Live Our Lives In Christ
“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.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
In this passage the apostle Paul encourages us who have received Christ to live lives that are in Christ Jesus. Not just adhering to a set of rules; rather, it is humble submission to the lordship of our Savior. And Paul is not proposing that our obedience is a means to earn salvation, for our redemption is a gift of grace. Instead, he is saying obedience is our response to the love poured into our hearts by God (Romans 5:5). As we love Him, keeping His commandments becomes a natural outpouring of that love, and we discover that His yoke is not burdensome (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Our obedience becomes a testimony to our union with Christ as others see us living out our faith.
Matthew Henry spoke of our walk with Christ this way, "If we live in him, we shall be rooted in him; and the more firmly we are rooted in him, the more intimately we shall live in him." Rootedness signifies a deep connection, a foundation firmly established in the person of Christ. Jesus illustrated our connection to Him as branches (us) abiding in Him (the vine). (John 15)
It seems clear that there is more to following Jesus as Lord than a checklist of rules to be ticked off dutifully. Instead, Scripture presents our walk as humbly embracing His ways and reflecting on and proclaiming our gratitude for His salvation (Colossians 2:7). The Christian life, at its core, is a life of thanksgiving for what God has done for us.
Friends, our obedience is not a burdensome duty but a joyful response to the One who first loved us. In submission to His lordship, we find the true meaning of living in Christ – a life rooted, growing, and intimately connected to the source of our salvation.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Father, I don’t know all the plans you have for me today - but You do. And I don’t know all the works that you prepared beforehand for me to walk in today, but let your Word and your Spirit shine a light onto my path today, and so I can obey what you are asking me to do right now. While I don’t see the whole picture, I know you’re calling me forward. So, I will trust and follow you in gratitude for what you have done for me. Amen
Credit: Ron Kelley
In this passage the apostle Paul encourages us who have received Christ to live lives that are in Christ Jesus. Not just adhering to a set of rules; rather, it is humble submission to the lordship of our Savior. And Paul is not proposing that our obedience is a means to earn salvation, for our redemption is a gift of grace. Instead, he is saying obedience is our response to the love poured into our hearts by God (Romans 5:5). As we love Him, keeping His commandments becomes a natural outpouring of that love, and we discover that His yoke is not burdensome (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Our obedience becomes a testimony to our union with Christ as others see us living out our faith.
Matthew Henry spoke of our walk with Christ this way, "If we live in him, we shall be rooted in him; and the more firmly we are rooted in him, the more intimately we shall live in him." Rootedness signifies a deep connection, a foundation firmly established in the person of Christ. Jesus illustrated our connection to Him as branches (us) abiding in Him (the vine). (John 15)
It seems clear that there is more to following Jesus as Lord than a checklist of rules to be ticked off dutifully. Instead, Scripture presents our walk as humbly embracing His ways and reflecting on and proclaiming our gratitude for His salvation (Colossians 2:7). The Christian life, at its core, is a life of thanksgiving for what God has done for us.
Friends, our obedience is not a burdensome duty but a joyful response to the One who first loved us. In submission to His lordship, we find the true meaning of living in Christ – a life rooted, growing, and intimately connected to the source of our salvation.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Father, I don’t know all the plans you have for me today - but You do. And I don’t know all the works that you prepared beforehand for me to walk in today, but let your Word and your Spirit shine a light onto my path today, and so I can obey what you are asking me to do right now. While I don’t see the whole picture, I know you’re calling me forward. So, I will trust and follow you in gratitude for what you have done for me. Amen
Credit: Ron Kelley
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