Colossians 2:6-7
Walk In Him
(Colossians 2:6-7 KJV) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: {7} Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
From this verse, we learn that we are to walk in Christ as we have received the Christ Jesus the Lord. How did we receive Christ? We received Christ by grace through faith. It was when we realized that we were helpless and unable to do anything that would make us acceptable unto God and placed our faith in what Christ did for us. It is in this same manner that we are to walk in Christ, not trusting in our ability, understanding that we cannot do anything but place our faith in Christ to the necessary work for us walk the Christian life.
(Colossians 3:4 KJV) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Christ’s life is given to us the moment we trusted Him. Christ’s life is the issue of the Christian walk. In Galatians 2:20, Paul wrote, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:" The Christian walk is allowing the life of Christ to be lived through us: it is His life not ours. God designed the Christian walk to be lived the same way that we received Christ Jesus the Lord, by grace through faith, trusting in Christ exclusively.
Although we are given Christ’s life the moment we are saved, we need to learn how His life is lived through us. Christ’s life gives us the power over ungodly behavior. Although, we have been given this power the moment we are saved it takes time and learning how to tap into the power before it to will be manifest in our lives.
For example, when we own a computer we do not use its power in its full capacity. The power is there but unless we learn how to access that power, we will never be able to take advantage of the all the computer can do. It is the same in the Christian walk: we have been given the power to walk it but we have to learn how to access that power.
(Romans 5:1-2 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: {2} By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We access that power by faith. "As ye have therefore received Christ [by grace through faith], so walk ye in Him [by grace through faith]."
Notice those two little words: as and so. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." If we can understand how we were saved then we can understand how we are to live the Christian walk. We were saved through faith in Christ alone, placing our trust in what He did for us, and that is how we are to walk after we are saved.
Trusting in our ability to make ourselves right with God did not save us. We came to understand that our justification is only by placing our trust in what Christ accomplished for us. We cannot walk the Christian walk; we need to place our trust Christ to walk it for us and through us.
Once we are saved, God does not put us under a performance based system. Paul asked the Galatians if they were so foolish to think that if they were saved by trusting in Christ and then be perfected by a flesh performance. (See Galatians 3:1-3) We live the Christian life the same way we are saved: by grace through faith alone in Christ.
Walking in Christ is described in four different ways; each of these phrases is in the passive voice:
- Rooted
- Built up in Him
- Stablished in the faith
- As ye have been taught
The passive voice is when the subject receives the action. We do not do these things ourselves; God does these things for us.
Rooted
To be rooted in Christ is a metaphor that describes one being a partaker of Christ’s life. It describes a living relationship, oneness with Christ.
We are rooted in Christ, become a partaker of His life, by being baptized into Christ and this is something that only God can perform. Baptized into Christ is not a water ceremony. We are not baptized into water but into a person, Christ. The Spirit of God performs this baptism.
(1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(Colossians 2:12 KJV) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
This baptism is something that God does the moment we place our trust in Jesus Christ that is, to rely on Him exclusively as our Savior. God takes us and places us in Christ. This is what we call the mechanics of positional truth. That word "in" is a word that relates to position. We were once in Adam but now God has changed our position, now we are in Christ; with that change of position comes a new identity.
(Galatians 3:26-27 KJV) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
We have been given a new identity, not new behavior. "If any be in Christ, he is a new creature": something brand new has occurred.
(Romans 6:3-6 KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {4} Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. {5} For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: {6} Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
When we are baptized into Christ, we are placed into a living relationship, a vital union, and oneness with Him. Paul says that as many of you who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into His death and in that same way we take part in His resurrection, which is the means our identity is changed from rejected sinners to accepted saints. We have been crucified with Christ and made into something brand new.
What does it mean to be in Christ?
(Colossians 2:10 KJV) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
The source of our life is Christ; we are placed in a living union with Him by that baptism, rooted in Him. He is all we need.
Built Up in Him
When we are saved, God does not leave us to fend for ourselves: He put us in Christ. Now our sufficiency and identity is in Christ. God is building us up in Christ because everything that God is doing is in Christ. God is building something in our lives today; He desires to construct some things in our lives. Our growth comes as we do what Christ instructs us to do. If we do anything other than what God is doing in Christ today then we are tearing down what God has built. An example would be the Galatians who were caught up in doing some things that were scriptural but not in line with what God is doing (i.e. scriptural but not dispensational). They were saved by grace through faith in Christ but then they tried to be made perfect by doing the things required under the Law of Moses (a performance based system).
The only answer when we have gotten away from "As ye therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" is to go back to where we started.
