CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THE LORD

Colossians 2:6-23

Key Verse 2:6

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

In this passage, the Apostle Paul teaches us that we should not take our relationship with Jesus Christ lightly, but rather continue to stay committed to him, for it is the only way for us to grow up in the Lord and win the prize the Lord has in store for all who run the race to and cross the finish line. 

In order to help us stay fully committed, Paul is giving us a message that comes in two strains of a single thread: exhortations and warnings. The former is what we need to do positively and the second is what we need to avoid. 

Part I. Exhortations

Look at v. 6. “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

a) Receiving Christ Jesus as Lord

First, Paul reminds us that we are to receive Christ Jesus as Lord. This is the first thing we want to make sure happens in our life. And we need to do this remembering the meaning of the word “Christ,” the meaning of the word “Jesus,” and the meaning of the word “Lord.” The word “Christ” means the “Anointed One.” He is the only Savior qualified to save man from bondage to the power of sin and Satan, for Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Because of the expression “no other name under heaven,” one might think there might be another name in heaven above by which we can be saved. But listen to what the Apostle John says, for he wrote in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” The word “Jesus” refers to the one who will save people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). In this passage we find phrases like “the sinful nature,” “your sinful nature,” “your sins,” “all our sins,” and “sensual indulgence.” This already tells us that sin is a universal problem. But the greater problem is that, although so many people have tried hard to resolve this problem of sin, it is impossible. Yet they still need to keep their life going. So if you ask them, “How are you?” they reply, “I am fine.” But are they fine? No, they are not fine. But they still need to keep their life going. So they try to pretend that they are okay by saying to themselves, “Hey, everyone is sinful, so what is the big deal?” Or, “Hey, sin is a natural thing. Just go with the flow.” These people are adopting a relative, fatalistic, or sarcastic attitude toward sin. But the Bible never takes man’s sin problem lightly. God never closes his eyes to man’s sin problem. Whether we like it or not, God continually comes to us, pleading with us, to address this problem directly. He never allows us to keep this problem a secret. In the first place, he does this to help Adam, the first man that fell, to make a confession of his own sin problem. Thus, the Lord God kept calling him in the Garden, “Adam, where are you?” Ultimately, in order to resolve man’s sin problem, he sent Jesus the Savior. It is through the cross of Jesus that he took away the sins of the world. So it is very important for one to accept Christ Jesus as the only Savior, the one who saves all sinners from their sins. Finally, the word “Lord” means “master.” Who is your master: you yourself or Jesus Christ? 

Of all the decisions in a person’s life, the decision to receive Christ Jesus as Lord is the most important decision of all, affecting one’s destiny in life (and beyond) in the most fundamental way. This decision is particularly significant because, according to John 1:12-13, when one receives Christ Jesus as Lord, the Lord God gives him the “right” to become a child of God. One may of course ignore this right. But no error is greater than this one, for no right is greater than the right to become a child of God. After all, God is the owner of the entire universe and everything in it. And the right includes every right: the right to suffer greatly for his name and the right to inherit the world to come, which will be perfected by Jesus Christ upon his second coming. So here is the question: did you really receive Christ Jesus as Lord?  Actually, a far more fundamental question is this: do you really admit that you are a sinner?  For without realizing and admitting (primarily to yourself) that you are a sinner, you cannot receive Christ Jesus as Lord.

b) Continuing in Him

That said, in v. 6 Paul says that to receive Christ Jesus as Lord is not the whole story. In fact it is only the beginning. 

What then should we do? Paul says that we must continue to live in him. What does it practically mean to continue to live in him? Let us think about the meaning of the word “continue.” What does “continue” mean? Continue means to keep going, that is, to keep going farther in and further up. It means to go on being a Christian and to go on doing what Christ desires you to do; it means to keep on staying with and remaining in Christ. So “continue to live in him” predominately means to go farther in our relationship with him. It is to go on being a Christian, or a follower of Christ. It also means to go on doing what Christ desires us to do: things such as praying, studying God’s word, and serving him in many different ways, always with desire to please him and thus carry out his desire to bring the gospel to all peoples on earth.

