Continue how you began…

“As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” Col 2:6

I’ll never forget the first time those words echoed in my heart. College, probably sophomore year, Pastor Mark read them slowly. So walk… the room stood still.

So walk in Him. Of course!  Why hadn’t I understood it before? I was striving, struggling, trying trying trying to live a life of faith. I was frustrated, defeated, discouraged. What was I doing wrong? No matter how early I rose in the morning or how long I prayed I still seemed to struggle. Ready to raise the white flag, I came to Bible study.

As you have received Christ …

How did I receive Christ? As a child. A 5-year-old child. Did I have anything to offer God? Nope. Did I have to rise at 5am to earn His love? Did I try really hard and pray exactly the right words and sweat my way into His kingdom?

No.  How did I receive Christ?

I bowed. I clasped my starfish hands and …

asked.

I asked. I brought empty hands and bowed my head and bent my knees and asked God for the gift of grace.

So walk in Him…

Why do we think that we continue any differently than we began?

Sinners are not only saved by grace through faith, but the saved sinner lives by grace through faith.

Grace is the way to life and the way of life.

Paul would say to the Galatians and me,

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (3:3)

Would we really receive God’s glorious gift of salvation and then push His hand aside, “Thanks, God, but I can take it from here.”

Are there any areas in our lives that are, essentially, saying those words?

Let’s continue how we began… amen?

{Think today of how you received Christ. What would it look like to walk in that manner today? Practically, what would that look like, if you lived that way today? Thank you, as always, for reading.}