November 9th, 2025
by Lars Dahl
by Lars Dahl
There's something profoundly beautiful about the image of a tree standing firm through winter storms. While harsh winds howl and temperatures plummet, the tree remains unmoved, not because it resists the cold, but because its roots reach deep beneath the frost line where warmth and nourishment still flow. This picture captures the essence of genuine spiritual maturity: a life so deeply rooted in Christ that it not only survives life's harshest seasons but actually thrives through them.
The Foundation: What We've Received
The Christian life begins not with achievement but with reception. We didn't discover Christ through our own wisdom or earn salvation through our efforts. Instead, we received Him as a gift, pure grace extended to undeserving hearts. This truth found in Colossians 2:6-7 establishes the bedrock principle that changes everything: "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."
The word "received" carries the weight of something handed down, passed through apostolic teaching rather than invented through mystical discovery. Faith in Christ isn't something we conjured up; it's something we took hold of when God extended His hand toward us. This starting point matters immensely because it reminds us that if we didn't earn our salvation, we certainly can't maintain it through performance.
The Journey: Walking in Him
Salvation happens in a moment, but walking in Christ unfolds across a lifetime. The call to "walk in Him" speaks to continuous motion, daily conduct, ongoing lifestyle, every thought and action taken in step with Christ. This isn't static belief; it's dynamic faith that moves through every terrain of life.
As 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, "we walk by faith, not by sight." This means our spiritual journey doesn't depend on visible circumstances or feelings that fluctuate like the weather. Instead, it relies on the unchanging character of the One in whom we walk. Don't just believe in Jesus, live in Jesus. Let every step, every decision, every relationship be marked by His presence and guided by His truth.
The Metaphors: Rooted and Built
Two powerful images converge in describing spiritual growth. The first draws from nature: being rooted. When we think of roots, we picture stability, nourishment, and a constant living connection. Trees with deep root systems can withstand storms that topple shallow-rooted plants. The roots draw water and nutrients from the soil, sustaining life even when conditions above ground turn hostile.
In the spiritual realm, staying connected to the Word, prayer, and the church community provides the nourishment our souls need. These aren't religious obligations but life-giving channels through which we draw strength from Christ Himself. The beauty of this metaphor is that it's already accomplished, believers have been planted in Christ, yet the roots continue their work, constantly drawing from Him.
The second image comes from construction: being built up. This describes an ongoing process, a structure continually rising on a firm foundation. According to 1 Corinthians 3:9-10, "we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building." The foundation has been laid, Christ Himself, and now the building continues through time, testing, and truth.
Here's an encouraging truth: don't envy someone else's progress. Your roots grow in your own soil. Your building rises at the pace God ordains. What matters isn't comparing your construction site to others but ensuring you're building on the right foundation and using materials that will last.
The Stability: Established in Faith
Spiritual maturity means learning to stand firm when others drift. The word "established" conveys being made firm, confirmed, proven trustworthy through experience. This stability comes through being "established in the faith, as you have been taught." Doctrine matters. Sound teaching matters. Truth matters.
Ephesians 4:14 warns against being "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming." In an age of endless opinions and shifting cultural tides, believers need deep roots in biblical truth. Faith grows in the soil of sound doctrine, not in the sand of popular opinion or personal preference.
This establishment doesn't happen accidentally. It requires intentional engagement with Scripture, submission to teaching, and a willingness to let truth shape our thinking even when it contradicts our feelings or culture's latest trends.
The Overflow: Abounding in Thanksgiving
Here's where the beauty of spiritual maturity fully blooms: gratitude. The word "abounding" paints a picture of overflowing, like a river in flood season. This isn't a trickle of occasional thankfulness but a torrent of gratitude that spills over into every area of life.
A thankful heart serves as evidence of deep roots and healthy growth. When faith is rooted in Christ, built on His foundation, and established in truth, gratitude becomes the natural overflow. It's not forced or manufactured but the spontaneous expression of a soul that has tasted and seen that the Lord is good.
Gratitude transforms theology into worship. It turns doctrine from intellectual exercise into heartfelt devotion. As believers grow, rooted, built up, established—this growth should naturally lead to lives vibrant with thanksgiving. Not stagnant, not minimal, but overflowing.
This connects beautifully to Jesus's words in John 10:10: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Abounding faith isn't passive belief; it's active gratitude that recognizes every good gift comes from above and responds with joyful worship.
The Progressive Picture
Notice the progression: reception leads to obedience, which produces stability, resulting in confirmation, culminating in overflow. You receive Christ, walk in Him, become rooted and built up, get established in faith, and then abound in thanksgiving. Each stage builds on the previous one, creating a vivid picture of spiritual maturity that moves from initial salvation to vibrant, grateful living.
Living It Out
What does this look like practically? Keep walking, faith isn't a one-time decision but a daily direction. Walk in Christ the same way you received Him: by grace through faith. Stay rooted, don't let culture, comfort, or confusion uproot you. Build on the right foundation, let your spiritual growth rest entirely on Christ, not performance or popularity. Overflow with gratitude, let thankfulness mark your life as evidence of deep roots.
