As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
As believers first received Christ Jesus as Lord, so they are to go on living in union with him just as at the beginning, not drawing back or being led away. Receiving him is by faith, giving oneself to God for obedient service and trusting him for Christ's sake to atone for sin and change the heart, which brings full conversion, a new heart, and growth toward perfection. Walking in him is by that same faith day by day, keeping Christ abiding in the heart, asking for his Spirit and sustaining grace, and following him as the pattern by looking to Jesus and walking in his footsteps. That walk is being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, abounding with thanksgiving that overflows to refresh others and meets trial with Christlike patience. It therefore refuses to be spoiled by philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly principles, because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ in whom believers are complete, and it lives this out in separation from the world, obedience to God's law, and self-denying service that bears much fruit.
Receiving Christ by Faith
Receiving Christ is by faith, meaning giving oneself to God for service and obedience and trusting that for Christ's sake God atones for sin and changes the heart, since people cannot do this themselves. The same way of receiving is the way to live in him, remaining his day by day rather than drawing back or taking oneself away from him, and asking for his Spirit and sustaining grace. Growing in him is by that same faith, giving him heart, will and service and receiving him as the fullness of blessing abiding in the heart as strength, righteousness and helper who gives power to obey.
Through faith repenting, believing sinners are united with Christ, and rooted and built up and established in him. Christ does as much for them each day as when they first surrendered their hearts to Jesus. Walking in him means keeping the first love, with the love he has manifested growing into increasing love, and putting self to death even though self dies hard. The life of grace is always a life of faith, because without Christ nothing can be done and without faith God cannot be pleased.
Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord is a living personal experience of what Christ is by experience and faith that gives a living connection with God and becomes an abiding power within. Walking in him means keeping that connection and with divine earnestness telling what he is in order to draw people to him and give prominence to his saving efficacy. Receiving him as personal Saviour means continuing to live in him, and being rooted and built up in him gives stability against deceptive teachings and false claims of science. Those who truly receive him show honesty and integrity in their dealings.
Receiving Christ leads to Christian obedience, full conversion, and a life shaped by faith and love, with believers devoting themselves to his service and growing toward Christian perfection. It includes accepting God's message as divine rather than treating it as merely human, and living consistently with it instead of ridiculing it or placing a stumbling block before others. Those born again receive a new heart with new desires, purposes and motives, and are no longer willing subjects of sin. The new birth is only the beginning, and walking in him means maintaining his patience and gentleness through temptation, trial and opposition, answering accusations with scriptural truth and relying on God's grace rather than facing evil alone, so that patient endurance builds strength and even failure and apparent defeat become ways to learn, overcome and gain victory.
Continuing to Walk in Him
As Christ Jesus the Lord was received, so believers are to keep walking in him, continuing to live in union with him just as at the beginning rather than drawing back or taking themselves away from him or being led away from him by philosophy and deceit, human tradition, or worldly principles. This continuing life is to be rooted and built up in him and firmly established in the faith as taught, growing firm in faith and abounding with thanksgiving, and it keeps believers from linking with the world, losing the knowledge of God, and departing from the faith. A heart filled with gratitude overflows in love and thanksgiving that refreshes others, overlooks small grievances, and meets greater difficulties with Christlike patience, perseverance, and forbearance, while in trial the Spirit strengthens the tempted.
Walking in him is by the same faith as receiving, remaining his day by day, abiding in the heart, asking for his Spirit and sustaining grace, and continuing in that same faith without losing first love. As at first believers gave themselves to God for service and obedience and trusted that for Christ's sake God would atone for sin and change the heart since they could not do this themselves, so they are to grow in him by giving him heart, will, and service. Repenting, believing sinners are united with Christ and rooted and built up and established in him, and Christ does as much for them each day as when they first surrendered, keeping the first love with love growing into increasing love and putting self to death, for without Christ nothing can be done and without faith God cannot be pleased. He is received as the fullness of blessing, abiding in the heart as strength, righteousness, and helper who gives power to obey, and walking in him means relying on his righteousness which brings life and healing by taking away sin and putting his righteousness in its place rather than trusting human righteousness.
