colossians 2:6-7 (nkjv) 6 as you therefore have received christ jesus the lord, so walk in him, 7...

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)

 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

WALKING IN CHRISTColossians 2:6-7

Walking In Christ

There are many challenges to the Christian life

There are especially many challenges to the young or newborn Christian

Jesus spoke of some of those challenges in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:18-23)

Walking In Christ

There is always the possibility of apostasy

The question for us is, how do we keep from falling away?

How do we remain faithful to Christ once we begin our walk with Him?

Colossians 2:6-7

Walking In Christ

Paul gives us an imperative verb, “walk” in Christ

It literally means to follow or to be occupied with

Following the imperative verb, we see 4 participles that explain to us how we are to walk in Christ

Walking In Christ

1. Rooted

The first participle we see is the Greek word rhizoo

It means to root or become stable

It’s the idea of a plant or tree taking root in the ground

That is done so that the plant can become more stable

Walking In Christ

1. Rooted

Once we give our life to Christ, and are baptized in Him, we need to begin to let our roots dig in

This is how we can walk in Christ

Those roots can grow and make us firm in so many different ways

Walking In Christ

1. Rooted

To be rooted by God means that we are set firmly in place

God has placed us as Christians into His church (Acts 2:47)

He is placing us in an environment in which we can be rooted

Walking In Christ

1. Rooted

Love and encouragement of the brethren (family)

Spiritual blessings in Christ

See the difference in our lives when we live for God and not the world (forgiveness)

If we are going to be faithful we need to have roots

Walking In Christ

2. Built up

The second thing that Paul lists here is the Greek word epoikodomeo

It means built up; to build upon something started (house)

A foundation is laid, but there must be something built upon it

Walking In Christ

2. Built up

Our faith is increased through the word of God (Rom. 10:17)

The “Christian Graces” carries the idea of being built up (II Pet. 1:5-7)

We should be growing in Christ if we wish to remain a faithful part of His kingdom

Walking In Christ

3. Established

Next we see the Greek word bebaioo which means to stabilize

Established means to make strong; to give confidence and security

Again, we think of the idea of building a house and the things we do to make it stable

Walking In Christ

3. Established

We can reinforce our faith and belief each time we gather to worship

Prayer is a way we can talk to God and ask Him to make us stronger in our faith and life

God is able to root, build up, and establish us in our walk in Christ if we allow Him to do so

Walking In Christ

4. Abounding

This 4th Greek word that we see is the word perisseuo which means to be in excess or excel

This word is different from the first 3 because it is in the present active tense

It is something that we are constantly doing as a result of the first 3

Walking In Christ

4. Abounding

We should be overflowing with gratitude because of the fact that we are being rooted, built up, and established

Think about how a person acts and lives when they are thankful

It should affect all aspects of our lives

Walking In Christ

4. Abounding

Think about how many times a person was joyful or rejoiced because of their salvation in Christ (Acts 8:39; 16:34)

When we find ourselves walking in Christ, we need to recognize God’s hand in this

It should cause us to abound in thanksgiving