(Galatians 4:19 KJV) My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
We need to understand that we are not saved by anything we do but by placing our trust in Christ. He is the one who did the work necessary for us to be saved and it is He that will do the work that is need for us to be built up in Him. The issue is always Christ and who God has made us to be in Christ. Christ is the source of everything that God is doing and He wants to build you up in Him.
(Acts 20:32 KJV) And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
It is the word of His grace, which is able to build us up. Where do we find the word of His grace? Paul testified the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Therefore, we learn the word of His grace through the things that Paul wrote.
Stablished In the Faith
To understand what it means to be stablished in the faith we need to first be established.
(Romans 1:11-12 KJV) For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; {12} That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Paul wanted them to be established that is to have an understanding of what God has done for us. The reason is so that there will be a mutual faith. We are established when we have the same understanding that Paul had of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Our identity in Christ is the first thing we need to understand.
(1 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV) To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
To be stablished is to be steadfastly set in the foundation that was laid. We need to stand fast on the foundation that Paul laid. The truths of the information about our identity will take root and begin to give us stability in our lives.
We do not need more faith; we need to learn about the object of our faith [Christ] so that the word of God can work effectually in us that believe. We need to be built up in Christ so we can be stablished in the faith.
(Galatians 2:20 KJV) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The life we now live is by the faith of Christ. We need to understand whom God has made us in Christ, what God is doing today and we learn these things by rightly dividing the word of truth. If you do not understand that you are not Israel, not under Israel’s covenants and promises then you will not fully understand you are a member of the Body of Christ with a distinct purpose in God plan and purpose. There are specific things in the Bible that refer to Israel’s program and there are specific things that refer to the Body of Christ. We learn these things by studying the Word, rightly divided.
Ecclesiastes says much study is a weariness of the flesh. However, the flesh is not the issue; being stablished in the faith is an inner man issue. We need to study the word of God, rightly divided, and stand in the grace of God, which He has given to us in Christ. The Spirit of God strengthens our inner man through the Word rightly divided. As our faith rests in an intelligent understanding of God’s word to us we are stablished in the faith.
As Ye Have Been Taught
(2 Timothy 1:13 KJV) Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
The issue for us today, as members of the Body of Christ, is sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is the things that we have learned from our Apostle Paul. It is only through his writings that we learn what God is doing in the lives of believers today in the dispensation of grace.
(2 Timothy 3:13-14 KJV) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. {14} But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
We are to hold fast the form of sound words, which we have learned of Paul because there is an enormous effort to do away with sound doctrine. This is why Paul says to be stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught. Those evil men and seducers will come along and speak things contrary to what Paul taught. Nevertheless, we need to continue in the things we have learned from Paul.
(Colossians 2:8 KJV) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
If we are not holding fast to the form of sound words we have learned of Paul then someone may come along and cause us to lose the valuable qualities of our identity in Christ by deceiving us into doing things that are contrary to what God is doing today. For example, they put us under a performance-based system in order to be accepted by God rather than allowing Christ to live through us.
(Colossians 2:4 KJV) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
In I Corinthians 2:4, Paul says that his preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom. These enticing words are anything that will keep you from being built up in Christ. We need to guard ourselves from the people who teach things contrary to what we have learned of Paul.
Some instructions in the Bible do not apply to us today. These instructions are scriptural but not dispensational and they will keep us from functioning according to our identity in Christ.
(Colossians 2:16-17 KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: {17} Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Here Paul makes a distinction of things that are in the scripture but are not for what God is doing today. We need to make the distinction in God’s word as to what scriptures are to us, as members of the Body of Christ. Some will come along and entice you with the things of God’s program with Israel.
(Colossians 3:1-2 KJV) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. {2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
We will not be deceived by enticing words if we focus on what Christ is now doing, on the Word of God rightly divided, on the program that God is involved in today. Christ is no longer functioning in His earthly ministry and we need to focus on what He is doing today.
Our walk in Christ is our being rooted and built up in Him; stablished in the faith, as we have been taught. God does these things for us, as we understand the Word of God rightly divided we understand what God is doing today in the lives of the members of the Body of Christ.
Abounding Therein with Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the grace motivation for our service. We abound with thanksgiving when we understand what God is doing in our lives today and recognize that we cannot do it in and of ourselves.
(2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV) For he [God] hath made him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We are made the righteousness of God in Christ. The Christian life is more that just having our sins forgiven it is God doing a work in our lives that causes us to live His life through us and to bear fruits of righteousness. Just as a fruit tree gets its life from the root in order to bear fruit, so we get our life from Christ and bear fruits of righteousness, which is Christ living His life through us.
(Philippians 1:11 KJV) Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Paul tells us the love of Christ constrains us. The Law will always demand us to perform then tell us that we cannot do it. However, grace says because God loves you He will do it for you.
From teaching by Richard Jordan