Walking in him means following him as pattern in all things by looking to Jesus, contemplating his life and character, studying his examples and lessons, and walking in his footsteps. Faith and practice are to remain grounded in Christ and in the truth as taught and as it is in Jesus, not led astray by ideas that do not come from his teaching, and that rooted and grounded condition is the only safety against Satan's schemes, worldly amusements, selfish interests, and self-indulgence. This study of the life of Christ calls for greater earnestness and energy than games or secular studies, bringing the sharpest thoughts and best energies to the problem of future well-being, because eternal interests are higher than any earthly enterprise beside which every other interest sinks into nothingness. Such walking qualifies a person to fill any and every position required, coming fully out of the world and being separate while living in the world without being of it as a living representative of Jesus, keeping the simplicity in Christ, walking worthy by fruitfulness in every good work and increasing knowledge of God, so that Christian character becomes complete rather than weak, dwarfed, or immature through persistent effort.
Walking in him means hiding in Jesus and living in him, making God the trust and keeping the fear of God continually before the mind. This walk requires power from God that is sought in prayer and is joined with joy and peace, and it gives victory at every step, while failure to trust leads to yielding to temptation and being overcome. By it believers are strengthened, established, settled, and rooted in themselves, so that envy, evil speaking, and the beguiling false tongue do not open mind and heart to easy conquest.
Walking in him is joined to the Spirit's presence with Christ abiding in the heart, for the religion of Christ means more than forgiveness: it removes sin and fills the heart with the Holy Spirit, brings divine light and joy in God, and empties the heart of self, leading to growth in grace and making the church living, active, and working. Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord is a living personal experience of what Christ is by experience and faith that gives a living connection with God as an abiding power within, and walking in him means keeping that connection and with divine earnestness telling what he is, drawing people to Christ and giving prominence to his saving efficacy in order to teach Jesus.
Rooted Established and Thankful
To walk in Christ after receiving him as Lord is to stay in living union with him, growing upward and firm, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as taught, with thanksgiving. This rooted growth refuses dwarfed, weak and babyish stuntedness and refuses linking with the world, losing knowledge of God and departing from the faith. It refuses being spoiled and led away by philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments and not after Christ, because all fullness of deity dwells bodily in him and believers are complete in him as head of all principality and power.
The walk abounds with thanksgiving, and the thankful heart continually overflows in love and blessing to others like a well of living water springing up to refresh them. It overlooks little grievances and meets larger difficulties with Christlike patience, perseverance and forbearance, praying to God for that spirit. When the enemy comes like a flood in trial, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard and strengthens tried and tempted souls.
That thanksgiving is joy in the privilege of rich grace, appreciating Christ and his mercies and cultivating gratitude so that God's salvation is seen. It receives God's rich, full, abundant and assuring promises and refuses to turn from Christ to humanity or to human guidance for help. It knows what Christ is to believers and becomes his helping hand to others in true self-denying and self-sacrificing service.
Living in Christ in this way shapes speech and temper, for well-chosen words lift minds while cheap conversation is sinful. When love for divine things is cultivated and Jesus abides in the heart by faith, speech reveals his presence instead of returning to old habits, speaking own words, and acting foolishly and frivolously or relying on self. Walking in him maintains his patience and gentleness through temptation, trial and opposition, answering accusations with scriptural truth and relying on God's grace rather than facing evil alone, so that patient endurance builds strength and even failure and apparent defeat become lessons toward victory. So strengthened, established, settled and rooted within, envy, evil speaking and the beguiling false tongue do not open mind and heart to easy conquest.
This rooted and grounded condition in the truth as it is in Jesus is the only safety against Satan's schemes, worldly amusements, selfish interests and self-indulgence. It keeps believers on the solid rock instead of being moved onto sliding sand by philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments. It lives from the completeness found in Christ, submitting the intellect to the molding of the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom from above rather than placing the wisdom of so-called great men before the greatest Teacher and drinking from broken cisterns that hold no heavenly water. It looks to Jesus, contemplates his life and character, and follows in his footsteps.
Warning Against Deceptive Teaching
As received, Christ Jesus the Lord is to be lived in continually, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith as taught, and abounding with thanksgiving. In that continuing walk is a warning to beware lest anyone spoil believers through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men and after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. The danger points out the need for the soldier of the cross to be always on guard so the enemy never takes him at a disadvantage. Those who claim their lives are hid with Christ in God must therefore guard most carefully against the principles of the world.
