Paul's Charge To The Colossians Series

Colossians 2:6-7 [NLT]

January 2, 2013

Oak Park Baptist Church – Wed Bible Study Series

Colossians Bible Study

Paul’s charge to the believers in Colossae:

Paul has just told the believers in Colossae and Laodicea that he cares for them and believes that they have a strong faith and that he is encouraged by their faithfulness to Christ!

But Paul wants these believers to understand that there is danger in listening to those who come with a tainted message… with any message that denies the exclusivity of Jesus as Savior… such as this heresy did…

v.4-5 Paul warned the believers to NOT be deceived by those who talk a good game… don’t be swayed by slick packaging… He said that they KNEW the truth and they must continue to dwell in and live out the truth of Jesus Christ as THE way THE truth and THE life!

Tonight I want to look at v.6-7 and how these verses apply directly to US here at Oak Park and to all of us as believers in the body of Christ! READ VERSES HERE

6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

First let’s look at the 1st word of these verses… the word ‘therefore’… as I have often told you, the word therefore in Scripture must be addressed with the question… ‘What was the reason this word was placed in this passage?’ Or in other words, ‘what is the word therefore, there for?’

Well it is the Greek word oon which specifically used for transitioning from one particular subject to another OR to point toward an illustration that will enhance the previous teaching. This verse meets BOTH of these criteria…

Paul has been teaching about the Supremacy of Jesus to all things and that they should not be swayed by arguments that limit Christ…since Christ is SUPREME THEREFORE those who are IN HIM should not be fooled by false teaching…

Those IN HIM are those who are looking to grow in their relationship IN HIM… In other words Paul lays out a particular attitude in these 2 verses… an attitude about HOW we are to live for Jesus once we come to know Him as Savior…

He breaks it down into three very simple stages that I believe MUST come consecutively… you cannot move past one step, but you take each step or stage individually!

FIRST, Paul says in v6 “…as you have rec’d Christ Jesus…” meaning as you have been saved! The 1st step in knowing God is coming to KNOW God! We must 1st be saved before we can begin to grow!

When I came to OPBC in 2007 I brought with me a philosophy that I still cling to… it is a philosophy that God laid on my heart and one I believe God desires our church to live out… YOU HAVE ALL HEARD ME SAY – Bond, Build and Blossom!

But do you really know what that means? Well the ‘bond’ part begins right here with this verse! We must first BOND with God in salvation and then eventually we learn to bond with others while living out of our life for Christ, but bonding with God is the 1st step, without bonding with God we cannot bond with each other!

So Paul says the 1st step for walking with God is that you have to belong to God! I am telling you that the 1st step for us in becoming ALL of what God wants our body of believers to become… it is all tied into our willingness to BOND with God and each other!

But Paul continues in v6 with the bonding process… to completely BOND with Christ and with each other, that relationship MUST be a part of our own life! Paul tells the believers in Colossae to “walk in Him…” speaking of living a life that brings praise and honor to Jesus!

Bonding with God and with others is the 1st step or stage of living as you are called to live by God, but the 2nd stage or step is found where Paul says, “…rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught…”

Rooted here in the Greek is the Greek word Hrid-zoo which means to firmly establish or to fix a position or be solidly grounded! Paul is stating that we put down ROOTS in Christ so that we are FIXED and solidly grounded in Him.

But Paul continues here with another descriptor when He says, “…rooted and built up…” the term here for ‘built up’ is the Greek word ep-oy-kod-om-eh'-o which means simply to build up or to build FROM… in this case it would mean to build up! Christ is our foundation and when we BOND with Christ we build up upon that foundation!