So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)
Yesterday, we talked about the first step we should take if we want to take the walk of a lifetime with the Lord, and that is to love Jesus fully. Today, I want us to take a look at the other two steps we should be taking.
The second step to taking the walk of a lifetime is to faithfully live for Jesus. Every time I lead a person to faith in Jesus Christ, the very first thing I say to that person is this, “What you have done is not the end of the Christian life. It is just the beginning.” The first step is not a stop. It is a start to a walk. So Paul continues, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him” (Colossians 2:6).
In the Christian life you never stand still. It is impossible. You are either going forward or you are slipping backwards. Now that phrase “continue to live” is one word in the Greek language and it means “to walk.” To walk was a picture of conduct. Your walk is the way you live your life. It is the way you act. It is the way you react. It is the way you treat other people. It is the way you conduct yourself. It is the way you live.
Paul says we are to walk in Jesus in his path before us. We are to walk in his purpose for us. We are to walk in his promises to us. As we do, we will do what a child does. We will mature and we will grow. When a child learns to walk, guess what else they do? They learn to run. They learn to jump, and as they grow, they can walk longer, run stronger, jump higher. That is the sign of growth, and the sign of health is growth. Anything that is healthy should grow. Anything not healthy will die. So we in order to live a healthy Christian life, we have so start walking with, toward, and in Jesus.
The third and final step to taking the walk of a lifetime is to firmly look to Jesus. At the moment you walk to Jesus, the world, the flesh, and the devil will do everything they can to stop your walk with Jesus and keep you from walking for Jesus. Paul goes on to say, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
That phrase “take you captive” is a great literal translation. That is exactly what you have to guard against all of your Christian life - to not let other people take you captive to either human thinking or human tradition which goes against the truth of God’s Word. Only then, when you firmly look to Jesus in all things, can you walk with completely devoted because He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life.
Dear Lord, thank you for Paul’s guidance in Colossians chapter 2 so that we can know what it looks like to truly walk with and follow and Jesus. I pray that you would help me to faithfully live for Jesus and to firmly look to Jesus every single day so that I might be obedient in how you’ve called me to live and what you’re leading me to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Topics: Faithfulness