The warning covers teaching like that of the Jewish teachers, who filled minds with maxims and suppositions, made Scripture mean what God never designed, and forced their odd ideas on the people. It covers being beguiled by enticing and persuasive words, deceptive theories, philosophy and empty deceit following human tradition and worldly principles rather than Christ. It covers false claims of science and other teachings and influences that would draw away from the gospel. Christ is the only safe guide against them, with all treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in him and all fullness of God dwelling bodily in him.
For the perils of the last days the same warning holds believers fast from drifting into superstitions and theories that disconnect them from one another and from Christ. It guards against becoming unsettled by seeking originality and taking up new and strange ideas flattered as new truth and new light that captivate minds and withdraw them from the truth. It guards against independent tracks and against fair words and soft speeches that are false doctrine. Holding fast the truth in the Word of God keeps believers walking and working in perfect unity.
Continuing in Christ requires close, intelligent study of the Word to comprehend it in order to obey it, with heart and mind enlisted in the truth. It means making Christ the only security by studying the Word and securing its large, rich promises, refusing to trust human reasoning or to turn from Christ to humanity for help. It means knowing God's Word and doing it, with the Word as standard and refuge. By diligent search believers grow daily in grace and knowledge, becoming established, rooted and grounded in the truth so that tests and trials through false doctrines do not toss to and fro or move away from the faith.
The walk therefore refuses to be moved onto sliding sand but stays on the solid rock, living from the completeness found in Christ. It requires submitting the intellect to the molding of the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom from above. It refuses to place the wisdom of so-called great men before the wisdom of the greatest Teacher and to drink from broken cisterns that can hold no heavenly water. Listening and yielding to enticement imperils the soul, so believers stay keen, wide awake, and spiritual-minded.
Fullness and Completeness in Christ
The reason for the warning not to be spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments rather than Christ is that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him. Those who have received Christ Jesus as Lord are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power and above every spiritual power and rule and authority. Continuing to walk in Him just as He was first received, rooted and built up in Him and established in the taught faith and abounding with thanksgiving, keeps believers from linking with the world, losing the knowledge of God, departing from the faith, drifting into superstitions and theories, and being misled by persuasive and enticing words. Acknowledging Him as Master leaves no earthly master, and this instruction given for Colossae and Laodicea stands for believers now, calling for humble converted hearts knit together in love with full assurance of understanding and steadfastness of faith in unity.
In Him are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore the Bible is not dark, mysterious and incomprehensible but is the book to be studied and understood with intense interest. Christ's examples and lessons are made the object of study, and looking to Him in whom the fullness dwells and holding fast to Him guards against being beguiled by enticing words and spoiled by human philosophy.
Those complete in Him are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh. They are buried with Him in baptism and risen with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead. They are quickened together with Him from death in sins with all trespasses forgiven. His coming to dwell among humanity made it possible for people through His grace to attain perfection. Walking in Him means relying on His righteousness rather than trusting in human righteousness, for life and healing come through His righteousness which takes away sin and puts His righteousness in its place.
Unity Steadfastness and Message
Walking in him as he was first received means hearts comforted and knit together in love with all riches of full assurance in understanding God the Father and Christ, kept in order and steadfastness of faith with humble converted hearts instead of hindering God's cause and losing bearings. It means staying rooted and built up in him and established in the taught faith, abounding with thanksgiving, and refusing to be spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments rather than after Christ, in whom all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden and all fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily as head over all rule and authority. Being complete in him guards against being misled by persuasive enticing words like those of the Jewish teachers who filled minds with maxims and suppositions and forced Scripture to mean what God never designed.
Holding fast in this walk is holding fast the truth in the Word of God, the first, second, and third angels' messages whose past burden remains the burden to be proclaimed until the close of the work. It keeps believers from drifting into superstitions and theories that disconnect them from one another and from Christ, and keeps them walking and working in perfect unity with Christ's name as watchword, his example as badge of distinction, and his word as foundation of piety. It guards against becoming unsettled by enticing new and strange ideas, independent tracks, and fair words and soft speeches that are false doctrine.
Receiving him in this way includes receiving the word God sends as God's word in truth rather than as originating with men, without holding message and messenger in doubt, and living consistently with that message instead of ridiculing it or placing a stumbling block before others. Applied to the Laodicean church, failure to walk this way leaves the message without influence and leaves believers in darkness about their true state.
