Colossians 2:6-7

⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, ⁷rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

After the commendation, Paul exhorts them to continue in Christ, and by this he means to go back to what they have been taught and to grow in it, to go deeper within it. Positively, he states the truths that his readers need to know in this context, and negatively, he applies them against the errors that his readers must avoid. V6-7, as positive (“do this”) reinforcements, summarize the whole letter, and then v8 moves to a negative (“do not do this”) advisory. The simple message is this: “Remain faithful in Christ, but grow in Christ as well.” Paul is basically being Paul here. He loves to tell people who they are, and then encourage and command them to be who they are. He says, “You are a Christian, so be a Christian. You have received Christ AS LORD (not just Savior), so continue living in Him, or ‘walk’ in Him.” In other words, receiving Christ is merely the beginning of spiritual life that lasts forever; receiving Christ is not the end of the road.

V7 stresses thanksgiving, particularly since these believers are firmly rooted in Christ (Ephesians 4:14), having been taught the gospel early on. Being firmly rooted and built up suggests a solid pattern of growth. Robert Murray McCheyne, reflecting on his own growth, said, “I am persuaded that nothing is thriving in my soul unless it is growing.” Also, Paul points to continued belief. C. S. Spurgeon once said, “Men to be truly won to Christ must be truly won to truth.” If we are to continue to grow in grace, we must continue to avail ourselves of the truth of God’s word. Paul also says that Christians are thankful. Ligon Duncan says, “As we think about gratitude and thanksgiving in our experience, there are two interesting components to it. Negatively, gratitude lifts our thoughts from ourselves because true thanksgiving is born in a spirit of humility. Positively, gratitude directs our hearts toward God, from whom all growth comes and to whom, therefore, all praise and glory should be given. So thanksgiving and gratitude move us from off ourselves and onto God. It comes from humility and it ends in praise.” Paul rightly instructs believers to be thankful to God that the gospel came to them and that they have been firmly established in faith by God (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

On a side note, though not mentioned here, Paul is no doubt complimenting Epaphras as the good teacher who faithfully and completely delivered the word of truth to the Colossians some years prior to these false teachers infiltrating their young church. Finally, Paul is not issuing commands here in v6-7; rather these things – growth, belief, and thanksgiving – are descriptive of what is certain to happen to true believers in Christ.