This week I am being called to write about faith and salvation. Salvation is already done. It happened at the Cross when Jesus said, “It is finished.” Faith, on the other hand is not a goal or a place. It is something which we cannot always fully grasp. It is total dependency on God. It is total acceptance of His plan as the roadmap for our lives. I’m not so sure this is always possible. Faith is a journey.
Here is today’s Bible passage in two translations:
“For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:5-7 KJV)
“For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:5-7 NLT)
Most times Christians generally associate faith with their salvation experience, and rightly so. By believing in Christ, we enter into a relationship with Him. But that's not the end--afterwards comes a lifetime of “walking” with Him.
Since the word “walk” is used to describe one’s behavior and the way we do things, we may mistakenly believe that after salvation, the Christian life is all about what we do and how well we do it. But today's verses clearly state that we “walk” with Christ in the same way we received Him--by faith. This means we place our trust in Him for every circumstance of life. To help us understand this, Paul uses some phrases which describe how confidence in God grows:
"Having been firmly rooted" or “Let your roots grow down into Him” --At the moment of salvation, believers are "planted" in Christ. Our roots grow deep as we anchor ourselves in the Lord, drawing our spiritual nourishment and our life from Him.
"Be built on Him" or “Built up in Him” --The believer's life is built on the foundation of the Savior through obedience. God wants us to choose precious and valuable building materials that will last into eternity. “Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11 NLT)
"’stablished in your faith" or “Grow strong in the truth” --In time, as we begin to understand more about the Lord and how He operates, our trust in Him increases, and we experience stability even in the times of trouble. Jesus must increase and I must decrease.
In our goal-oriented society, it's easy to forget that “walking” in Christ is a really a process. While on earth, we never "arrive" but are slowly transformed along the way. As we trust the Lord, our hearts will overflow with gratitude for all His blessings and the strength He offers in every circumstance.
Living in our faith and living out our faith are two different things. We are called to live in faith that Jesus Christ, at the cross, finished the work of salvation for all mankind. We are called to live out our faith by living in obedience and surrender to God’s plan for us.
In the end these two verses challenge us to:
Grow downward by being “rooted” and anchored to Jesus Christ.
Grow upward by being “built up” in Him as Savior and as the Son of God.
Grow inward so that we can be “strengthened in the faith” and fully trust in Him.
Grow outward as we “overflow with thankfulness” because of His sacrifice that is fully pleasing to God.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
