Audio Transcript

This question comes from the Ask Pastor John podcast inbox: “Hello, Pastor John. My name is Joshua from Memphis, Tennessee. What does it mean to be rooted in Christ? I know Colossians 2:7 talks about being ‘rooted and built up’ in Christ Jesus. But what exactly does that mean?”

Standing Strong

Let’s go to Colossians. Paul also uses that phrase over in Ephesians, and that passage is really full of implications, but I think we will mainly stay in Colossians (and maybe toss in a thought from Ephesians at the end). Colossians says, “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). Let me take it a phrase at a time, because every one of these phrases sheds light on the meaning of “rooted.”

Rooted in What?

First, “Walk in him, rooted and built up.” Rooted and built up are participles modifying the word walk, that is, live. Walk means how we walk in life, how we move through life. Paul encourages the Colossians to walk rooted. Being rooted describes the manner of the Christian life. Live rooted in Jesus, his person and work.

“Walk as a Christian whose roots are deep in Christ, so that no adversity can uproot you or blow you over.”

This is not abstract. This is a how-to. Paul wants us to really get practical here. Rooted is how you get up in the morning. Rooted is how you eat breakfast, how you to go work, how you come home, play with the kids, cut the grass, have sex, sleep. Do it all rooted in Jesus. Do it all by drawing up nourishment from Jesus. Do it all in the confidence that you are firmly planted in Jesus. That is the way to live. Don’t live a wobbly, unnourished life.

Be a Treehouse

Second, “Walk in him, rooted and built up.” Isn’t it interesting that Paul mixes his metaphors? Trees are rooted. Buildings are built up. You can see that even more clearly in the Greek. We are rooted — that is, our roots are sunk down in solid, nourishing soil. We are also built up — that is, on a solid foundation.

Why would Paul mix metaphors of trees and buildings? Perhaps because they connote distinct ideas that are both important to his point. Tree connotes life and strength. It makes us think of drawing nourishment up from Christ through our root, which is sunken into him. He is our nourishing strength. Building connotes something even more solid and unshakable. It makes us think of stones built together on the granite foundation of Christ’s reliability. I think he is mixing it up here just to make sure we get the point.

Christ the Solid Rock

Third, Paul makes the point explicit. “Walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established.” That word puts all the emphasis on firmness and solidity. It doesn’t speak so much to nourishment, but to firmness and solidity. That’s what Paul mainly wants us to feel in these two images: a tree that is rooted, firm, and established in solid ground and rock. It is not easy to blow over, but remains reliable and strong. So, walk as a Christian whose roots are deep in Christ, so that nothing in the culture or any adversity can uproot you or blow you.

Live by Faith

Fourth, Paul explains how to connect with the root and the foundation. “Walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith.” Faith is our connection to the root. God roots us. God establishes us in Christ through our faith.

“Faith is our connection to the root. God establishes us in Christ through our faith.”

You might say, “How can I sink my root into Christ, who won’t let me go and will nourish me?” You trust him. You trust his promises. You trust his work. You trust his person. You trust him to be a good foundation, to be good food for you, and to meet your need every day. You walk by faith.

That’s how to walk rooted. Jesus is the supplying root; our part is to stay planted right where we are and keep sinking the root of faith down into his solidity and his nourishment.

Necessary Teachers

Fifth, Paul becomes very practical and shows how we grow in this root and through our faith. “Walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith, just as you were taught.” Our faith is nourished through teaching. Jesus is a person with thoughts. He did things. He is a certain kind of person, and we have to know these things. We have to be taught about him. Our faith makes its way down into the solidity and nourishment of Christ through the teaching that the apostles give us about him.

Joyful Gratitude

Sixth, Paul focuses on one of the great fruits of this firm tree of the Christian life. He says, “Walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” If God has rooted and founded you (and the passive verbs there mean that he did), then you are rooted; you are founded. God did this for you. If your life is now firm and strong, and you are being taught and trusting in him, then you will inevitably become a person overflowing with thanksgiving.

That is my answer to the question “What does it mean to be rooted?” That is what it means to be rooted in Colossians 2:7.

Breadth, Length, Height, Depth

Let me share a final thought from Ephesians 3:17–19, which says, “[May Christ] dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded [same mixed metaphor] in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ.” I wonder if the purpose of rooting and grounding is to get at the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love. If our roots are growing deep in the love of Christ, that explains the word depth. If our branches are going up high in the strength of Christ, that might explain the word height. And if this foundation is spreading in every direction so there is no place where he is not a great sufficient foundation, that would account for the breadth and length of the love of Christ.

In any case, the point is this: Because we are rooted and built up in Christ, we can begin to grasp the breadth and length and height and depth of his love for us. We live off of that. We are rooted in that. We are founded in his immeasurable love for us.