Colossians 2:6-7 - Walk in Him

Summation and Diagnosis

Let us pray.

I invite you to open your Bibles to Colossians 2:6-7 this morning.

Colossians 2:6–7 ESV

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6 - Walk in Him

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,

Therefore

Signifies a progression in Paul’s argument

The therefore connects Colossians 1:15-2:5 with what is next

Colossians 1:15-23 - Supremacy of Christ

Colossians 1:24-2:5 - Paul’s apostolic ministry

As you received Christ Jesus

Received means to receive from teachings aka the Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The Colossians have already received Christ - He is already their Messianic King who has saved them from sin - The reception is the core apostolic teachings

The reception here speaks to what we would call catechism/apostolic teachings that have been passed down to the Colossians

The Lord

Jesus Christ is the Lord

So walk in him,

Walk

Radical God-Centered life submitted to the King

Imperative, Present tense verb means it is a command to be lived out here and now by the Colossians

This is not merely behavior modification, but Gospel transformation

In Him

High Christology

Central to the entire letter

Uses

Walk in Him - All of life to the glory of God

Why should we walk in Him? Not right to How!

Genesis 3:7–9 ESV

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Revelation 21:22–24 ESV

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,

Hymn of Heaven - Phil Wickham

How I long to breathe the air of Heaven Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets To look upon the One who bled to save me And walk with Him for all eternity

In Him - Union with Christ

Central to Christianity and the Gospel!

1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Romans 8:10 ESV

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Now the how/why - Commanded to live our lives fully in Him

2 Corinthians 5:6–10 ESV

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

How do we walk? By faith based upon God’s secure promises for us in the future

What is the aim of the life of a believer? To please God every year, day, moment

Romans 13:13–14 ESV

13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Colossians 2:7 - The Way by which We Walk in Him

7 Rooted and built up in him

Rooted

Agricultural

Plant firmly fixed in the ground

God is the acting agent

Perfect

Built up

Construction/Architectural

God is the active agent

Present, ongoing

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

In Him

ONLY IN HIM, NOT TO HIM OR UPON HIM

The Most Holy God has union with you through the redemptive work of the Son

And established in the faith, just as you were taught,

Established in the faith

The Gospel message and the apostolic teachings

God is the active agent

Present, ongoing

Just as you were taught

Past event, most likely by Epaphras

Abounding in thanksgiving.

Active not passive - Here is our responsibility!

The response to God’s work in one’s life is an active living of the faith with sincere gratitude/appreciation with abundance

Center of the abundance of thanksgiving is God and His work in their lives

He planted them

He is building them

He is establishing them

Uses

Be Thankful for God’s Past and Present work in your life

Past - Rooted

Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Present - built up and established

Worship

Daily

Psalm 100 ESV

A Psalm for giving thanks. 1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Congregational

Psalm 150 ESV

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Abound in Thanksgiving by living a Christ-centered life

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 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.

Not to be transformed to this world, but transformed by the work of God within us

We live in the inaugurated, but not consummated kingdom of Christ

In Christ Alone

He is our hope, our light, our strength, our firm cornerstone

Our sins have been taken as the wrath of God was poured out on the cross - Here is where we live

He stands in victory now, the curse of sin taken away because we are IN HIM.

He bought us with his precious blood and now we have no fear of guilt or death because we are in HIM!

So let us give our entire lives over to Christ. Let us live IN HIM as Adam and Ever were supposed to in the Garden

Let us live in Him because one day we will be judged for our lives

Let us live in Him because we have union in Him - the Most High God

And let us live in Him because nothing can pluck us from His hand - we are rooted in Him. In Him we are be built up. In him we are being established in the faith

Let our response be an abundance of praise to our Great God - Let His praises ring from our hearts, now in this building, outward to a lost and dying city.

Let the praises of our hearts ring throughout the day so our neighbors will know the power of our great God who has saved us from sin, hell, death, and shame.

LET US LIVE IN HIM!