Lesson 14: Walk in Him

Lesson 14: Walk in Him

Colossians 2:6-8

Colossians 2:6–8 (AV)

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 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.

Tonight, the title and subject of our lesson is Walk in Him. To really move on with this lesson we need to review what we studied last week.

That will start at:

Colossians 2:4 AV

And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Remember; we talked about The word “beguile” is the word “ which means MISLEAD, DELUDE, DECEIVE, CHEAT, SEDUCE, LEAD ASTRAY.

We spoke about how that we are often beguiled by the world, but more importantly for this warning, by those who claim the name of Christ.

Let me say this, it is the immature and ignorant Christian continues to allow lost people of the world to influence them about culture. I don’t want to be one with this culture that we are living in. It shouldn’t be the desire of any Christian to fit in.

But our real problem for the mature, wise Christian- is to be careful from within. We spoke about those that are within churches or people who claim the name of Christ - who say there are Christians and at time may be but they are seeking to beguile to their personality or philosophy for fame or fortune.

We saw last week that they seek to:

Entice by style or personality;

Beguile by their words;

Manipulate by appealing to your pride or by using flattery

Tonight we are going to take this further and see that we as Believers need to first of all and continually look to Jesus Christ.

Paul also complimented them for their discipline and stedfastness. But this warning continues for us today and needs to be heeded.

I. God has expectations for believers

Galatians 5:16 AV

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25 AV

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:10 AV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Listen, if you are Believer, a Christian, someone who has received the gift of salvation, God expects you to walk there in, in his ways, Walk in Him.

What Kind of walk is it if we are go walk in Him?

II. A Proper Walk

Let’s be reminded, that our walk is not the proper way, meaning, to walk according our mind and our flesh. My flesh, and my carnality, pull me away from God.

He even is warning us in this passage that to be aware that most of our culture and the average Christianity is carnal.

By the way, when there is not difference between the world and the Christian, then what good are we. Most churches are trying to fit in with the world and then trying to allure the world with our hipness. That is not what God intended.

Think about it, we have a lot of visitors these last few weeks, I want you to know that God worked on those people through some of you, but he brought them in through His leading in their hearts.

They didn’t come because we were like the world, honestly, a couple of them said, this is different, we haven’t experienced a place like this before, we want to learn more. That is what it is going to take for you and I to continue to reach this world.

A. A proper walk takes rooting

It takes a strong root system.

⇒ The picture of being rooted is that of a tree. The believer is to be like a towering tree that has its roots deeply planted in the ground. The ground provides strength against wind, storms, and nourishment for life. The believer is to draw his nourishment and strength from Christ.

⇒ The picture of being built or constructed is that of a building. Jesus Christ is the foundation for life, the only sure foundation. Therefore, the mature believer is a person who has built his life upon Christ.

the emphasis upon a strong attachment and a flow of nourishment and life from Christ to the believer. That is, the believer is to walk in a continuous, unbroken communion and fellowship with Christ. His life and mind are to focus upon Christ without interruption, drawing all nourishment and strength from Him.

1 Corinthians 3:11 AV

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

B. A proper walk takes building

Building is simply defined as present participle - building and erecting.

To Build something you must have a goal of making grow in size, strength, or amenities or we could say abilities.

To do any of that properly, to build properly always takes a plan. Some experts can build on the fly from a repetitious model in there head, or plans in there heads, but you must have a some type of plan to build.

What is your plan? How are you going to build?

Successful people always have a plan. In interviews one of the questions that used be asked is what are you short-term and long term goals. That is part of the plan. But then steps must be developed to get there.

As Believers are plan, Lord willing is - to go to heaven.

But while we are going there, we need to have a plan to grow and then implement that plan.

Ephesians 2:20 AV

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

1 Peter 2:5 AV

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

C. A proper walk takes being established

The word established means to be firm, stable, holding fast and not letting go.

We need to get rooted and grounded in Christ. We need to build on the foundation and have a plan to do so.

Then we need to be established there, not moving from that strong position.

Romans 16:25 AV

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Galatians 1:6 AV

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

D. A proper walk takes being taught

2 Peter 1:20 AV

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Understand that this book is for all of us to enjoy, read, and study together. It is understandable by all, it is of no private interpretation. You don’t have to have theological degree to understand it.

But we ought to all be taught.

Ephesians 4:11 AV

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Why did he give them:

Ephesians 4:12 AV

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

A proper walk takes receiving the teaching of God’s Word.

III. A Proper Demeanor

Not only do we need a proper walk but we need a proper demeanor and outlook on the Christian life.

I think there are two things the Word of God is teaching us here to have proper demeanor about:

A. Keeping our heads up

Abounding people keep their heads up, they are encouraged about the outlook of the future. We believers have the greatest outlook of all, that of Heaven, and a grand purpose here on earth.

That abounding keeps us our heads up which where our focus always out to be.

Colossians 3:1–2 AV

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

B. Keeping thankful

Hebrews 13:15 AV

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

IV. Things to Beware Concerning your Walk

There are many things in our spiritual life but Paul address a few here that are important that we often don’t talk about.

A. Beware of men

Verse 8 says, “Beware lest any man.”

No man on earth is perfect; no man on earth should be trusted above God’s Word. No man should be looked at as infallible. There was only one that is infallible, His name is Jesus Christ - therefore all others must be be suspect.

B. Beware of being spoiled

Spoiled can be taken two ways here: spoil in the sense that we are ruined by being pampered in some form or ruined through by wasting that which was once good as in rotted fruit of milk that has curdled somewhat.

This can come through several methods listed here.

1. Philosophy

Philosophy is literally, the love of wisdom. But in modern acceptation, philosophy is a general term denoting an explanation of the reasons of things; or an investigation of the causes of all phenomena both of mind and of matter.

God warns against it here.

True religion and true philosophy must ultimately arrive at the same principle.

2. Vain Deceit

Some people love to make sport of deceit, they love to fool and take advantage of many as possible.

Beware of these people, be careful of following their deceit, it leads to an awful end.

I’ve seen two pastor who in different ways use vain deceit, the end of their ministries was both bad -but worse than that. Those they hurt on the way made it worse.

C. Tradition

We often do things just because our family, forefathers, or even our church did them. God warns against that many times.

Matthew 15:3 AV

But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

D. Culture

“rudiments of the world” v.8,;

1 John 2:15 AV

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

E. Anything that is not after Christ

Ultimately, anything that is apart from Christ, contradictory of the Lord or not leading us to Christ, must be done away.

I want to not just Walk In Him, but I want to do it right. God will help us all to do it. If we do not get beguiled by the world or charlatan in Christianity - we can do it - WE CAN WALK IN HIM!

Lesson 14: Walk in Him

Colossians 2:6-8