The walk forbids finding fault with others and searching out doctrine Christ has not taught, calling believers to ask God to impress this instruction on the mind and help carry it out daily so they may be filled with the fullness of God. It calls them to be one in Christ, to stand united on the platform of eternal truth, and to preach Christ and him crucified. It means acknowledging Christ as Master and no earthly master, following him directly with straight paths, rooted and built up and complete in him in whom all fullness dwells, and refusing to be linked with the world, to lose the knowledge of God, or to depart from the faith. It therefore gives honor to no finite man unless his works testify that God honors and keeps him, refuses respect to one who rejects God's counsel and is influenced by seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, breaks legal bonds and ambitious manipulation of God's work, stands linked with God's appointed messengers, and refuses silence while fables are brought in as truth.
The instruction given for Colossae and Laodicea is for believers now, requiring love for one another and unity. Disregarding its call to love and unity transgresses the law of God as truly as transgressing the fourth commandment.
Daily Obedient Life
Receiving Christ in baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost binds believers to keep walking in him in fulfillment of the baptismal vow and pledge, for the most important work in this world is to continue living in him just as he was received at the entrance of the Christian life. The three great powers of heaven are pledged to give efficiency to all who submit and faithfully keep that vow, remaining rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as taught, abounding with thanksgiving and complete in him. This continuing walk refuses to let worldly spirit and practices take the place Christ should have, guarding against human tradition and deceptive philosophy that would displace him.
Walking in him means coming fully out of the world and being separate, living in the world without being of it as a living representative of Jesus. It keeps the simplicity in Christ without being corrupted from it, walks worthy of the calling by fruitfulness in every good work and increasing knowledge of God, and so becomes rooted and grounded and built up and established in the faith. Those whose lives are hid with Christ must guard most carefully against the principles of the world, lest anyone spoil them and link them with the world so they lose the knowledge of God and depart from the faith, acknowledging Christ as Master and no earthly master.
God's truth in his Word is to be a living abiding principle set over all other influences, exercising power over life and conduct until the whole being is assimilated to the image of the perfect Pattern and the agent is complete in Jesus Christ. This requires contemplating the character of Christ with set purpose to imitate his life and conform character to his, showing a marked difference from the world and refusing to be rooted in self or after man's ideas. As people remain in him, he sanctifies and purifies minds through the truth, enabling them to reveal his character and influence others toward harmony with his mind.
Walking in him is true higher education and persistent effort for eternity to perfect character rather than remain with a dwarfed, weak, babyish experience, because completeness is found in him in whom dwell all treasures of wisdom and knowledge and all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The Bible is therefore not dark and incomprehensible but is to be studied with intense interest, with greater earnestness than for earthly pursuits, studying his life and following his pattern so character becomes complete. This opens a path of continual advancement with an object to reach and a standard to gain that includes everything good and pure and noble and elevating, requiring constant progress toward perfection whose ideal is Christlikeness and whose standard is to be perfect in the human sphere as God is perfect in his sphere, in obedience to his law as the transcript of his character. Such a walk refines taste, sanctifies judgment, softens the heart, and purifies and elevates thoughts into captivity to Christ, never degrading the receiver or making him coarse, rough, discourteous, self-important, passionate, or hard-hearted.
Walking in Christ after receiving him is true self-denying and self-sacrificing service that keeps individual holiness and consecration in view, and through sanctification of the truth abounds in works of benevolence to the uplifting of others. The thankful heart continually overflows in blessings to others like a well of living water springing up into everlasting life, improving every power by using it to benefit and bless, diffusing to fellow men what is received from God, and devising ways to help others daily. Abiding in the vine to bring forth much fruit, believers grow up into Christ the living Head with expanded mind better able to comprehend spiritual things as the reward for using powers to glorify God.
The walk pleases God through sanctified conduct, following the way of life taught, discerning that the commandments are of highest value and demand obedience, receiving righteousness and reconciliation through his blood, becoming one with the Father through him, and walking in perfect obedience with genuine faith. It stays on the solid rock rather than sliding sand, submitting the intellect to the molding of the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom from above instead of placing the wisdom of so-called great men before the greatest Teacher and drinking from broken cisterns. The religion of Christ means more than forgiveness, for it removes sin, empties the heart of self, fills it with the Holy Spirit with divine light and joy, and so leads to growth in grace that makes the church living, active, and working. The verse forbids indolence and calls believers to be diligent constant students who know their lack of wisdom, strength, and experience, place will and all interests in the care of Christ the great Teacher, refuse indolence, and do their best to gain ability as efficient workers for God.
