Big Idea - Scripture is full of many warnings that we must persevere in the faith because there is a real possibility that we could fall. That is that our faith could fail. We see the Church and Christianity coming under attack more and more every day. Recent youth surveys tell us that only one in four High School graduates will hold on to their faith when they get to college. This is all a very bleak picture, but it is not new. The same enemies were at work in the time of Paul, seeking to pull people away from Christ and the truth. But, Paul is confident that the Colossians can have an unshakeable and immovable faith. This kind of faith, however, is not automatic or guaranteed. It must be nurtured and worked on. It needs to be built up. So what can we do to build up our faith so that it is unmoved by the many attacks against us?
First, Paul tells us that we continue (walk) in Christ, that is, in the Christian faith, the same way we began the journey with Him. How did we get started on this path? Simply by receiving the teaching and instruction that was proclaimed to us. The content of this instruction is not a set of rules or religious practices but is Jesus Himself. This teaching is summed up in the Gospel - that Jesus is both rescuer and Lord. Second, Paul commands us to be rooted, built up, and established in our faith. He knows the dangers of being taken captive by wrong teaching and false beliefs. So, how do we develop stronger roots and a more solid foundation for life? It is a command, but not a command to do something, but to have something done to us. It begins by understanding that we cannot do it. Getting stronger is not like going to the gym, where it depends on how much work we put into it. Instead, it happens to us when we submit ourselves to a process that we do not control and is not in our power to accomplish. And what is this process? It is simply that of being taught of learning from the correct teaching. The instruction that establishes us in the faith is 1) Biblical, 2) Gospel-centered, 3) by the Holy Spirit, and 4) through human teachers. Our part is to put ourselves under this kind of teaching and to submit to its truth even when it rubs us the wrong way. Not because we trust in the human messenger but because we accept the Word of God as absolute truth. The proof that we are growing stronger is a life overflowing with thanksgiving.
