Articles
Life in Christ
“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).
It is evident in Colossians chapter 2 that Paul has a deep abiding feeling for these brethren. He wants them to know how much he worries about them. In their struggles with the Judaizers, he wants them to be knit together and drawn closer to Christ. They are in danger of being lead astray. So, to encourage them, he tells them he is with them in spirit and that he desires they continue to be rooted and built up in Christ.
Apart from Christ and His revealed will there is the danger that we will be open conduits through which all manner of vain philosophy and deceit flows. We may not have Judaizers today but religion is ripe with doctrines that condemns man instead of saving man. Given the opportunity to believe anything or nothing, man will believe anything. And, seemingly, man will believe in anyone except Jesus Christ. But only in Christ can man be saved. Only in Christ can man be close to God. Only in Christ can men be brothers and be knit close together.
Real life, real love, real relationships are found in Christ. When we become one with Him, we have real meaning and purpose. Why then would we believe any other? Why would we allow ourselves to be deceived by another? We can have the real thing: Jesus Christ. Anything else and anyone else has just an appearance of wisdom and humility. Christ is the only one that gives meaning and value to life. Therefore, be rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. He gave His life that we might have life. If we live with Him, we will die with Him. All that is of the world and its philosophies lead to a bondage that leads to destruction. Freedom is in Christ and freedom leads to life.
