[405 words]
“Oh, there’s just one more thing…” There are few things more frustrating than thinking that everything is understood and then there is an addition to the instructions. In the book of Colossians, Paul is addressing a people who have been told, “you have Christ and that’s great…oh yeah, but there’s one more thing you need….” What Paul writes to them is that if they have Jesus, they have it all they need to be fully assured in the faith! They don’t need anything else except to cling to Jesus. Note Colossians 2:6-10 and what he says about our assurance:
We Have Received Christ Jesus (v. 6). We are Christians. We have received “the seed which is the word of God” (Mark 4:14-ff). We have obeyed the gospel. We can rest in the fact that receiving the grace of God by an obedient faith makes us His children (Rom. 6:17-18).
We Are Rooted in Christ Jesus (v. 7). How deep our roots are has a direct correlation to our time spent in the word learning Jesus (cf. Psalm 1:1-3; Jn. 8:31-32; 15:1-5). If we have our roots in Him, then we are able to be built up in Him.
We Are Built Up in Christ Jesus (v. 7). A seed that is planted begins growing downward in its roots, and then begins to grow upward. If we have never allowed ourselves to be built up in Christ Jesus, it could very well be that we have not payed attention to our “Roots” like we ought. Thus, we allow someone or something other than Jesus to try to tell us how to grow.
We are Complete in Christ Jesus (v.10). A plant is not fully mature until it is producing fruit. We are complete in Him and His word. God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue…” (II Pet. 1:3). There is nothing else we need to bear fruit for the Master than what is established in Christ.
Jesus establishes our faith, grows our faith, and finishes our faith. When challenges arise threatening our faith in Christ, we may say, “He is all I need.” We received Him, we are rooted in Him, we are being built up in Him, and we are complete in Him. That’s the only thing that matters!
Andy Baker
Graeber Road church of Christ
Rosenberg, TX