OUR WALK IN CHRIST
COLOSSIANS 2:6
INTRODUCTION:
Today people are accustomed to the ease of travel by train, bus, airplane, or car. In a sense many of us have forgotten how to walk, although some of you may walk to church. When one consider the Scriptures he do not find anything about riding in comfort in the Christian life, but rather it is described as a foot-race, a battle, and a walk. It is the last of these pictures that this writer wishes to ponder today, namely, "OUR WALK IN CHRIST." Our text is found in Colossians2:6--"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." This text first of a ll sets forth:
I. THE START OF OUR WALK
The start of this walk is A Reception. The word "received"
here literally means "To take along once for all." This involves faith,
even as the Apostle Paul declared, "For by grace are you saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians
2:8). Receiving, Biblically speaking is believing. For example,
if I had a box here and offered it to you stating that there was a
gift in it for you, you could say that you believed that there was a gift
in it though you do not see it. But you would show that you believed
by reaching out to take it to yourself. Receiving it you would show
that you believed. Thus, receiving is believing. This very fact
is plainly indicated in God's Word in John's gospel, chapter 1, verse 12.
Look at the first part of the verse: "As many as RECEIVED HIM."
[Caps for emphasis] Now, look at the last part of the verse: "To
them that BELIEVE on His name." [Caps for emphasis] Therefore, again
one sees that receiving is believing. The word "receive" as stated
earlier means "To take along ONCE FOR ALL." [Caps for emphasis] It
is an act done once, not continually. This receiving, this taking along,
is a one time act. The start of this walk, however, is more than
a reception.
It is The Reception of Jesus Christ the Lord. It should
be pointed out that Paul's phrase here is peculiar to this passage. He actually
is saying, "The Christ, Jesus, The Lord." He is combating a twin heresy.
First, he is combating the denial of the historical Jesus as Lord,
or God, for remember the word "Lord" is simply the Greek rendering of the
Old Testament "Jehovah." This first heresy that he is combating is
the heresy of today's liberals, most of the current heresies.
Second, he is combating the denial of the historical Jesus as
the Christ, or Messiah--the ultimate Fulfiller of all God's promises
to His covenant people, Israel. This second error is prevalent among
many today even among some conservatives. The Apostle John well said,
"Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is an
antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son." (1 John 2:22) The
relationship in the Godhead is also set forth in this verse. Perhaps,
Paul was also combating an error quite prevalent in Evangelical circles.
You may have heard a person say he has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior,
but has not received Him as Lord. On the authority of God's Word,
I say that this is not possible. When we truly accept Jesus Christ as Savior,
we must also acknowledge the Lordship of Christ. This is not
teaching what is sometimes called "Lordship salvation" (whatever that is).
A person does not really begin to comprehend the Lordship of Christ
until he grows in the faith, but there is included the acknowledge of Him
as Lord. Thus, our text declares that this reception of Jesus must
be as the Christ and as Lord. To this agrees the words of the
Apostle under inspiration written elsewhere when he declared: "If you
shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus [or "Jesus as Lord], and shall
believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be
saved." (Romans 10:9). This reception of Jesus Christ as Lord
is the beginning of the Christian life, yea, of the Christian walk.
The Apostle John spoke of this when He said in that portion stated
partially a while ago: "As many as received Him to them gave He the
power [or authority] to become children of God, to them that believe on His
name."
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and
all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus , and I found in Him,
my star, my Sun;
And in that Light of life I'll walk,
Till traveling days be done.
(Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889)
The START of the walk in Christ is by simply looking
to Jesus, that is by simple faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Have you
received Him? This is the first step; take time right now to receive
His as Lord and Savior. If so, then, you may also ponder:
II. THE STATE OF OUR WALK
IT Is a Walk. It is not a ride in comfort, but a WALK. When
one rides, he often misses some of the fine details of a scene.
Walking is more time consuming, but more can be observed and learned.
For example, imagine yourself in an art museum seated upon a chair
on a conveyor belt. This belt carries you gradually past a group of
canvasses. You could only glance at each picture as you pass.
If you were walking, however, you could stop at each work of
art and drink in the details of each lovely picture; you could
study and examine each one as closely and as long as you wish. Walking
is less hurried, and thus, one can learn more, more of Him, the lovely
Lord Jesus Christ. The word "walk" here in the text is in the present
tense and means "to go on walking"; thus our walk in Christ is a continuous
process, a day by day and moment by moment process. The word is used
of the ancient Greek philosophers who walked back and forth while teaching
their students. Therefore, it carries in it the idea of meditating
and communication. But this is no ordinary walk.