Practically speaking, “continue to live in him” requires a fundamental commitment to him, committing oneself to a relationship with him. One good way to understand the nature of commitment is to look at it from the perspective of a marriage. We must commit ourselves just as a bride and bridegroom commit themselves to one another to stay married in the unity of love. This is more easily said than done, obviously, for nowadays it is said that this generation is the generation of “the commitment to non-commitment.” Another way to understand the need to continue to live in the Lord is to look at it from the perspective of a family. The cross is drawn with two lines – the vertical line symbolizes our relationship with God while the horizontal line symbolizes our relationship with our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. Figuratively speaking, the church fellowship is like a large family where God the Father has lots of children. Because it is God’s will for us to not just love the Lord, but to also love the saints in the Lord, it is very important for us to stay committed to our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. A third way to understand the meaning of this exhortation is to look at it from the perspective of soldiers. Through God’s Spirit, King David saw that Christ rules in the context of church which is beset by enemies. Indeed Christ is described throughout the Bible the soldier of soldiers. In fact he is the commander in chief of the Lord’s army. And we are the members of his army. The famous Christian hymn song “Onward Christian Soldiers” vividly describes our position in the Lord’s army. The theme of the song is that we need to continue to remain as brave soldiers of Jesus Christ. Most importantly, the word “continue” indicates that we should never be a soldier who deserts his brothers in a time of war. For in fighting the Lord’s battle, nothing hurts the morale of fellow soldiers more than the soldier who deserts his band for private and/or civilian concerns. (Likewise concerning the need for us to stay committed to one ministry, please see 1 Corinthians 7:17, “Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.”)

The question then is what causes a man to not continue to live in the Lord? Two things come to mind, which I will call “the test of time” and “the test of hardships.” 

First of all, time works as a powerful test or challenge. We can understand this when we consider the Los Angeles Marathon. At first, there are literally thousands of people who start out the marathon. But as time passes, one, two, three, and more people begin to drop out. The same was true in Jesus’ discipleship ministry. At first, Jesus started out with hundreds of disciples. Eventually there were only 12 plus some women. But soon Judas Iscariot dropped out of the race. But by God’s grace, 11 of the disciples, plus the women, after abandoning (and denying) Jesus during his arrest and crucifixion, came back and then remained to the end. The same was true with Paul’s ministry. In Paul’s struggles to bring the gospel to the Gentile world, many soldiers participated with him. But sooner or later, people began to drop like flies. Some of them left Jesus for the world due to private or personal concerns (e.g., desire for money or an unequally yoked marriage). Paul was not vocal about these deserters, except to his loyal disciple Timothy. So let us read 2Ti 4:9-18.

Next let us think about the test of hardships. Again, in the Los Angeles Marathon, hardships work as a powerful test (or challenge) to continuing in the race. As you start out, you can breathe normally, so that you can even run at a quicker pace for a little while, but soon gravity works against you, your lungs grow weary, and your bodily strength flags; you end up slowing down your pace. Eventually, you might even stop and drop out of the race. The same was true with the disciples of Jesus. At first, Jesus was very popular. So many entertained the idea of following Jesus. But soon, when the going got tough, people started dropping out of fellowship with Jesus. And in leaving, some left with suppressed regret, some left after making slanderous remarks about Jesus, some left saying, “Gee, is Jesus’ group the only group I can attend? Aren’t there tons of synagogues or perhaps some itinerant teachers to follow in Israel?” In addition to all these things, the story that best illustrates the full meaning of “staying in the Lord on a continued basis” is the story of Ruth. Go and read the book of Ruth. Consider what the differences between Ruth and Orpah. What caused Orpah to drop out? What caused Ruth to remain? In this generation of “commitment to non-commitment,” we do not see many Ruths in the church. 

c) What factors induce a person to continue with Jesus?

The next question then is how can we make a firm commitment to the Lord? What things enable us to continue to live in him? Look at v. 6 again. “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Here, three points are made:

First, “be rooted and built up in him.” 

When we look at this expression we can subdivide it into two parts: “rooted” and “built up.” The mental picture we usually have of something that is rooted is a plant’s roots digging deep “down” into the earth while the mental picture we usually have of something that is built up is a skyscraper going “up” toward the heavens. Although these are seemingly contradictory images, there is an inherent order here: you must first be rooted before you can be built up. First things’ first, second things’ second. Never try to build up without first taking root below. This reminds us of how a tree grows. In my backyard, I have a tree known as a Chinese Juniper. This tree is 50 years old. It stands tall. It is well built up. And I know why it remains so strong. The root system is the cause. In fact, it has been noted that a tree will become taller and stronger in direct proportion to the extent of the depth and strength of its roots. 