As believers first received Christ Jesus as Lord, so they are to go on living in union with him just as at the beginning, not drawing back or being led away. Receiving him is by faith, giving oneself to God for obedient service and trusting him for Christ's sake to atone for sin and change the heart, which brings full conversion, a new heart, and growth toward perfection. Walking in him is by that same faith day by day, keeping Christ abiding in the heart, asking for his Spirit and sustaining grace, and following him as the pattern by looking to Jesus and walking in his footsteps. That walk is being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, abounding with thanksgiving that overflows to refresh others and meets trial with Christlike patience. It therefore refuses to be spoiled by philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly principles, because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ in whom believers are complete, and it lives this out in separation from the world, obedience to God's law, and self-denying service that bears much fruit.
Receiving Christ by Faith
Receiving Christ is by faith, meaning giving oneself to God for service and obedience and trusting that for Christ's sake God atones for sin and changes the heart, since people cannot do this themselves. The same way of receiving is the way to live in him, remaining his day by day rather than drawing back or taking oneself away from him, and asking for his Spirit and sustaining grace. Growing in him is by that same faith, giving him heart, will and service and receiving him as the fullness of blessing abiding in the heart as strength, righteousness and helper who gives power to obey.
Through faith repenting, believing sinners are united with Christ, and rooted and built up and established in him. Christ does as much for them each day as when they first surrendered their hearts to Jesus. Walking in him means keeping the first love, with the love he has manifested growing into increasing love, and putting self to death even though self dies hard. The life of grace is always a life of faith, because without Christ nothing can be done and without faith God cannot be pleased.
Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord is a living personal experience of what Christ is by experience and faith that gives a living connection with God and becomes an abiding power within. Walking in him means keeping that connection and with divine earnestness telling what he is in order to draw people to him and give prominence to his saving efficacy. Receiving him as personal Saviour means continuing to live in him, and being rooted and built up in him gives stability against deceptive teachings and false claims of science. Those who truly receive him show honesty and integrity in their dealings.
Receiving Christ leads to Christian obedience, full conversion, and a life shaped by faith and love, with believers devoting themselves to his service and growing toward Christian perfection. It includes accepting God's message as divine rather than treating it as merely human, and living consistently with it instead of ridiculing it or placing a stumbling block before others. Those born again receive a new heart with new desires, purposes and motives, and are no longer willing subjects of sin. The new birth is only the beginning, and walking in him means maintaining his patience and gentleness through temptation, trial and opposition, answering accusations with scriptural truth and relying on God's grace rather than facing evil alone, so that patient endurance builds strength and even failure and apparent defeat become ways to learn, overcome and gain victory.
Continuing to Walk in Him
As Christ Jesus the Lord was received, so believers are to keep walking in him, continuing to live in union with him just as at the beginning rather than drawing back or taking themselves away from him or being led away from him by philosophy and deceit, human tradition, or worldly principles. This continuing life is to be rooted and built up in him and firmly established in the faith as taught, growing firm in faith and abounding with thanksgiving, and it keeps believers from linking with the world, losing the knowledge of God, and departing from the faith. A heart filled with gratitude overflows in love and thanksgiving that refreshes others, overlooks small grievances, and meets greater difficulties with Christlike patience, perseverance, and forbearance, while in trial the Spirit strengthens the tempted.
Walking in him is by the same faith as receiving, remaining his day by day, abiding in the heart, asking for his Spirit and sustaining grace, and continuing in that same faith without losing first love. As at first believers gave themselves to God for service and obedience and trusted that for Christ's sake God would atone for sin and change the heart since they could not do this themselves, so they are to grow in him by giving him heart, will, and service. Repenting, believing sinners are united with Christ and rooted and built up and established in him, and Christ does as much for them each day as when they first surrendered, keeping the first love with love growing into increasing love and putting self to death, for without Christ nothing can be done and without faith God cannot be pleased. He is received as the fullness of blessing, abiding in the heart as strength, righteousness, and helper who gives power to obey, and walking in him means relying on his righteousness which brings life and healing by taking away sin and putting his righteousness in its place rather than trusting human righteousness.
