Paul desires that the culture of the Colossian church be one marked by spiritual maturity. He says the evidence — the identifier — of that maturity is a love that is rooted, built up, and established in Christ alone.

Last week we talked about how every group — whether a business, family, or church — has cultural identifiers. These are words, phrases, traditions, or symbols that make that group unique and recognizable.

We used the “Row the Boat” mantra as an example of such identifiers — oars hanging throughout a building to remind players of a shared purpose: keep rowing, no matter what’s happening around you.

Paul is doing something similar in his letter to the Colossians. He’s helping them build a spiritual binder — a set of cultural identifiers unique to God’s people. He wants their defining culture to be centered on one thing: Christ Himself. 

One of the most important truths we can remember is that God has chosen us to be His cultural identifiers — living symbols of Christ to our families and to the world.