Sermon or Lesson:  Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Comprehensively Orient And Anchor Your Life In Christ
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READ:  Colossians 2:6-7, with vv.1-5 for context

BACKGROUND:
- - Following the example of Paul, the approach used in churches should be to knowledgably proclaim, admonish, and teach Christ and the Word of God, in order to facilitate the achieving of spiritual maturity in the life of every believer.  (v.1:28)
- - Churches and believers should take on the same perspective, mission, and ministry approach that Paul has - even if corresponding challenges, struggles, labor, suffering, and afflictions arise for them.  (vv.2:1; 1:29,24)
- - Local churches and home groups should actively facilitate new believers and immature believers in adjusting, continuing, and growing in the faith, and in drawing on the indwelling power from God.
- - There are people in our churches who use "fine-sounding arguments" to effectively persuade undiscerning believers into believing and adopting false doctrines, that are deceptive, contrary to Scriptures, and destructive to their spiritual well-being.  (v.2:4)
- - Believers have the Scriptures to help them thwart the adopting of false doctrines, which can be assisted by them being orderly and being firm in their faith in Christ.  (v.2:5)
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v.6 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Discuss, analyze, and describe how the two phrases in verse 6 interrelate with each other.  Include the theme in the context from verses 4-5.]

SECTION POINT:  God expects and instructs believers to comprehensively "continue to live in [Christ]" because God has granted each of them salvation through "receiving Christ Jesus as Lord".

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,"
- - The Colossian believers have a good initial foundation for their faith, which is characterized by the conducting of themselves in an "orderly" manner, and by the possessing of a "firmness" in their faith in Christ.  (v.5)
- - Their good initial foundation for their faith proceeds from the occurrence that they each "received Christ Jesus as Lord", having understood and personally placed their faith in Christ Jesus that He suffered and died on the cross for the payment of their own sins, and that He raised from the dead on the third day.
- - From His goodness, mercy, and gracious extending of undeserved favor, God has granted each believing person a priceless eternal gift of salvation through faith, which serves as the good initial foundation from which they are to base and live their life.

"continue to live in him,"
- - From that good initial foundation that proceeds from receiving Christ, "therefore" or "so then" or "accordingly" they are to "continue to live in him".  (Strong's #3767)
- - Throughout each day, believers are to live their life in a manner that pleases God in every way.  (v.1:10)
- - To "live in him" requires a distinct choice of one's will, and an exercising of self-discipline to implement it, and a dedication to fulfill it thoroughly in one's life each day.
- - Believers who orient themselves to successfully "live in Christ" every day possess a mindset that prioritizes staying true to that devotion comprehensively - mentally, behaviorally, and doctrinally.
- - Thereby, they have very little or no propensity to wander from the faith into false doctrines.
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v.7 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Discuss, analyze, and describe the characteristics of the first two phrases in verse 7 and how they relate to the theme in the context from verses 4-6.]

SECTION POINT:  God further instructs believers to nurture ongoing growth in their knowledge of the faith, so that they become tenaciously rooted in the faith, which will strengthen them to repel the teaching of false doctrines.

"rooted"
- - Believers are to be "rooted" and to stay "rooted" in the faith, "firmly established, settled, entrenched", and anchored through the tenacious grabbing on to the doctrines of the faith.  (AHD - 'root')
- - There is no shifting of doctrines, no replacing, no abandoning, no discarding of sound doctrines.
- - Furthermore, there is no considering of 'new' doctrines, no contemplating of deviant doctrines, no entertaining the hearing of "fine-sounding arguments" that promote false doctrines.  (v.4)
- - Instead, there is an unrelenting adherence to the sound doctrines of the faith "as you were taught".

"and built up in him,"
- - The term "built up" denotes action - active growth in one's knowledge of the faith, active implementation of that knowledge in one's life, and active resistance to anything that threatens or hinders this spiritual growth.
- - Being "built up" also suggests an action conducted and carried out over time - a sustained process of active spiritual growth.
- - Notice that the "built up" is accomplished "in him" - in "Christ Jesus" (v.6), "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (v.3).
- - Therefore, obtaining extensive wisdom and knowledge about Christ Jesus is crucial to being "rooted and built up" in the faith, which will hinder becoming "deceived by fine-sounding arguments" that promote false or erroneous doctrines.  (vv.3,7,4)
- - The key here is Christ Jesus - His supremacy (v.1:18) even extends to Him being the defense for believers against being deceived and against succumbing to "fine-sounding arguments" (v.2:4) that lead believers out from and away from being "rooted" and "built up" in the faith (v.2:7).

"strengthened in the faith as you were taught,"
- - "Strengthened" or "being made firm" in the faith is another objective that will thwart falling into believing false doctrines.  (from Strong's #0950 - "confirm" (AHD))
- - A 'firm' and solid foundation is necessary, upon which the entire structure of one's faith will sit and remain intact as a cohesive whole, never shifting or separating or segmenting or sliding or cracking.
- - This "strength" or 'firmness' in the faith is constructed over time through exposure to substantive teaching of the Word of God.
- - 'Marshmallow' teaching (light, fluffy, sweet, with no solid substance) does not construct a 'firm' and solid foundation in the faith, nor does 'ear-tickling' teaching (pleasant to hear, with no relevant substance nor any call to action).  (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3, Strong's #2833)
- - Believers are to be life-long construction students of the Word - ongoing learning, adopting, applying, and cementing brick-by-brick the Word and its doctrines in our life - "as you were taught".
- - A 'firm' faith cannot be easily swayed - even when repeatedly exposed to and enticed by smoothly persuasive "fine-sounding arguments".
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[Lesson Question:  Discuss, analyze, and describe the characteristics of the third phrase in verse 7 and how it relates to the theme in the context from verses 4-6.]