Walking in him means following him as pattern in all things by looking to Jesus, contemplating his life and character, studying his examples and lessons, and walking in his footsteps. Faith and practice are to remain grounded in Christ and in the truth as taught and as it is in Jesus, not led astray by ideas that do not come from his teaching, and that rooted and grounded condition is the only safety against Satan's schemes, worldly amusements, selfish interests, and self-indulgence. This study of the life of Christ calls for greater earnestness and energy than games or secular studies, bringing the sharpest thoughts and best energies to the problem of future well-being, because eternal interests are higher than any earthly enterprise beside which every other interest sinks into nothingness. Such walking qualifies a person to fill any and every position required, coming fully out of the world and being separate while living in the world without being of it as a living representative of Jesus, keeping the simplicity in Christ, walking worthy by fruitfulness in every good work and increasing knowledge of God, so that Christian character becomes complete rather than weak, dwarfed, or immature through persistent effort.
Walking in him means hiding in Jesus and living in him, making God the trust and keeping the fear of God continually before the mind. This walk requires power from God that is sought in prayer and is joined with joy and peace, and it gives victory at every step, while failure to trust leads to yielding to temptation and being overcome. By it believers are strengthened, established, settled, and rooted in themselves, so that envy, evil speaking, and the beguiling false tongue do not open mind and heart to easy conquest.
Walking in him is joined to the Spirit's presence with Christ abiding in the heart, for the religion of Christ means more than forgiveness: it removes sin and fills the heart with the Holy Spirit, brings divine light and joy in God, and empties the heart of self, leading to growth in grace and making the church living, active, and working. Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord is a living personal experience of what Christ is by experience and faith that gives a living connection with God as an abiding power within, and walking in him means keeping that connection and with divine earnestness telling what he is, drawing people to Christ and giving prominence to his saving efficacy in order to teach Jesus.
Rooted Established and Thankful
To walk in Christ after receiving him as Lord is to stay in living union with him, growing upward and firm, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as taught, with thanksgiving. This rooted growth refuses dwarfed, weak and babyish stuntedness and refuses linking with the world, losing knowledge of God and departing from the faith. It refuses being spoiled and led away by philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments and not after Christ, because all fullness of deity dwells bodily in him and believers are complete in him as head of all principality and power.
The walk abounds with thanksgiving, and the thankful heart continually overflows in love and blessing to others like a well of living water springing up to refresh them. It overlooks little grievances and meets larger difficulties with Christlike patience, perseverance and forbearance, praying to God for that spirit. When the enemy comes like a flood in trial, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard and strengthens tried and tempted souls.
That thanksgiving is joy in the privilege of rich grace, appreciating Christ and his mercies and cultivating gratitude so that God's salvation is seen. It receives God's rich, full, abundant and assuring promises and refuses to turn from Christ to humanity or to human guidance for help. It knows what Christ is to believers and becomes his helping hand to others in true self-denying and self-sacrificing service.
Living in Christ in this way shapes speech and temper, for well-chosen words lift minds while cheap conversation is sinful. When love for divine things is cultivated and Jesus abides in the heart by faith, speech reveals his presence instead of returning to old habits, speaking own words, and acting foolishly and frivolously or relying on self. Walking in him maintains his patience and gentleness through temptation, trial and opposition, answering accusations with scriptural truth and relying on God's grace rather than facing evil alone, so that patient endurance builds strength and even failure and apparent defeat become lessons toward victory. So strengthened, established, settled and rooted within, envy, evil speaking and the beguiling false tongue do not open mind and heart to easy conquest.
This rooted and grounded condition in the truth as it is in Jesus is the only safety against Satan's schemes, worldly amusements, selfish interests and self-indulgence. It keeps believers on the solid rock instead of being moved onto sliding sand by philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments. It lives from the completeness found in Christ, submitting the intellect to the molding of the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom from above rather than placing the wisdom of so-called great men before the greatest Teacher and drinking from broken cisterns that hold no heavenly water. It looks to Jesus, contemplates his life and character, and follows in his footsteps.
Warning Against Deceptive Teaching
As received, Christ Jesus the Lord is to be lived in continually, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith as taught, and abounding with thanksgiving. In that continuing walk is a warning to beware lest anyone spoil believers through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men and after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. The danger points out the need for the soldier of the cross to be always on guard so the enemy never takes him at a disadvantage. Those who claim their lives are hid with Christ in God must therefore guard most carefully against the principles of the world.
