“rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Verse 7 is a continuation of verse 6, as we received Christ by faith, so we walk daily by faith. 

Paul mixes his metaphors in this verse — the metaphors of a tree and a building. Both metaphors convey the idea of stability. In this case, it is spiritual stability. 

Verse seven makes three statements about how our faith strengthens and gives us stability of life in Christ.

rooted

The first statement about how faith strengthens us is that we are “rooted in him.” The word “root” means to cause to take root. The Greek indicates that God causes us to take root in Christ. The first metaphor of stability in our Christian walk is that God roots our faith like a tree planted firmly in the ground.

“Rooted” is an idiom for strength focusing on the source for strength and stability. A tree’s roots go deep into the soil and nourish it from the ground. As a tree roots itself in the ground, God causes us to take root in Christ. We cannot stabilize our lives in Christ until we recognize by faith that our source is in him. God makes the believer’s faith strong by striking roots deep in the ground. 

The tense of the word “rooted” carries the idea that we were rooted in the past with the result that we remain rooted in the faith (Greek perfect tense). The root refers to our reception of Christ as Savior. Once we come to know him, God roots us in him forever. This metaphor specifies the idea that Christ provided salvation eternally for us.

PRINCIPLE:

Our faith cannot strengthen us until we recognize that God roots us deep into the person and work of Christ.

APPLICATION:

There are ongoing results from sound teaching about Christ. God embeds the Christian in Christ forever, who is the nourishment for spiritual growth. Assurance of one’s eternal security in Christ will solidify Christian living. A Christian must have deep roots in Christ if he is to produce fruit. The mature Christian roots deep in Christ, like a tree in the ground. Our Lord is the source of our spiritual life and strength, whom we engage by faith. Spiritual stability comes from Christ.