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. 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.
Colossians 2:6-8 (ESV)
Paul is reminding us believers that because we have professed Christ as our Lord and Savior our duty and obligation don’t end there. We are to "walk" in Him; notice this is an action verb. We are to be constantly moving forward in our relationship with Christ—not stagnant or bored.
It’s also interesting to think about the phrase “rooted and built up.” As a mighty oak or even a fortress, not only are we supposed to be deeply grounded and have a firm foundation, but also we are to be built up in our faith in Christ. Only this will allow us to be free from the attacks of the secular world and the destruction it offers.
This strength will come from our personal time in God’s Word, prayerful communion with him, and from our community of believers. It is vital to our walk with Christ to know and breath God’s Word. As we have discussed these last several weeks, prayer is our daily, critical conversation with our Heavenly Father.
The third prong, active fellowship and support of a local church that glorifies God is just as paramount as the other two. For a believer to truly be built up in their faith, they must by being actively involved in their local church or community of believers. Such fellowship is imperative as it challenges us, holds us accountable in our own faith, but also strengthens others.
As you know, the church and its leaders are under attack in our nation like never before. There is truly an orchestrated effort to destroy the church's moral influence upon our nation. I also believe that if our nation is to heal its wounds and correct the course, it has taken, the local church will be the vanguard. If a true spiritual renewal and awakening is going to occur in our hurt and bleeding land, then the local community of believers will lead
Pray this day for your church and its leaders and also for churches across the nation. Pray today that the Church honor God, equip people to share the Gospel with the world around them, and be the center of a great revival in our beloved nation.
PRAY FOR THE CHURCH TODAY