The warning covers teaching like that of the Jewish teachers, who filled minds with maxims and suppositions, made Scripture mean what God never designed, and forced their odd ideas on the people. It covers being beguiled by enticing and persuasive words, deceptive theories, philosophy and empty deceit following human tradition and worldly principles rather than Christ. It covers false claims of science and other teachings and influences that would draw away from the gospel. Christ is the only safe guide against them, with all treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in him and all fullness of God dwelling bodily in him.
For the perils of the last days the same warning holds believers fast from drifting into superstitions and theories that disconnect them from one another and from Christ. It guards against becoming unsettled by seeking originality and taking up new and strange ideas flattered as new truth and new light that captivate minds and withdraw them from the truth. It guards against independent tracks and against fair words and soft speeches that are false doctrine. Holding fast the truth in the Word of God keeps believers walking and working in perfect unity.
Continuing in Christ requires close, intelligent study of the Word to comprehend it in order to obey it, with heart and mind enlisted in the truth. It means making Christ the only security by studying the Word and securing its large, rich promises, refusing to trust human reasoning or to turn from Christ to humanity for help. It means knowing God's Word and doing it, with the Word as standard and refuge. By diligent search believers grow daily in grace and knowledge, becoming established, rooted and grounded in the truth so that tests and trials through false doctrines do not toss to and fro or move away from the faith.
The walk therefore refuses to be moved onto sliding sand but stays on the solid rock, living from the completeness found in Christ. It requires submitting the intellect to the molding of the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom from above. It refuses to place the wisdom of so-called great men before the wisdom of the greatest Teacher and to drink from broken cisterns that can hold no heavenly water. Listening and yielding to enticement imperils the soul, so believers stay keen, wide awake, and spiritual-minded.
Fullness and Completeness in Christ
The reason for the warning not to be spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments rather than Christ is that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him. Those who have received Christ Jesus as Lord are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power and above every spiritual power and rule and authority. Continuing to walk in Him just as He was first received, rooted and built up in Him and established in the taught faith and abounding with thanksgiving, keeps believers from linking with the world, losing the knowledge of God, departing from the faith, drifting into superstitions and theories, and being misled by persuasive and enticing words. Acknowledging Him as Master leaves no earthly master, and this instruction given for Colossae and Laodicea stands for believers now, calling for humble converted hearts knit together in love with full assurance of understanding and steadfastness of faith in unity.
In Him are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore the Bible is not dark, mysterious and incomprehensible but is the book to be studied and understood with intense interest. Christ's examples and lessons are made the object of study, and looking to Him in whom the fullness dwells and holding fast to Him guards against being beguiled by enticing words and spoiled by human philosophy.
Those complete in Him are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh. They are buried with Him in baptism and risen with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead. They are quickened together with Him from death in sins with all trespasses forgiven. His coming to dwell among humanity made it possible for people through His grace to attain perfection. Walking in Him means relying on His righteousness rather than trusting in human righteousness, for life and healing come through His righteousness which takes away sin and puts His righteousness in its place.
Unity Steadfastness and Message
Walking in him as he was first received means hearts comforted and knit together in love with all riches of full assurance in understanding God the Father and Christ, kept in order and steadfastness of faith with humble converted hearts instead of hindering God's cause and losing bearings. It means staying rooted and built up in him and established in the taught faith, abounding with thanksgiving, and refusing to be spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments rather than after Christ, in whom all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden and all fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily as head over all rule and authority. Being complete in him guards against being misled by persuasive enticing words like those of the Jewish teachers who filled minds with maxims and suppositions and forced Scripture to mean what God never designed.
Holding fast in this walk is holding fast the truth in the Word of God, the first, second, and third angels' messages whose past burden remains the burden to be proclaimed until the close of the work. It keeps believers from drifting into superstitions and theories that disconnect them from one another and from Christ, and keeps them walking and working in perfect unity with Christ's name as watchword, his example as badge of distinction, and his word as foundation of piety. It guards against becoming unsettled by enticing new and strange ideas, independent tracks, and fair words and soft speeches that are false doctrine.
Receiving him in this way includes receiving the word God sends as God's word in truth rather than as originating with men, without holding message and messenger in doubt, and living consistently with that message instead of ridiculing it or placing a stumbling block before others. Applied to the Laodicean church, failure to walk this way leaves the message without influence and leaves believers in darkness about their true state.
