The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
–1 John 2:6
When Doug and his bride, Sylvia, entered the honeymoon suite, they were surprised by how small it was. They saw a closet door, sleeper sofa, and two end tables, but no bed. After an uncomfortable night on the sofa, Doug went to the desk and gave the manager a tongue-lashing. The manager was perplexed. He said, “Didn’t you open the door?” Doug went back to the suite and opened what he had thought was the closet door. Inside was a beautiful bedroom, complete with flowers, fruit, and candy for the newlyweds. Though Doug and Sylvia had entered the suite, they hadn’t gone far enough inside–and they missed everything that had been planned for them.
A lot of Christians are like those newlyweds: they make the initial decision to trust in Christ, but they don’t go far enough into their relationship with Christ to experience all the benefits of their salvation. As a result, they’re missing out on what God has planned for them, and they’re tempted to chase after other philosophies or experiences to find fulfillment in life.
In Colossians 2, Paul shared five keys for standing firm in your faith and not wandering away. First, strengthen your mind with the Word of God. Second, remain unified with other Christians. Third, be assured of the identity and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. In verse 6, we find a fourth secret for remaining strong in your faith: walk in Christ. Paul wrote, “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
To understand what it means to walk in Christ, we have to understand what it means to receive Christ. Many Christians would say receiving Christ means inviting Him into your heart or asking Him to take control of your life. But nowhere in the Bible is a non-Christian instructed to do those things in order to become a Christian. Becoming a Christian has to do with placing your full trust in Jesus to save you from your sins. In John 3:14–15, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” That’s what it means to receive Christ.
Look again at Colossians 2:6: “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” The phrase “to walk” means to conduct your daily life. Paul was referring to how you live your life after you trust in Christ as your Savior. To walk in Christ means to pattern every part of your life after that of Jesus Christ.
