The whole body receives nourishment and grows through a life lived in intimate relationship with Christ. Three images within today’s passage illustrate our union with Christ. The first is of a tree with its roots deep in the soil: “rooted . . . in him.” The tree draws its nourishment through the roots, which also anchor the tree—the deeper the roots the stronger the tree. Christ is the source of our nourishment and our strength.
The second image brings to mind the foundation upon which we build a house: “built up in him.” The house is only as strong as its foundation, just as a tree is only as strong as its root system. Our lives are only as strong as the foundation on which we build them.
The third is of the head: “holding fast to the head.” The head serves as the center of control. Christ is the head and under his supreme authority we flourish and grow. In Christ, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
It’s not about what we do or don’t do, about making and keeping rules. What matters in our living is our rootedness in Christ and our bearing in mind that Christ is both our foundation and our head. Christ frees us to live the fullness of life God intends for us—free from the power of sin, free from bondage to rules, free from debt to God, free from the power of “rulers and authorities” other than Christ, “the head of every ruler and authority.” Free from condemnation, free to live and grow in relationship with Christ. Free to combine our faith with our action. Intimacy with Christ sets us free! That very thought fills us with thanksgiving.