Listen to the Colossians (8): Walk by Faith

⁶Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. ⁸See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰and you have been filled in him, (Col. 2:8-10 ESV)


Paul now entered the main theme of this epistle: As one received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Christ came not for the purpose of public display or personal collection, but for us to have life and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:10 ESV). Therefore, if we believe in Him, we must be rooted in Him. Three things would come out from a proper rooting, as it is made clear from three parallel participles in the Greek text. Two passive effects are we’d be built up in Christ and established in the faith. One active effect is we would be abounding in thanksgiving. These are how the Colossians were taught after they believed. It is the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints by Christ (Jud 1:3 ESV), and for thousands of years thereafter, this same faith is still being taught, even unto us.


For all who have thus being taught, they must watch out for and resist two temptations. One is being ineffective or unfruitful as warned by Peter (2 Pe. 18 ESV). The other is what Paul mentioned here, being taken captive by heresies. These heresies attract people with their abstract philosophy. This is not to say that preachers cannot talk about philosophy. In fact, even Paul himself quoted some Greek philosophic poets (Act 17:28) when he preached to the Athenians and took these elemental spirits of the world to lift Christ up. False teachers would do the opposite. They turn Christ into a supporting role to lift up a human tradition. If a preacher would impress the audience only with his own knowledge and oration skill, it is not a good sermon. A good sermon would impress the audience with Jesus and His love. All preachers who testify for Christ should echo the words of John the Baptist, He must increase, but I must decrease. (Jn. 3:30 ESV)


Heresies also like to boast about their own noble heritage and despise churches with humble origin. This attitude of self-promotion gives away their foundation which is according to human tradition, and not according to Christ. In Christ, God purposely chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise (1 Cor. 1:27 ESV). All who belong to Christ would walk in Him, by neither judging people by appearance, nor attending only prosperous and thriving churches. On the contrary, they would purposely seek out and join the weak flock, because the power of Christ is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV). Therefore, all the self-certified elites and those who follow after them, be they in the world or in the church, have not known Christ at all. They, like Pharisees, are blind guides, and will all fall into a pit (Mat. 15:14 ESV). 


But we are different from all the bandwagon riders of this world, not seeking our own advantage, but that of many (1 Cor. 10:33 ESV). Because in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and by faith we have been filled in Him. The world can neither appreciate nor obtain this richness in Christ. This richness is made available to us is in proportion with our faith. When we are of little faith, we may either be like the church in Smyrna, who only saw the poverty and not the richness in Christ (Rev. 2:9), or like the church in Laodicea, who considered themselves rich yet pitiable and poor in Christ (Rev. 3:17). Only when our faith grow, we would appreciate more and more the love and richness God bestowed to us in Christ Jesus, and to abound in thanksgiving. In order to enter all the riches in Christ, we need no empty philosophy, because Jesus already came and dwells bodily among us. In return let us walk in Him. 

Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for redeeming us and giving us life abundantly! Help us walk in You into ever increasing richness and thanksgiving!