It Is a Walk in Him. This means you are not walking alone,
but with your Guide. For example, when a person goes hiking, hunting,
or fishing into an area which is unknown to him, he will hire a guide--one
who has been that way before and knows the way and the dangers. Jesus
Christ, our Guide, has been on the way before us; He knows every difficulty,
every danger, for He was "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin." (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, He is able to lead us as we walk with
Him and in Him. This was the promise of our blessed Lord Himself,
for He said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
(Matthew 28:20b). Sometimes he may permit us to forge ahead on our
own, but when the going gets rough and uncertain, He is immediately by our
side to help. You may recall that chorus, "My Lord knows the way thru
the wilderness; all I have to do is follow." But notice that we
are IN HIM. This is the real secret of our walk. Being "in
Him" speaks of our identification, or union, with Christ: identified
with Him is His death, His burial, and His resurrection even as the Apostle
Paul taught us in Romans 6. Why, right here in the context of our
verse, he declares in verse 12: "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also
you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God,
Who has raised Him from the dead." This is our high calling in
Christ. "For even hereunto were you called; because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps."
(1 Peter 2:21). Our walk in Him is to follow His example. Thus,
it is a Christlike walk, and the best place to learn of this walk is
in the Gospels where it tells us how He walked. Therefore, John declares:
"He that says he abides in Him," that is, in Christ, "ought himself also
so to walk, even as He walked." (1 John 2:6). You claim to belong to
Jesus Christ; then, you should be walking as He walked. Again the context
of our verse emphasizes this, for we read in verse 10 that we "are
complete IN HIM, which is the Head of all principality and power."
Not only in our walk, a walk in Him, It Is a Walk by Faith.
Earlier, we saw in our text that our salvation, or the start of our
walk is by faith; so also in the state of our walk. For", says
the Apostle by the Spirit, "we walk by faith , not by sight." (2 Corinthians
5:7). This is one of the hardest lessons for us to learn. It
is sometimes the reason for trials in our lives; God allowing the trials
in order for us to trust Him more. The Bible is full of examples
of such a walk. Think of Abraham, who left his hometown,
Ur of Chaldees, to go to a land of which he knew not. Before
him was Enoch of whom it is recorded: "And Enoch walked with God; and
he was not, for God took Him." (Genesis 5:24). In the book of
Hebrews it says concerning this man in Chapter 11, verse 5, "By faith
Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because
God had translated him; for before his translation, he had this testimony
that he pleased God." I would remind you that the very next verse
starts out by saying, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him."
This whole eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a catalog of those
who walked by faith. Verse 24: "By faith, Moses, when he was come to
years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season." This man certainly walked by
faith, for forty years he led a rebellious, complaining, murmuring group
of people. This chapter continues by mentioning Gideon, Barak,
Samson, David, Samuel, and the prophets: all of whom walked by faith. The
passage of our text again bears out this truth: verse 5--"the steadfastness
of your faith in Christ"; verse 7--"rooted and built up in Him and
stablished in the faith, as you have been taught"; verse 12--"Buried with
Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of
the operation of God, Who has raised Him from the dead."
This walk in Him is not only by faith, but It Is in the Spirit.
This idea is not evident in our text, but it is the plain teaching
of the Word of God. This same Apostle wrote to the Galatians
saying: "This I say, then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16). In Ephesians 5, read
beginning with verse 15 through verse 21; then we read in verse 15, "See
then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." Again in verse
18: "But be filled with the Spirit." The wise walk is the walk in the Spirit.
CONCLUSION:
God has shown us through the Apostle Paul that the START of our walk
in Christ is by receiving Him, that is, by putting our trust in Him. It is
by simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The STATE of our walk
in Christ is, therefore, also by faith, by our trust in Him and in obedience
to the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, you have heard of the dad who after
saying good-bye to his wife and boy, let the house, and then headed across
an empty lot toward a tavern for a short drink before going to work.
Hearing a noise, he turned around to find his son following him.
"Look, Dad," cried the lad, "I am walking in your footsteps."
Say, HOW IS YOUR WALK? Have you stated the walk in Christ? If
not, trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior right now.
What is the STATE of your walk, O Christian? Are your children
walking in your wrong footsteps? Or is your walk, like Enoch's, pleasing
to God?
"As you have, therefore, received the Christ, Jesus, the Lord; keep on walking Him."