"...that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love..." (Eph. 3:17);
"As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him: rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith..." (Col. 2:6-7).
Rootedness (i.e., depth and stability) in the lives of believers represented an ever present concern of the apostle. In somewhat similar analogy, Jesus had earlier spoken of those whose endurance fails in the hour of test for lack of depth - those, as he put it, who "have no root in themselves" (Matt. 13:6,20-21). There are several points of reference from which the theme might be addressed.
Paul, for example, speaks of a yet pending day wherein anything less than stability and resolute determination will fail; hence one's need for "the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand..." (Eph. 6:13). At the same time he also foresees a culminating work of grace within the believing community - "until we all come to...the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ," Eph. 4:11-13). In other words, there is a sense in which the scenario becomes two-fold.
Of such polarization, the prophet Daniel writes: "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those that have insight will understand" (Dan. 12:10).
We sometimes find it of interest to discuss the present day Church with fellow ministers of various traditions - including, at times, those involved in organizations of a more liberal persuasion. Having once served in one of the denominations sometimes designated the "seven sisters of liberal Protestantism" (we shall forego their identity here; the observant reader is, to at least some extent, aware), I was interested in the relativly recent statement of a former fellow pastor within that body to the effect that, despite its substantial loss of both pastors and congregations over issues of radical liberalism, he felt that he foresaw the possibility of a return to biblical values within some churches in his own geographical area. God grant it to be so.
A pastor within another fellowship shared that he was convinced that the spiritual vacuity of their churches committed to liberal cause and agenda, as opposed to the dynamic attendant those congregations adherent biblical concepts and principles would, in time, engender a return to more biblically based standards. In both instances, time will tell.
With regard to an opposing world with which the community of faith finds itself increasingly confronted, Jesus warned of a coming universal hostility. In addressing the Disciples' question concerning his return (Matt. 24:3), he advised them (as representatives of the validly committed Church) that prior to such occurrence, believers would first experience the hatred "of all men," and again, "of all nations" (Matt. 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17). Simply put, difficult times lie ahead.
Together with the biblical mandate of unity, there are few requisites more vital to the end time Body of Christ than that of stability - of being rooted and grounded as, in preparation for our Lord's return, his Church first experiences a time of purifying test (here note Matthew 24:4-29 as preceding vv. 30-31 - itself, as we have observed before, likewise conducive to the ordained "unity of faith, Eph. 4:11-13).
Burl Ratzsch
