From Pastor Theilen
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” — Colossians 2:6-7
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Saint Paul teaches the Colossians how to live as Christians. His instruction, however, does not begin or end where we might think it would. He does not hash out the 10 Commandments or explain the virtues that a Christian should strive towards. There is certainly a place for this. We should learn the commands of God and seek to produce the fruits of the Spirit.
But Paul begins and ends with Jesus Christ. The Colossians are rooted in Jesus. They are built up in Him and established in Him. Their lives begin and end with Jesus, and Jesus is there every step of the way.
He helpfully applies this to the Colossians a few verses later:
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” — Colossians 2:16-19
Here we see that all things that pertain to living as a Christian are subservient to Jesus Christ. How and what we eat, how and when we worship, what traditions we develop and celebrate, are all placed under–and never above–Jesus Christ. When they are placed above Jesus they become idols. When they are below Him, they are helpful servants.
Remember that it is Jesus Christ who bled and died for you. It is Jesus who rose again and ascended to rule the universe for your good. You received Him in faith. May your roots go deep, that you would be built up and fully established in Christ our Lord.
In Christ,
Joshua Theilen
Assistant Pastor