The Grace Life

"As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Be careful that you do not let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of me, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ. For in him all the fullness of God's nature dwells bodily, and in him you were made full, who is the head of all principality and power,...." Colossians 2:6-11 New Heart English Bible, publicdomainbibles.com 

Paul has his readers return to the time when they received Christ Jesus, the Lord. He did this in Galatians 3:1-3 when those folk had gotten back into legalism and self-help, he asked them some important questions about the how-to of becoming a Christian. Here he cuts to the heart of the matter - and just says that is the way all of Christ is to be lived.

When we received Christ, we just did that, we received. Our part was to willingly open our hearts and lives to Him and say yes. His part was to move inside and gush His love into every fiber of our being (Romans 5:5), forgive us completely, grace us with His strength and energy for life, etc.... Our part is that of receiving what another has done for us and given to us.

Now, the Christian life is to be lived the same way. "As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him...." The marvelous truth of all the riches of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Him are for the purpose of being received and discovered. They are our empowerment for living a life in the Holy Spirit.

In legalism, the way to victory is taught this way; when I avoid what I need to stay away from, then I get stronger and stronger. When I concentrate on the ways aI have failed, then repent well and once again can try. What a vicious circle of me! Living in Christ is much more simple than that. When I, in faith, receive what has been done for me and given to me, I become rooted and built up in Him, abounding in faith and filled with thanksgiving. The ways of grace are the opposite of the ways of legalism and accomplishment.

His caution is that we would not exchange the ways of Christ (grace given, grace received) by allowing anyone to rob us and lead us into the ways of men's thoughts (philosophy and empty deceit, after the tradition of others, and after the elements of the world...." I want to spend some time on this portion, so will plan on that tomorrow. Plan to join me.

The main thrust I sense for today is that the ways of walking (living) the Christ-life is to trust Him in grace for all He has done and has given to us as His co-heirs. In receiving all that, we have no need for old fashioned legalist and the self-help approach to victory that is always illusive. Instead, we have the victory already, and we are empowered to live in it. Read the passage in your Bible and see what Paul is telling them (us). We are a blessed people - people of the Living God in Christ Jesus our Lord!