What does it mean to continue in the faith (Colossians 1:23)?

For all Christians, following Jesus begins with a decision to “repent and believe in the gospel” at a specific point in time (Mark 1:15, ESV). However, as the apostle Paul explains, the authenticity of this initial response is demonstrated when believers “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard” (Colossians 1:23, ESV). Thus, “continuing in the faith”—living according to God’s ways as recorded in the Bible—serves as evidence that a person has truly trusted in Jesus for salvation.

Continuing in the faith is the fruit of a person’s response to the gospel. According to Paul, a miraculous change in identity occurs when a sinner responds to the gospel and receives Jesus’ gift of salvation. In context, the apostle describes a person’s status prior to this response as being an enemy of God—distant from Him and filled with evil thoughts and actions (Colossians 1:21–22). However, through Jesus, sinners are reconciled to God and given a new identity as being “holy and blameless and above reproach” (Colossians 1:22). Thus, while responding to the gospel may happen in an instant, its effects resonate throughout a person’s lifetime.

A follower of Jesus must not revert to his or her old beliefs, values, and behaviors but grow in Christian faith and identity. Paul describes this transformation in Romans 6:6: “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (ESV). Likewise, in Galatians 5:1, he says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (ESV). Just as freed slaves do not return to their former masters, God calls Christians to continue in the faith, living out the victory Jesus won over the power of sin in their lives.

Although salvation is exclusively the work of God, sanctification—the process of maturing in Christlikeness—is a cooperative work between God and people. Paul gives Christians instructions on how to grow in their faith: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, ESV; cf. 2 Peter 1:5–7). At the same time, Paul emphasizes God’s work in a Christian’s growth: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV). Therefore, sanctification involves both the believer’s efforts and God’s sustaining work to bring about growth in faith.

It’s important to guard against the false notion that people are saved by grace through faith yet sustained in their salvation through good works. Instead, God saves people by grace alone and sustains them by grace alone. Jesus affirms that God secures those who have responded to the gospel, saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28, ESV). Furthermore, Peter emphasizes that those who are saved are not sustained by their own efforts but “by God’s power” and are “being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5, ESV).

Finally, Paul says that those who follow Jesus are a “new creation,” signifying they have a new nature that results in a new way of living (2 Corinthians 5:17; cf. Philippians 3:12–16). Paul’s command to the Colossians to continue in the faith is his encouragement for them to strive toward Christlikeness in their daily lives.