Having said this, the next thing to remember is “where” we should take root and “where” we should be built up. The answer is “right here, in the Lord.” Any individual, fellowship, or religious organization which is not rooted and built up “in Christ” will sooner or later be uprooted. They may thrive for a little while, but sooner or later, when a storm hits them, they will collapse. So we need to daily, and deeply, meditate and feed on the word of the Lord, and examine ourselves prayerfully, to find out whether or not our faith, our fellowship, and/or our ministry is rooted in Christ and is being built up in the Lord. 

In considering this point, I am always reminded of the Apostle John compared to the Apostle Peter. Of course, Jesus used the Apostle Peter dearly, but he also used the Apostle John most dearly. Furthermore, we know as a matter of recorded fact that Peter made mistakes, and that John did too, but John never erred in his commitment to the Lord. Of course, at one point John made a huge mistake by asking the Lord to call fire down from heaven and turn the insolent Samaritans into French fries. But this mistake was nevertheless out of his loyal devotion to the Lord. And John never verbally betrayed Jesus. Even when all the other disciples ran away, John still stood beneath the cross of Jesus. He even comforted Jesus’ mother Mary after Jesus’ death. How was John able to remain so loyal to Jesus? How was it that he continued to live in the Lord? We know the answer. He stayed very close to Jesus. But Peter followed Jesus at a distance. What about Judas Iscariot? He did not even follow Jesus at a distance. Every once in a while, Judas took a long vacation; he went out of fellowship with Jesus. He checked internet. He chatted with religious leaders. And he came back home pretending nothing happened. But Jesus knew everything. He eventually betrayed Jesus. Question: why? Was it because he was inherently evil? Was it because John was endowed with a better genetic code than Judas Iscariot? I do not think so. Every person is born a sinner. No one is righteous, not even one, says the Bible. The difference, then, is the proximity between you and Jesus Christ. 

Second, “be strengthened in the faith as you were taught.” 

At first glance it sounds enough to say, “Please be rooted and built up in Jesus.” But why does Paul bother to say more than this? Why does he say, “Be strengthened in the faith as you were taught?” This gives us pause for thought. The answer is that, in remaining in the Lord and thereby taking root in him so that we can be built up in him, it is imperative for us to do so by faith. Let us remember that Paul added the qualification, “as you were taught.” Here, “as you were taught” means as the Bible says rather than as you feel or think Jesus is. What does the Bible say? The Bible says that Jesus is the Creator God (to name a few of his names). 

But when you think about it, not all people think of Jesus in this way. Some call him a great prophet. Others a suntanned carpenter. Still others a country rabbi. In the days of Jesus, many Jewish religious leaders looked down on Jesus because it seemed like Jesus was an absolute nobody. In other words, because Jesus came from a suspicious city called Nazareth, which “religious” Jews (like Nathaniel) thought nothing noble could ever come out of, people treated Jesus as a second class citizen. 

Nowadays, a lot of church going people technically know Jesus as the Savior. But practically, not all Christians fully believe in the total, perfect goodness of Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is particularly true when things get rough. When the situation looks difficult, they try to improve their physical condition on their own. They pray for a while. Nothing happens. They pray a little while more. Still nothing happens. Then they say, “Gee, I thought Jesus would quickly come to help. But now I am not so sure about him.” Then they entertain doubts about him. Then they look around themselves, and check out this or that. They talk to their worldly friends again. All kinds of humanistic thoughts come to their minds. In this way, their faith in the Lord remains broken. As they approach Jesus with their broken faith, nothing happens. Then they drop out of the race of “faith.” After all, didn’t Paul say towards the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”? (2Ti 4:7)

Third, “be full of thanks.” 

The next point for us to secure in order to continue to live in the Lord is to be thankful all the time. That is, in both good times and bad times, and especially in bad times. 

Look at v. 7 again and focus on the expression, “overflowing with thankfulness.” Why did Paul add this phrase? Did he add it just to make his sentence look more harmonious and impressive? No. He added it for a reason. Being a Pharisee of Pharisees, he was thoroughly familiar with all the ups and downs of the history of the Israelites as a chosen people. He knew that at the heart of both their [spiritual and physical] rise or decline was either thankfulness toward God or bitterness toward God; the latter determined the former. 