The walk forbids finding fault with others and searching out doctrine Christ has not taught, calling believers to ask God to impress this instruction on the mind and help carry it out daily so they may be filled with the fullness of God. It calls them to be one in Christ, to stand united on the platform of eternal truth, and to preach Christ and him crucified. It means acknowledging Christ as Master and no earthly master, following him directly with straight paths, rooted and built up and complete in him in whom all fullness dwells, and refusing to be linked with the world, to lose the knowledge of God, or to depart from the faith. It therefore gives honor to no finite man unless his works testify that God honors and keeps him, refuses respect to one who rejects God's counsel and is influenced by seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, breaks legal bonds and ambitious manipulation of God's work, stands linked with God's appointed messengers, and refuses silence while fables are brought in as truth.
The instruction given for Colossae and Laodicea is for believers now, requiring love for one another and unity. Disregarding its call to love and unity transgresses the law of God as truly as transgressing the fourth commandment.
Daily Obedient Life
Receiving Christ in baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost binds believers to keep walking in him in fulfillment of the baptismal vow and pledge, for the most important work in this world is to continue living in him just as he was received at the entrance of the Christian life. The three great powers of heaven are pledged to give efficiency to all who submit and faithfully keep that vow, remaining rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as taught, abounding with thanksgiving and complete in him. This continuing walk refuses to let worldly spirit and practices take the place Christ should have, guarding against human tradition and deceptive philosophy that would displace him.
Walking in him means coming fully out of the world and being separate, living in the world without being of it as a living representative of Jesus. It keeps the simplicity in Christ without being corrupted from it, walks worthy of the calling by fruitfulness in every good work and increasing knowledge of God, and so becomes rooted and grounded and built up and established in the faith. Those whose lives are hid with Christ must guard most carefully against the principles of the world, lest anyone spoil them and link them with the world so they lose the knowledge of God and depart from the faith, acknowledging Christ as Master and no earthly master.
God's truth in his Word is to be a living abiding principle set over all other influences, exercising power over life and conduct until the whole being is assimilated to the image of the perfect Pattern and the agent is complete in Jesus Christ. This requires contemplating the character of Christ with set purpose to imitate his life and conform character to his, showing a marked difference from the world and refusing to be rooted in self or after man's ideas. As people remain in him, he sanctifies and purifies minds through the truth, enabling them to reveal his character and influence others toward harmony with his mind.
Walking in him is true higher education and persistent effort for eternity to perfect character rather than remain with a dwarfed, weak, babyish experience, because completeness is found in him in whom dwell all treasures of wisdom and knowledge and all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The Bible is therefore not dark and incomprehensible but is to be studied with intense interest, with greater earnestness than for earthly pursuits, studying his life and following his pattern so character becomes complete. This opens a path of continual advancement with an object to reach and a standard to gain that includes everything good and pure and noble and elevating, requiring constant progress toward perfection whose ideal is Christlikeness and whose standard is to be perfect in the human sphere as God is perfect in his sphere, in obedience to his law as the transcript of his character. Such a walk refines taste, sanctifies judgment, softens the heart, and purifies and elevates thoughts into captivity to Christ, never degrading the receiver or making him coarse, rough, discourteous, self-important, passionate, or hard-hearted.
Walking in Christ after receiving him is true self-denying and self-sacrificing service that keeps individual holiness and consecration in view, and through sanctification of the truth abounds in works of benevolence to the uplifting of others. The thankful heart continually overflows in blessings to others like a well of living water springing up into everlasting life, improving every power by using it to benefit and bless, diffusing to fellow men what is received from God, and devising ways to help others daily. Abiding in the vine to bring forth much fruit, believers grow up into Christ the living Head with expanded mind better able to comprehend spiritual things as the reward for using powers to glorify God.
The walk pleases God through sanctified conduct, following the way of life taught, discerning that the commandments are of highest value and demand obedience, receiving righteousness and reconciliation through his blood, becoming one with the Father through him, and walking in perfect obedience with genuine faith. It stays on the solid rock rather than sliding sand, submitting the intellect to the molding of the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom from above instead of placing the wisdom of so-called great men before the greatest Teacher and drinking from broken cisterns. The religion of Christ means more than forgiveness, for it removes sin, empties the heart of self, fills it with the Holy Spirit with divine light and joy, and so leads to growth in grace that makes the church living, active, and working. The verse forbids indolence and calls believers to be diligent constant students who know their lack of wisdom, strength, and experience, place will and all interests in the care of Christ the great Teacher, refuse indolence, and do their best to gain ability as efficient workers for God.