How to Walk in Jesus

Read Col 2:6 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,”

Introduction

There are many phases in life.

There’s infancy, there’s childhood, the teenage years, young adulthood, middle adulthood, late adulthood, etc.

And unfortunately, I find many Christians still stuck in the first three phases in their Christian life.

Christians who have been Christians for many years and even decades and still spiritual babies and spiritual children.

I have spoken to Christians in their 60s and 70s who still don’t even understand why they need to be baptized or even why they need to become members of a church.

There was a time, years ago in another church, where I was in the same bible study for more than three years.

And one day I was going to teach a bible study in the leader’s house.

He was a senior in his 70s.

I go to print my bible study notes in his computer.

So I ask him, if I can print it out.

And he said sure, and his computer was in his basement, in a secluded room.

And I stumbled upon inappropriate things on his computer.

Some of these files were over 10 years old.

And after that, he was no longer teaching that study.

Why?

Why do some Christians stay immature and stagnant for years and some decades?

It’s because they are not walking in Jesus.

They are staying stagnant and not growing.

Because they don’t know what to do now that they are Christians.

They don’t know how to walk in Jesus.

And that’s what we’ll be learning today: How to Walk in Jesus.

So that you don’t stay as spiritual children for the rest of your lives, but become spiritually mature adults for the Lord.

1. Receive the real Jesus (v.6)

Before you can even walk in Jesus.

You must have already received Him.

Notice how Paul says, therefore.

Referring back to v. 3 when he wrote, ‘the steadfastness of your faith in Christ’.

For Paul to even command us to walk in Jesus, he is assuming that you have already received Jesus.

So before you even start thinking about walking in Jesus, you need to ask yourself, ‘have I received Jesus?’

And many of you will say yes.

I’ve seen many decision cards from many of you some from MFUGE and some from VBS, and most of them say, ‘I have already accepted Jesus Christ.’

But if you have not yet received Jesus, then you must do so today.

Some of you hearing this might be thinking, ‘whew, I’m safe’.

But hold on here.

We’re not done yet.

Because when Paul says, ‘receive’, the Greek word is referring to accepting what was passed down by the Apostles.

And what was passed down?

It wasn’t a physical object.

It was a message, words on scrolls.

The Bible.

Did you receive the biblical Jesus?

Did you receive the real Jesus?

So then, does that mean there are fake Jesus’?

Absolutely there are fake Jesus’.

After all, Jesus is just a name!

Paul had a friend named Jesus, Col 4:11

Colossians 4:11 (NKJV)

and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.

I’ve met multiple Spanish people with the name, Jesús, but it’s simply Spanish for Jesus!

But obviously, this is silly.

Whenever we say Jesus, none of us think of Justus or Jesús.

But you know what people today often think of when they hear the word Jesus?

Many of them think, ‘oh, Jesus, he’s the really good guy who taught about love!’

Jesus the hippie!

Or Jesus the really good teacher!

Or Jesus? He’s not even real.

He’s just a myth made up by men.

There’s even a Jesus in the Q’uran, a Jesus in the book of Mormon, even Hindus and Buddhists believe in Jesus.

You see, anytime you mention Jesus to someone, everyone has their own version of Jesus.

So I’m not asking if you received Jesus aka Justus or Jesus your Spanish friend.

I’m not asking if you received the hippie Jesus, the mythical Jesus, the Mormon Jesus, the Muslim, Jesus.

I’m asking if you received the real Jesus.

So who is the real Jesus?

How can we tell who is the real Jesus if there are so many different versions and ideas about Jesus?

Thankfully, Paul tells us, he writes, ‘Christ Jesus’.

Most people when they hear Jesus Christ, they think, ‘first name, last name’.

But Christ is not a last name.

It’s a title.

So what does Christ mean?

Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah.

Messiah means anointed or chosen one.

For example Psalm 2:2 says,

Psalm 2:2 (NKJV)

The kings of the earth set themselves,

And the rulers take counsel together,

Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

This is Jesus of the Bible.

Not the Q’uran or Book of Mormon.

Jesus of the Old Testament.

The Jesus Paul is referring to, is God’s promised savior, prophesied in the Old Testament.

This Jesus is the one who fulfilled the Old Testament promises.

The real Jesus is the biblical Jesus.

And what also means is that Jesus is not only in the New Testament.

But the Old Testament as well.

Many people think in the Old Testament, God is a mean and angry God that kills anyone instantly who displeased Him.

And that in the New Testament, Jesus came and was all love.

But as we see here, Jesus is in both the Old and New Testament.

Look at the end of Psalm 2:12

Psalm 2:12 (LSB)

Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Jesus is both just and loving.

Jesus is both merciful and full of wrath.

That is the biblical Jesus.

That is the real Jesus.

Is your Jesus one who only knows love but not justice?

Or is your Jesus the biblical one, who pours wrath on the wicked and lovingly gave His life on the cross for those who believe in Him?

Did you receive the biblical Jesus?

Did you receive the real Jesus?

There’s one more description Paul uses to refer to the real Jesus.

He writes, Christ Jesus the Lord.

Today, we rarely ever call someone lord.

The only time we ever use the word lord is in reference to God and Jesus.

In fact when you Google the word lord, it’s all about God.

Only one other time I saw lord not referring to God, and it was a Colombian drug lord.

But lord, doesn’t just mean God.

You see, when Paul wrote this, he was referring to a title that was common to him.

A lord during the Roman Empire was someone who had sovereignty or ownership over people and land.

He had a responsibility of providing and protecting his land and people, because he owned them.

His people could not go anywhere or do anything with their lord’s approval.