You know, a lot of people choose to serve the Lord. And a lot of them do so ever so sacrificially and ever so “faithfully.” But not all do so “overflowing with thankfulness.” Surely, the call to serve the Lord with overflowing thankfulness is the hardest call, and it exists on the highest level of our life in the Lord. But we must remember that in order for us to continue to live in the Lord to the end, one element, a thankful heart, must be there from the first to the last. From the moment we are born again in the Lord to the moment we draw our final breath in him, we must live all our days in thankfulness to him who gave us the breath of life and then his spirit of life.

Why? We can understand this when we think about what caused Adam and Eve to fall ever so quickly. In a sense, they fell because they were not as thankful to the Lord their God as they should have been. This then gives us a powerful wakeup call, for it reminds us of the devil’s tactic: he always wants to separate us from our relationship with Jesus Christ by putting in our heart reasons to complain. We must remember that it is through the unthankful heart, through ungratefulness, that the devil and/or your own human thoughts prey upon to cause you to turn away from God and become his enemy. So learn to be thankful in all circumstances, especially when things get rough. We need to be thankful to God each time a trial or some trouble comes our way, and we must do so by remembering that trials or troubles are God’s blessings in disguise. After all, doesn’t the Bible say that God loves you? And doesn’t this truth remain the same even when troubles come? And isn’t it because he loves you that he even allows some troubles to come your way, for he knows that this, too, if you pass the test, will make you stronger? 

Part II. Warnings

In vs. 8-23, Paul issues warnings against five things: 

(1) Hollow and deceptive philosophy

Let us read vs. 8-15 responsively. Here Paul uses the words “hollow” and “deceptive” to say that a philosophy which is not dependant upon Jesus Christ is empty (hollow) in terms of its capacity to help us overcome our sinful nature. At the same time, it is deceptive in that it distracts us away from Jesus Christ, in whom we should find the strength to overcome all of our sins and receive God’s eternal, quality life to the full. 

Nowadays, pantheism seems to be in fashion again. The idea of pantheism essentially concludes that “all roads lead to God.” Similar heresies are being taught even in so-called religious classes across our colleges and universities. If you check a modern-day college curriculum, you will only be surprised by the invasion of these kinds of secular ideas into academia. Thus we try to overcome these trends by increasing 1:1 Bible studies on campus.

(2) Religious ritualism

Look at vs. 16-17., “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Here Paul talks about all the false teachings by the Judaizers. Categorically speaking, Paul warns against religious ritualism. For example, the fact that we perform this or that activity, like water baptism or communion, does not in and of itself cause us to be saved. The outward performance of a religious ritual does not, and will never, imply the inward work of salvation by the Holy Spirit of God, and him alone, when a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior; it is purely by the merit and work of the Lord that we are saved.

(3) False humility

Look at v. 18a. “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility…disqualify you for the prize.” One day I read a story about a man called the Dalai Lama. He looked very humble because, while he was having a conversation with another religious guru while there were seated around an eating table at a restaurant, he saw an ant crawling underneath his table toward a dark corner. The Dalai Lama had sympathy for the ant. He got up from his table, gently stooped down, carefully picked up the ant, and put the ant back into the sunlight. He came back to the table and said to the other religious guru, “My lord, I gave the ant some comfort and I feel happy now.” The guru sitting in front of him was impressed and said, “Wow! You are very humble. You even lowered yourself to the position of the ant.” But this is a classic example of false humility. False humility takes on all different sorts of forms, and the problem with it is that it actually makes you proud. The bottom line, then, is that you will lose the prize: you have no reward waiting for you when Jesus comes again.

(4) Worship of angels

Look at v. 18b as well. “…and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize.” Nowadays, due to the Hollywood’s bad influence, angelic worship is also something trendy. I know of a person who went through all the details of what he claims to have seen at the intersection of Firestone and Paramount Boulevard. But if I mention his name, everyone will know who I am talking about, so I will not go into further detail about all the crazy things he was talking about. 

But I would like to add two things: (1) God created angels to let them serve God’s children and (2) the way God serves his children is incognito. So, all you need to do is to seek his kingdom and his righteousness and God will work with you through the host of his heavenly armies, even without you yourself realizing it. And thus there will be a prize for you. 

(5) Legalism

  Look at vs. 20-23. “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” Here, Paul speaks out against legalism, particularly the stringent legalism of the Judaizers who had misinterpreted Moses’ law. Do not get me wrong. Moses’ law has its own purpose, that is, to remind us of our sins so that we would be led to Christ. But it is never the solution to man’s sin. It is only in Jesus, our atoning sacrifice, that we can have all of our sins forgiven. 

One word: continue to live in him. 

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