Good morning. Paul told the Colossians those things about Christ so that no one might delude them with persuasive argument. It is not Jesus plus something. Some people wanted them to follow the Jewish laws after becoming Christians, including circumcision. But Paul says: as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Remember in Galatians Paul asked them: having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? We think we have to do something on our own to "earn" our salvation. We can't even if we needed to. We received Jesus by faith, and we should walk by faith. Having been firmly rooted (perfect tense) - just like you've probably done with plants. With a firm rooting, plants can withstand many things from the weather; and so can we if we are firmly rooted in our faith. It is easy to be swayed by others if you do not stay in the word. That's what Paul says: see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. If you're firmly rooted in Christ and in the word, you will not be swayed by what man says. It is not just the people of the world who puff themselves up with their philosophy; sadly it is also Christians who do the same thing. They both want to put notches on their guns by getting others to follow their own deceptions. Father thank You that the reader is firmly rooted and built up in Christ, established in his/her faith. He/she cannot be swayed with persuasive argument. He/she stands in his/her faith and in the word.

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