Why do you live the Christian life? After coming to faith in Christ, why keep pursuing him? Why keep coming to church? Why should we keep reading the same stories, preaching the same gospel, and doing the same things? Why not try something new? Paul answers these questions in our text this week.

In Colossians 2:6-15, Paul encourages his readers to continually pursue Jesus, but he also tells them why. He writes, “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” (2:6-7).

Notice the command: walk in Christ! Paul adds, “just as you have received him.” In other words, they needed to hold fast to the gospel that was preached to them: salvation by grace through faith in the divine Son who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven (see 1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Christ is the vine, we are the branches (John 15:5). We are rooted, built up, and established in him (v. 7). Spiritual growth comes not by moving on to “bigger and better” religious practices or philosophies, but my remaining tethered to Christ and deepening our roots in him.

This leads to the second command: don’t be taken captive. “See 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” (2:8).

It’s almost as if Paul anticipates the Colossians taking the role of my six  year old who’s favorite question is, “why?” The what is the command: walk in Christ! Don’t be taken captive by anything or anyone else! But the why is found in 2:9-15. In fact, there are multiple whys, multiple reasons why the Colossians, and why we by default, have no where to turn besides Christ:

1. The whole fullness of deity dwells in Christ.

This is another undeniable statement of Christ’s deity. “For in him [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9). What a statement! In Jesus, the whole fullness of God dwells bodily. This is the miracle of the incarnation. The Son of God became man in Christ. If that is true, why would the Colossians need to look to anyone or anything else?

2. You have been made complete in Christ.

“…and you have been filled in him” (2:10a). The fullness of God that dwells in Christ has made us complete in him. He who fills all things has filled us in him.  In other words, the Son of God has made us whole. He has met our greatest need, which is reconciliation with God. Once reunited to him, we lack nothing. In Christ, we have everything (2 Peter 1:3).

3. Christ is the head of all rule and authority.

“…who is the head of all rule and authority” (2:10b). Christ rules over all earthly and spiritual authorities. This is yet another declaration of deity; there is none above him! The Colossians might have been preoccupied with angels and the authorities in the spiritual realm. Paul reminds them- and us- that he is the head of all rule and authority. More on this below!

4. Christ has transformed your life.

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (2:11). Christ did what the law could not do. He provided righteousness and heart transformation. He has circumcised our hearts- fulfilling the OT prophecies to remove our hearts of stone and replace them with a heart of flesh.

5. You have died and been raised with Christ.

“…having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (2:12). Continuing the theme of life transformation, Paul reminds the Colossians that they have died and have been raised to new lifein Christ. He invites them to walk in the same manner he describes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”

6. You have been completely forgiven in Christ.

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (2:13-14). We must walk in Christ because he alone can bear and cancel the debt of our sins as he is nailed to the cross. God can make us alive with him alone.

7. Christ has disarmed the rulers and authorities and triumphed over them (v. 15)

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (2:15). Christ disarmed and defeated the spiritual forces of darkness by his death and resurrection. They have no authority over the Christian. We need nothing else to gain victory over them in spiritual warfare. We have everything we need in Christ.

This passage reiterates the theme of the book: If you have Christ, you have everything. If you add to Christ, you have nothing. Because the divine Son has made us complete in him, defeated our enemies, forgiven our sins, and transformed our life, we must walk in him, being careful not to be led into anything or to anyone other than him!