The BLB Blog

The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

Rooted more deeply and firmly in Christ

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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 2:6-7 KJV)

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected byfn the flesh?
(Galatians 3:2-3)

“If you would know how faith is to be exercised in thus abiding in Jesus, to be rooted more deeply and firmly in him, you have only to look back to the time when first you received him. You remember well what obstacles at that time there appeared to be in the way of your believing. There was first your vileness and guilt: it appeared impossible that the promise of pardon and love could be for such a sinner. Then there was the sense of weakness and death: you felt not the power for the surrender and the trust to which you were called. And then there was the future: you dared not undertake to be a disciple of Jesus while you felt so sure that you could not remain standing, but would speedily again be unfaithful and fall. These difficulties were as mountains in your way. And how were they removed? Simply by the word of God. That word, as it were, compelled you to believe that, notwithstanding guilt in the past, and weakness in the present, and unfaithfulness in the future, the promise was sure that Jesus would accept and save you. On that word you ventured to come, and were not deceived: you found that Jesus did indeed accept and save you.

Apply this, your experience in coming to Jesus, to the abiding in him. By faith you became partakers of the initial grace; by that same faith you can enjoy the continuous grace of abiding in him.”

—Andrew Murray (quoted in Spurgeon’s Sermon Notes, Part IV.)

Comments

  1. “And how were they removed? Simply by the word of God. That word, as it were, compelled you to believe that, notwithstanding guilt in the past, and weakness in the present, and unfaithfulness in the future, the promise was sure that Jesus would accept and save you.”

    That is simply because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). It is my own nature that is all over the map, but by His grace (His activity in my life) I am as one being saved. Thanks be to God for the greatest love story and rescue ever.

    • Paul,

      Excellent way to put it, “We’re the ones all over the map”, that’s so true and experianced. I don’t believed we have understood the extreme depth of how much sin impacted us in the fall. Sure we understand the damnation but oh how broken the intimacy with God. Thank You Jesus, bring us back into the intimacy.

  2. Isaiah 53: 6 We, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

    Romans 3: 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

    Memory verses for this week. As a reminder that we ALL are lost and ONLY through Gods grace and the blood of Jesus are we saved.
    Redeemed peoples know this. Psalm 119:11 I keep your word in my heart that I may not sin against you. So do strive daily to reach that level of Christ likeness that will never be attained this side of Glorification.

  3. …at Blue Letter Bible we want to continue serving Jesus faithfully by promoting sound doctrine…

    So to do this, you post from devotionals of men from past generations, that have proven more flowery than fundemental; and when shown how, it’s ignored or deleted. Is this how we’re to walk in Christ Jesus? Is this faithfully promoting sound doctrine?

    The deleted comment had to first wait for moderation (moderator approval) before it was posted. Why post to begin with, if unacceptable? Or, why not correct by example, not just in tone but by clarification of point missed?

    “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?

    So, question is, how will you get back to promoting sound doctrine? (Don’t worry about answering this question as, unlike the others you haven’t answered, is rhetorical)

    • Greg,

      I can see what you’re saying. I did appreciate the flowery speech in the way that it reminded me of my experience of being born again, but I know some of what Spurgeon taught, and it does seem like he may have been more comforting and flowery at times than fundamental and straightforward. A person who makes the doctrine of eternal security the foundation is in danger of relying on memories instead of Christ, but then there are also dangers in preaching that salvation can be lost to those who are confused by that remark. What we should all do is never ignore the solemn warnings of Scripture, and never ignore the reassurances either, knowing that we will never be tempted beyond our ability, that no one will snatch us out of the Fathers hand, and that God is in fact sovereign in so many complicated, heavenly-wise ways that we can really only speculate on. Charles Spurgeon speculated a little much, but so have I, and I’ve only found out how vain it is to do so. Many seasoned Christians who’ve relied on the teachings of others might need to return to a childlike faith in Jesus Christ:
      Luke 18:17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

      • Reading through this, what comes to mind is the Bereans Acts 17:11… an example to use in receiving any message… because yes, there are some things hard to understand 2 Pet 3:16 But the promise of Jesus in John 14:21-26 is pretty broad, so if I have a question…

        Good point about solemn warnings and reassurances. Thing is, if our senses are dull, how will we know the way of escape when that temptation comes along, let alone have the strength to take it?

