The Root of the Matter
Today’s Verse:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. ~Colossians 2:7
Someone has said that many times, how we start determines how we finish or our result. The church at Colossae had become stunted in their spiritual progress due to false teachers who were seducing them concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul successfully dealt with the false teachers and their doctrine, he then went to the root of the matter. That is, these believers were hindered in their discernment and growth because they were not properly rooted in Christ. Every plant that grows, flourishes, is fruitful, and is strong must be well rooted. The root of the matter for us spiritually is about our roots.
We see the decisions.
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord….” The starting point in being rooted is in receiving Christ. It is a faith decision. We must believe that He is Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God Who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. It is a foundational decision. Without Christ as our foundation, we are on shaky ground. He is the Chief Cornerstone of our faith. It is a follower decision. After we are saved, we must commit to following Him in obedience and with a teachable spirit. The success of the Christian life is based on all the decisions we make for the Lord.
We see the discipling.
Being rooted means we must be “stablished in the faith.” This is getting our roots down. This is letting the precious seed of God’s Word dwell in us richly in all wisdom. We must commit to being grounded in Bible doctrine and in the defense of our faith. Then, we must walk in Him. Walking with Christ involves a systematic, daily reading and study of the Word of God and focused time in prayer. Enoch walked with God. His walk pleased the Lord. We are to have a daily walk with God that is pleasing. We must also be committed to serving the Lord through witnessing and helping others.
We see the depth.
The key to our spiritual strength is how deeply rooted we are. The deeper the roots go, the stronger the tree. We must be rooted downward and bear fruit upward. Roots that go deep have a way of finding water and nutrients hidden from the eye. The health of a tree can be traced to the depth of its roots. Get your roots deep if you want to be filled with the Spirit, victorious in your endeavors, and discerning concerning false winds of doctrine.
We see the direction.
“Rooted and built up….” The cedars of Lebanon grow straight up. Going up is the direction of Heaven. We build our life upwards. Being built up is essential for precious fruit. The cedars of Lebanon are so well rooted that they cannot be toppled by storms. They make good trees for shade and wood products. Be so well rooted that you are building up others and pointing them to Heaven.
The root of the matter is your roots. Determine that you will be rooted and built up in Christ. The stronger and deeper your roots, the more abundant your fruit will be.
Have a well-rooted God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Chronicles 3-5