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