    • It’s the same spirit working in the Body of Christ (His believers, His Church) whether it be written in the 200’s, 1200’s, 1900’s or 2000’s. We are united regardless of time or place in Him. Flowery speech or simple, makes no difference. All has practical application when it is heard in Spirit and in Truth.

      “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
      There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, But it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit [of all]: 1 Cor 12:4-6

      • Attended a prophecy conference yesterday and today, the speakers, on occasion cited someone from a past generation. None of them filled their presentation with entire passages of those men’s own messages. They only cited what was relevant to the point at hand.

        If they showed, or played, an archived recording of that man, so long as that man’s message was relevant, helpful, biblically sound… great! But when oration is held in higher honor, when flowery words replace sound doctrine, paper over gaps of knowledge/understanding… where’s the benefit in that? 1 Cor 2:4-5

        Just as the same Spirit is working in believers over the centuries, so is the spirit of power of the air still at work 2 Cor 11:12-14; Jude 1; 1 Tim 1:5-7

        “Test all things, hold fast what is good.”

        After all, even Naphtali was blessed with ‘beautiful words’ Gen 49:21

  5. Rooted firmly in Christ in other words we’re planted in him.
    Our relationship as believers to Christ Jesus,as in Jn 15:4-11
    gives us a transplant in to the vine”,that makes us part of him.I am the vine,you are the branches,he who abides in me,and I in him bears much fruit,for without me you can do nothing.Rooted in Christ is being grounded him,our lives belong to the Lord,we are living in him,at one time we were in the world not knowing where or how to live,our survival was our way of life,but in the end we we’re as lost sheep,and yes we were all over the place”.But as we look back on our lives we now know and have the knowledge and we understand,that it is the Blood of Jesus Christ that grafted us into the vine now we’re rooted in him:His Blood gives us new life.

  6. Rooted firmly in Christ in other words we’re planted in him.
    Our relationship as believers to Christ Jesus,as in Jn 15:4-11
    gives us a transplant in to the vine”,that makes us part of him.I am the vine,you are the branches,he who abides in me,and I in him bears much fruit,for without me you can do nothing.Rooted in Christ is being grounded in him,our lives belongs to the Lord,we are living in him,at one time we were in the world not knowing where or how to live,our survival was our way of life,but in the end we were as lost sheep,and yes we were all over the place”.But as we look back on our lives we now know and have the knowledge and we understand,that it is the Blood of Jesus Christ that grafted us into the vine now we’re rooted in him:His Blood gives us new life.

  7. We must be “rooted” and established in Christ alone. All other ground is sinking sand as the hymn states. This is truth. Religion and emotions will cause you to wither and dry out quickly leaving you to ever thirst for the true water of life which again is Jesus!

    • “As a reminder that we ALL are lost and ONLY through Gods grace and the blood of Jesus are we saved….”
      And the purpose of this salvation, as pointed out in Ephesians 5:25-27 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word….” “It” refers to His bride, the church. “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing”
      God has purposed us for sanctification — for Himself! This sanctification comes through that ever needful part of our spiritual armor — the cleansing of His word.
      God’s word clearly tells us that we can allow the “cares of this life” to choke that same word in us — If our roots are not deep, we can choose to turn from God. May we never make such a choice!

  8. john 12.48 the word shall judge you in the last day if we would only believe it if we dont continue in gods word we to shall be cut off

  9. I was just reading with my daughter about having faith to move mountains. Then as I was doing my own Bible study I turned to John 15 to read about abiding. I appreciate this devotional as I hadn’t made the connection between faith to move mountains and abiding, and I surely questioned my own ability to abide! I have no more ability to save myself than I do to abide in my own power. Thanks for this reminder that it is really all about HIM!