They could not change their lord if they wanted to, because the lord owned them.

So when Paul calls Christ Jesus the Lord, that’s the picture in his mind.

That Jesus is the sovereign ruler over all, because He owns all, including His believers.

That’s why Paul writes in Romans 14:7-8

Romans 14:7–8 (LSB)

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

Our life doesn’t belong to us.

Not even our death belongs to us.

Both our life and our death belongs to Christ Jesus the Lord.

Because He owns us.

Now if someone had a Lord, it also meant they were in complete obedience to him.

The Lord had full authority over his servants.

Whatever work he gave them to do, they had to do it.

There was no say, and no discussion.

If they rebelled or disobeyed they would be disciplined.

They were in full obedience to their Lord.

That’s why Jesus points out the absurdity of calling someone lord, and then not doing what the lord commands them in Luke 6:46

Luke 6:46 (LSB)

“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

When people call Jesus Lord, they are saying that Jesus owns them.

So if they turn around and refuse to obey the Lord why are they calling Him Lord in the first place?

Don’t you know what Lord means?

So who owns your life?

Do you live life like you own your life?

Is everything you plan and do based on what you want?

Or do you live life as Jesus is your Lord?

Where everything you plan and do is based solely on pleasing Him?

Do you obey Jesus, the Lord?

Everything you do is based solely on His Word, because He owns you.

This is the real Jesus.

The real Jesus is not your co-pilot.

You are not riding shotgun with the Lord Jesus.

You are in the back seat.

Because Jesus doesn’t own only the seats, and the car itself, but he also owns you.

So if you think you already received Jesus, ask yourself, ‘did I receive the real Jesus?’

Did I receive Christ Jesus?

The Messiah who fulfilled the Old Testament?

The biblical Jesus?

Did I receive Christ Jesus the Lord?

Who owns everything including me?

Who has complete authority over me, and I am in complete obedience to Him?

Before you can walk in Jesus you must first receive the real Jesus.

2. Continue walking in Jesus’ path (v.6)

This is what we see here when Paul writes, so walk in Him.

What’s the one of the biggest milestones that a baby is growing and maturing?

Walking.

Unless one has a disability, if a baby never walks, he will never grow.

Christians need to walk in Jesus in order to grow.

But what does it mean to walk in Jesus?

To walk in Jesus simply means to live a God honoring life because you are united with Him.

John makes this more clear,

1 John 2:6 (LSB)

the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

In other words, walk and live like Jesus.

Walk in Jesus’ path.

As you walk in Jesus’ path, you will constantly come to crossroads in your life.

Decisions to make.

You can decide to walk the path of sin or you can decide to walk where Jesus walks.

If you want to walk in Jesus you need to follow the path that He is on, and not go your own way.

And already you experience this on a daily basis.

Every time you see something inappropriate on social media you can decide to walk in Jesus’ path or the path of sin.

You can scroll up, or you can continue looking.

Will you walk in Jesus’ path or the path of sin?

But we’ve explained walking in Christ before in the previous verses.

What’s interesting here, is that Paul is talking about the idea of continuous walking.

That’s also what Proverbs 2:20 says

Proverbs 2:20 (LSB)

So that you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

You keep walking in the paths of the righteous.

You don’t stop.

You continue walking in Jesus’ path.

The real problem is not to challenge people to walk in Jesus.

It’s challenging people to continue walking in Jesus.

Too many people think that following Jesus is a one time action.

‘I got baptized once or I said a prayer once’.

‘I punched my ticket to heaven’ so I’m good.’

I can now go back to walking my own path.

But walking in Jesus is not a one time event.

It’s continuous.

Walking in Jesus is something you do your whole life!

You see, even Jesus rebukes people who think walking in Him is a one time event.

Gospel

Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21–23 (LSB)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

What is Jesus saying here?

He’s simply saying that the people who call Him, ‘Lord, Lord’ but don’t continue to walk in Him their whole life, are people who think walking in Him is a one time event.

And what does Jesus say?

‘I never knew you’.

Instead of continually walking in Jesus, they continually walk in sin.

That’s what Jesus says, ‘you who practice lawlessness.’

And that’s what I want to warn everyone here listening today.

That if you call Jesus, Lord, but don’t live your life continually walking in Him but instead continually walk in sin, then Jesus does not know you.

This is a wake up call.

I don’t want Jesus to say to you, ‘I never knew you, depart from me’.

I want you to be with Jesus and enjoy eternal life!

So I say this not to shame you.

But to wake you up to the truth!

That if this is you, you are still not saved!

And that you can come to true and real salvation today!

Because this same Jesus, who rebukes and judges fake Christians, is also the same one offering grace and mercy.

The Lord Jesus, who is God in the flesh, lived a perfect life that we can never do, and offers to exchange our sinful life for His perfect one.

He did this by dying on the cross and resurrecting from the dead in order to pay for the sins of those who believe in Him.

Not work, not do good works, or earn their way into heaven.

But simply by believing.

By faith alone, in what Jesus has done on the cross, you can be saved today.

So that instead of Jesus saying to you, ‘I never knew you’, He would say, ‘well done, good and faithful servant!’

Not because of what you did, but because of what His Son Jesus the Christ did.

Conclusion

Abraham Lincoln once said,

I’m a slow walker, but I never walk back.

Abraham Lincoln

Students walking in Jesus is not about how fast you walk, how quick you walk, or walking once upon a time in the past and then continually walking in the path of sin.

Nor is it about following a Jesus not from the Bible.

It’s about receiving the real Jesus and continually walking in Jesus’ path.

Let’s pray.