Rooted in Christ

How strong are my roots in Jesus?
Paul is wanting the Colossian's to be rooted in Jesus instead of the philosophy and regulations being their roots because they could be stopped or dissolve at any point. Psalm 1 v 3... "That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers." 


Colossians 2 v 6-23
Here's what they were trying to do to receive salvation...
GOAL - Please God with good deeds.
MEANS - Practice, diligent service, discipline and obedience, in hope of reward.
POWER - Good, honest effort through self determination.
CONTROL - Self motivation, self control.
RESULTS - Guilt, apathy, depression, failure, despair.

Here's how Paul says we should receive salvation through faith...
GOAL - Trust in Christ then live to please God.
MEANS - Confess, submit, and commit yourself to Christ's control.
POWER - The Holy Spirit in us helps us do great works for Christ.
CONTROL - Christ in me and I in Christ.

Paul is saying to the Colossians that the philsophy and regulations that they were held down by these things and they weren't living in the true freedom Christ brings. Romans 12 v 1-2... "¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." 
Paul is emthaising what he also said to the Romans, that we need to stop sonforming to the thinking of this world and renew ourselves in Jesus. One the things the early church got hung up on was circumcism (Genesis 17 v 9-14), they wanted to do the old practices but live a new in Christ. This is why Paul talks about the Circumcism Christ brings, buring of of our old selves and living a new life with Christ.

I need to die to my old self each and everyday and be a new creation in Jesus.
Sometimes we put rules in place to stop us sinning but actually what we need is regular renewel in Christ!

How strong are my roots in Christ? Are they sometimes weakened by regulations and philosophy?