SECTION POINT:  Additionally, God instructs believers to maintain overflowing thankfulness to Him, which will further serve to fortify one's resolve and ability to successfully refrain from and repel adopting false doctrines.

"and overflowing with thankfulness."
- - These disciplines of the faith are to be engaged in and accomplished with an attitude saturated by "thankfulness" - "giving thanks" and possessing profound "gratitude" to God that are "overflowing" "in great abundance".  (Strong's #2169; #4052 - "abound" (AHD))
- - Believers are to have no space in their heart for bitterness, resentment, apathy, spiritual deadness, ungratefulness, or discontentment pertaining to God or any aspect of His will for their life.
- - Ungodly heart attitudes such as ungratefulness and discontentment can motivate a person to look at and consider other things that normally would not or should not be considered, going beyond the correct and sound things that "were taught".
- - These ungodly heart attitudes can also lead to self-focus, pursuing things that edify self, even if they are wrong or they adversely affect other people.  (cf. Romans 15:1-3a)
- - In order to possess a godly heart attitude that supports retaining sound doctrines, God instructs that "thankfulness" is to fill our heart completely and continuously.
- - Through Christ Jesus, God has taken unfathomable sacrificial action to reconcile us elect believing humans to Himself, which is bountiful reason to continually remain in a mental state of "overflowing thankfulness".  (vv.1:21-22)
- - Thereby, this continuous "overflowing thankfulness" satisfies the believer, weakening the desire to be open to 'new' doctrines, and supplying resistance to being open to listening to "fine-sounding arguments" that carry believers away from faith that is pure.
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BIG IDEA:  God instructs believers to comprehensively orient their life in Christ, being tenaciously anchored and spiritually maturing in Him with thankfulness, which will strengthen them to repel the teaching of false doctrines.

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IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS:

- - Have you "received Christ Jesus as Lord"?  If you do not know or are not certain, then ask your pastor or ministry leader to explain this to you, using John 1:12, 3:16 and Romans 3:23.

-- For those of you who are true believers, have you oriented yourself and established your life to successfully "live in Christ" every day?
- - - - If you need to initiate or re-initiate this orientation, then why not do that right now?
- - - - And what do you need to get rid of from your life so that you can be successful in "continuing" to live in Christ every day?

-- Are you "rooted" in the faith, firmly established, settled, entrenched, and anchored through the tenacious grabbing on to the doctrines of the faith?
- - - - Or instead, are you open to hearing 'new' or 'different' doctrines?
- - - - Do you gravitate to discussions and experiential accounts from people who claim that they had a powerful spiritual manifestation that resulted from activating a particular doctrine they are promoting?

- - Are you comfortable and content in hearing 'marshmallow' teaching and preaching - messages that are 'light, fluffy, and sweet, with no solid substance'?
- - Are you comfortable and content in hearing 'ear-tickling' teaching and preaching - messages that are 'pleasant to hear, but have no relevant substance nor any call to action'?

-- Are your spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and faith being "built up"?  Measurably?
- - - - Or instead, have they in fact been stagnating in growth?
- - - - What do you need to get rid of from your life so that you can be successful and continuous in "building up" your spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and faith in Christ?

-- On a similar note, have you been gaining "strength" or 'firmness' in the faith?  Measurably?
- - - - Or instead, have you in fact been stagnating in the growth of your "strength" or 'firmness' in the faith?  Or perhaps even declining or deteriorating?
- - - - What do you need to get rid of from your life so that you can be successful and continuous in gaining "strength" or 'firmness' in the faith?

-- Do you have "thankfulness" to God that saturates and fills your heart completely and continuously?
- - - - Or instead, do you have any heart attitudes that interfere with having "overflowing thankfulness" to God?  Do you have any issues with God?

- - Take a few moments right now to ask God to reveal to you anything that hinders you from having "overflowing thankfulness" to Him.  (PAUSE - give them time to process this.)
- - Now, take a few more moments to self-analyze, discern, and pray against any heart attitudes that may be hindering you from having "overflowing thankfulness" to God.  (PAUSE - give them time to process this also.)
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[Additional Lesson Questions to ponder (optional, if time allows):
- - Considering that verses 5-7 are sandwiched between the same topic in verses 4 and 8, for people who are promoting false doctrines, what can be concluded from verses 4-7 about: 
1. the condition of their discernment; 
2. the condition of their behaviors in the church; 
3. the condition of their spiritual living, both in private and in public; 
4. the condition of their actual spiritual growth; 
5. the condition of their actual spiritual maturity; 
6. the condition of their knowledge and understanding of the sound doctrines of the faith; 
7. and the condition of their true regard for God?]
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Works Cited:
The American Heritage Dictionary (AHD). 3rd ed., ver. 3.6a (CD-ROM). Cambridge, MA: SoftKey International Inc., 1994.

Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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