Ungrateful Followers of Jesus?

Like Paul and the Colossians, we live in a time period where there are many false teachings. Those false teachings are not only wrong, and lead astray, but they lead us away from true gratitude.

However, other times, maybe the teaching isn't necessarily the problem. We may have to look inside and probe our hearts to examine why good teaching and following Jesus isn't leading us to "abound in thanksgiving."

Let's look at Colossians 2:6-7.

Colossians 2:6

ὡς οὖν παρελάβετε τὸν ΧριστὸνἸησοῦν τὸν κύριον ἐν αὐτῷ περιπατεῖτε

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,"

We have received the Lord Jesus Christ. 

This verb is indicative. That means it is a fact. We have received him in the past through the Spirit's work upon our hearts which led us to saving faith.

We should walk in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

This verb is present, active, and imperative. That is, it is a command for us to actively follow. We should continue to live our lives in Jesus who is the promised savior (i.e., Messiah, Christ) and who is God and king over all (i.e., Lord). After we believe in Jesus, our lives must look different. We should walk in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:7

ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ ἐποικοδομούμενοι ἐναὐτῷ καὶ βεβαιούμενοι τῇ πίστει καθὼςἐδιδάχθητε περισσεύοντες ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ

" . . . rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

How? How do we walk in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Paul gives a tree metaphor…

We are rooted in him. 

We are built up in him. 

Like a tiny tree, we received the nutrients to grow in Jesus. And we grow up in him.

We are established in the faith. Thus, to reject the deity of Jesus is to reject the faith that was handed down to us. To fail to walk in him is to fail to follow the faith handed down to us. 

As we were taught . . . This phrase indicates that they were taught the truth. The Colossians are being called back to the authentic teaching that they first received from Epaphras. The central message is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully human. And he came to save us as the promised Messiah who was predicted to deliver. (Paul goes on to discuss this and the particular error they were heading towards in more detail throughout the subsequent verses.) Like the Colossians, we should cling to the truth found in Scripture and avoid being led astray.

We abound in gratitude. The foundational teaching we have received produces thanksgiving. That is, in the midst of living in a fallen world filled with suffering, struggle, and sin, we become thankful people. Thankful people stick out in this world which is filled with negativity and pessimism.

So, in our present times, in light of all of the teaching we have received and the abundance of resources: Are you a grateful person?

I know these verses have me meditating on how I can become a more grateful person.

Paul says that following the authentic Jesus means that we are filled with gratitude. If our Bible study, theology, church attendance, prayer, and following the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t producing gratitude, then maybe we should ask: “Why not?”