The steady faith of a thankful heart doesn't happen overnight. It develops through seasons of growth, through winters that test our roots, through storms that prove our foundation. But when we remain in Christ, drawing life from Him, building on Him, established in His truth, we discover something remarkable: a faith that not only endures but flourishes, marked by the unmistakable overflow of a grateful heart.
The Foundation: What We've Received
The Christian life begins not with achievement but with reception. We didn't discover Christ through our own wisdom or earn salvation through our efforts. Instead, we received Him as a gift, pure grace extended to undeserving hearts. This truth found in Colossians 2:6-7 establishes the bedrock principle that changes everything: "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."
The word "received" carries the weight of something handed down, passed through apostolic teaching rather than invented through mystical discovery. Faith in Christ isn't something we conjured up; it's something we took hold of when God extended His hand toward us. This starting point matters immensely because it reminds us that if we didn't earn our salvation, we certainly can't maintain it through performance.
The Journey: Walking in Him
Salvation happens in a moment, but walking in Christ unfolds across a lifetime. The call to "walk in Him" speaks to continuous motion, daily conduct, ongoing lifestyle, every thought and action taken in step with Christ. This isn't static belief; it's dynamic faith that moves through every terrain of life.
As 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, "we walk by faith, not by sight." This means our spiritual journey doesn't depend on visible circumstances or feelings that fluctuate like the weather. Instead, it relies on the unchanging character of the One in whom we walk. Don't just believe in Jesus, live in Jesus. Let every step, every decision, every relationship be marked by His presence and guided by His truth.
The Metaphors: Rooted and Built
Two powerful images converge in describing spiritual growth. The first draws from nature: being rooted. When we think of roots, we picture stability, nourishment, and a constant living connection. Trees with deep root systems can withstand storms that topple shallow-rooted plants. The roots draw water and nutrients from the soil, sustaining life even when conditions above ground turn hostile.
In the spiritual realm, staying connected to the Word, prayer, and the church community provides the nourishment our souls need. These aren't religious obligations but life-giving channels through which we draw strength from Christ Himself. The beauty of this metaphor is that it's already accomplished, believers have been planted in Christ, yet the roots continue their work, constantly drawing from Him.
The second image comes from construction: being built up. This describes an ongoing process, a structure continually rising on a firm foundation. According to 1 Corinthians 3:9-10, "we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building." The foundation has been laid, Christ Himself, and now the building continues through time, testing, and truth.
Here's an encouraging truth: don't envy someone else's progress. Your roots grow in your own soil. Your building rises at the pace God ordains. What matters isn't comparing your construction site to others but ensuring you're building on the right foundation and using materials that will last.
The Stability: Established in Faith
Spiritual maturity means learning to stand firm when others drift. The word "established" conveys being made firm, confirmed, proven trustworthy through experience. This stability comes through being "established in the faith, as you have been taught." Doctrine matters. Sound teaching matters. Truth matters.
Ephesians 4:14 warns against being "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming." In an age of endless opinions and shifting cultural tides, believers need deep roots in biblical truth. Faith grows in the soil of sound doctrine, not in the sand of popular opinion or personal preference.
This establishment doesn't happen accidentally. It requires intentional engagement with Scripture, submission to teaching, and a willingness to let truth shape our thinking even when it contradicts our feelings or culture's latest trends.
The Overflow: Abounding in Thanksgiving
Here's where the beauty of spiritual maturity fully blooms: gratitude. The word "abounding" paints a picture of overflowing, like a river in flood season. This isn't a trickle of occasional thankfulness but a torrent of gratitude that spills over into every area of life.
A thankful heart serves as evidence of deep roots and healthy growth. When faith is rooted in Christ, built on His foundation, and established in truth, gratitude becomes the natural overflow. It's not forced or manufactured but the spontaneous expression of a soul that has tasted and seen that the Lord is good.
Gratitude transforms theology into worship. It turns doctrine from intellectual exercise into heartfelt devotion. As believers grow, rooted, built up, established—this growth should naturally lead to lives vibrant with thanksgiving. Not stagnant, not minimal, but overflowing.
This connects beautifully to Jesus's words in John 10:10: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Abounding faith isn't passive belief; it's active gratitude that recognizes every good gift comes from above and responds with joyful worship.
The Progressive Picture
Notice the progression: reception leads to obedience, which produces stability, resulting in confirmation, culminating in overflow. You receive Christ, walk in Him, become rooted and built up, get established in faith, and then abound in thanksgiving. Each stage builds on the previous one, creating a vivid picture of spiritual maturity that moves from initial salvation to vibrant, grateful living.
Living It Out
What does this look like practically? Keep walking, faith isn't a one-time decision but a daily direction. Walk in Christ the same way you received Him: by grace through faith. Stay rooted, don't let culture, comfort, or confusion uproot you. Build on the right foundation, let your spiritual growth rest entirely on Christ, not performance or popularity. Overflow with gratitude, let thankfulness mark your life as evidence of deep roots.
The steady faith of a thankful heart doesn't happen overnight. It develops through seasons of growth, through winters that test our roots, through storms that prove our foundation. But when we remain in Christ, drawing life from Him, building on Him, established in His truth, we discover something remarkable: a faith that not only endures but flourishes, marked by the unmistakable overflow of a grateful heart.
Lars Dahl
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