Paul starts this simple enough, but there is a much deeper message about living the Christian life than we might imagine. We have to – if you would – put on our spiritual bifocals and zoom into this short two verses and chew up as much as we can.
One thing that I have a particular problem with is when a race appears to be extended just as I believed the finish line was in sight. I like to finish things. In fact, that probably has contributed to my girth, because what’s true in projects is true at the dinner table. When I was growing up we never needed Tupperware because there were never any leftovers. But when you get to what you believe is the end of the race, and then discover that the ending is nowhere in sight, it is disheartening. Paul wants us to not miss this very important point: Accepting Christ is not the end of the Christian Life, it’s the beginning. You weren’t taken to heaven after you asked Christ in your heart because God has a mission and a plan for every child of His. So how do we navigate those next steps? There is someone there to help us pray that prayer, but often we don’t have the same level or degree of guidance about how to live the Christian life.
- First – we need to take a moment and think about how did we receive Christ Jesus? How did we come to be Believers?
Let’s look at some of the things surrounding that event. – and please note that this short passage is for those who have accepted Christ. A non-believer cannot understand what it means to walk just like you received Christ.- We started this thing because God was calling us long before we knew who God is. – You don’t have to have a deep set of training to come to Christ and you don’t have to have deep set of training to walk in Christ. Believe it or not, you are being called by God to walk in Him. We are not motivated by our own nature to come to Christ, and we won’t be motivated by our human nature to walk with Christ. God calls us all to have a walk of faith, but have we gotten too accustomed to ignoring God?
- We began our life of faith by listening to what others who were already believers had to say and we added that knowledge to what we knew until we came to the point in our lives where we understood our need for Christ. This is often the same way for our life in Christ, we need to seek out those who obviously have a life in Christ and we need to learn to build on to the knowledge that we have about what a life of faith looks like and behaves. There are times that even young believers are shaped by God living in them when they are available to be shaped. I have heard people remind me of how their values were reshaped when they weren’t paying attention to that issue. They were honestly surprised by God’s change. Of course, there are times when people are not ready to receive that instruction.
- We took the steps we took we knew were necessary – and that will be the case for walking in Christ. You are going to see those things that have to be done and you are going to make up your mind and heart to obey God’s direction.
- The steps to receive Christ required faith, not works. So the life of a Christian will require faith not works. To pull a phrase from the book of Galatians – having begun the Christian life by faith, are you now being perfected by the flesh. The very type of faith that permitted you to put your trust in Christ is the faith that will permit you to walk the Christian life. That means that this life might not make sense to those who don’t understand the life of Faith, but that’s alright. They never understood why you asked Christ into your heart. Non-believers don’t think like believers – get used to it.
- Next, we need to apply that truth to how we walk with Jesus.
- We will be able to walk in Christ because God is calling us to do just that. We will have a sense that God is speaking to us about the way to behave not to earn our salvation or God’s approval but because we desire to please Him. The more you want to please Him, the more you’ll find you desire to do for Him. It is like a snowball rolling downhill effect and the more weight and speed you pick up, the harder it will be to slow you down. We are not motivated by our own nature to come to Christ, and we won’t be motivated by our human nature to walk with Christ. God calls us all to have a walk of faith, but some have gotten too accustomed to ignoring God?
- We will learn to walk with God not just by His leaning, but also by listening to what others who were already serve Him. As previously mentioned, we need to seek out those who obviously have a life in Christ. My wife and daughter like to go to those painting classes because it’s fun and they like to discover what they can do when provided instruction. The Christian life is no different, you are going to need instruction and guidance. Don’t be one of those who are not ready to receive instruction.
- We must learn to step forward when God imposes on us to do so. We can’t wait around complaining about not knowing what God wants us to do while offers are flying around us like those tiny flies around bananas. Will we find exactly the balance we hope to have the first week of our new life? Of course we won’t but view this as a gentle sharpening of God’s tool and God will get you where He wants you and when He wants to.
- To live the Christian life requires faith. Will you always know what is ahead? That is the uncomfortable part about faith. Yes, faith can be comforting but there is an element where it is uncomfortable. You had to trust God when you accepted Christ and wow, in retrospect you are perhaps surprised how right God is. As you start to live the Christian life, you’ll once again be surprised how right God is. I want to say again, this all means that this Christian life might not make sense to those who don’t understand the life of Faith, but that’s alright. They never understood why you asked Christ into your heart. I know I just said this, but Non-believers don’t think like believers – get used to it and get past it.
- Then see his part in our Christian life –
- firmly rooted in Him, not being built up in Him (present tense but past tense) and – The first part of this is about their beginning. The church at Colossae had a good beginning. They had recently been through some difficult times because evil men had come to try and convince true believers that there was a higher truth. But from the very beginning, this church was known as a church that had their roots firmly in Christ. And you know, there is no way that a church can be built up in Christ unless it is firmly rooted in Christ. That just is not possible. But it seems like there are times when some are rooted in Christ, but not built up in Him. What does it look like to be built up in Him? The rest of the verse tells us they were
- established in our faith. – when we are built up in Christ, there is a certain firmness about our beliefs. We are not easily shaken. Does that mean that you and I will never be shaken? Not necessarily. But you when you look at a good foundation, no matter what happens to the super-structure, the foundation is still there. Other versions use the work strengthened in their faith. This is what walking in Christ looks like – you grow stronger in your faith. Don’t confuse more activity at church with being stronger in your faith. These are two different things. What Paul is talking about here is what goes on inside of you, not what you do on the outside.
- The path to continue (just as you were instructed) – We know that Paul has met Epaphras – and Paul knows the source of their instruction. Paul has in a sense, ordained this young minister by telling people that He has approved of this man. Perhaps he didn’t feel inclined to lay hands on the preacher since he was already established in the ministry, but with a short word Paul confirms this guy knows the truth and that he started the church on a path that they should continue. Continuing is the theme here, validated Epaphras is a bonus that explains to the people that his teaching has been examined and found worthy to follow.
- The attitude to have while continuing (overflowing with gratitude) – Overflowing is a word that we should be well acquainted with at this time. It is the same word that was used for when a river overflowed its bank. What happens in those cases? Usually the river goes wherever it wants to go, and there are few who can direct it or control it. That should be a great picture of our life in terms of the gratitude. A grateful heart will be grateful at moments that might seem like it is a gratefulness that is out of control. That is the picture of this verse.
- The thankful person does not focus on what was given but the source of the gift.
- “If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.” ~ John Wooden
- “Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich
- “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.” ~ Gertrude Stein