Reading Colossians 2:6–23, one phrase keeps appearing again and again:
“In him.”
“In Christ.”
Paul uses it constantly — because it’s at the very heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It’s about our position and our privileges. We aren’t just following Christ from a distance; we’re actually in Him. Connected. Secure. Alive.
But what does that really mean? Here are a few ways to picture it.
1. The Plane
If I want to get to Italy, I need a relationship with the aeroplane.
I could stand under it, follow behind it, or admire it from a distance — but none of those will get me to my destination.
The only way is to be in the plane.
Once I’m in, what’s true of the plane becomes true of me.
If the plane goes up, I go up.
If the plane lands safely, I land safely.
Paul says we’ve been buried with Christ and raised with Him.
What’s true of Jesus is now true of us — because we’re in Him.
2. The Roots
Verse 7 says we are rooted in Him.
Think of a plant in soil — all its strength, nourishment, and stability come from where it’s planted.
If you pull the plant out of the soil, it dies.
Christ is our soil — the one who feeds us, grounds us, and keeps us standing firm.
When we’re rooted in Him, we grow.
3. The Ark
In the story of Noah, everyone inside the ark was safe.
Everyone outside was not.
Jesus is like that ark.
Verses 13–15 remind us of the security we have in Christ — forgiven, made alive, and protected by His victory on the cross.
If we’re in Him, we’re safe.
4. The Clothing
To be “clothed in Christ” is like wearing a bright yellow hi-vis jacket.
People assume you know something about what’s going on!
When we’re clothed in Jesus, the Father looks at us and sees His Son.
Jesus becomes our identity — our “uniform.”
We are in Him.
Don’t Add to What Jesus Has Done
Paul’s writing to correct some “wonky” ideas in Colossae.
People were being drawn away by hollow philosophies and human traditions.
They were turning discipline and self-denial into gods.
Even spiritual gifts — good things — had become ultimate things.
The same can happen today.
We can turn noble causes, politics, or personal convictions into our main thing — and lose sight of the main thing: Jesus.
We can’t add anything to what He did on the cross.
When we try, we only take away from it.
Stay Connected to the Head
Paul says some had “lost connection with the Head” (v19).
In 1 Corinthians 12, he also calls Christ the Head of the body — the source of life and direction.
Without the Head, the body can’t function.
We’re called to stay connected to Him.
That’s where real growth happens — because He is the one doing the building (v19).
A New Status
Because of the cross, we now live in the victory Christ won for us.
It’s like having a new passport — we’re citizens of heaven!
Our status has changed, even though our location hasn’t.
We’re no longer defined by our past, but by who we are in Him.
So What Now?
If we’re in the plane, should we just sit back and enjoy the flight?
Paul would say no — and Romans 6 makes that clear.
We don’t live passively or carelessly; we live gratefully.
I don’t read my Bible because I have to — I read it because I get to.
I pray because I want to know Christ more.
Nothing I do can change my relationship status before God — but spending time with Him helps me live out that reality.
So let’s get in the plane.
Let’s stay connected to the Head.
Let’s remain rooted in the soil of His love.
Let’s trust the One who carries us.
Don’t imitate Jesus from a distance — be in Him and stay there.
