“Sanctification is preaching the Gospel to the unreached places of your heart.” J.D. Greear
Growing in Christ is simply growing deeper in the Gospel. Colossians 2:6 says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…” I had always read this verse as a task-master. “Walking in Christ” meant all of the things I was supposed to now DO FOR Christ…read my Bible, pray, evangelize, go to church, do ministry, be good, stop sinning, give money to missions, go on missions trips, etc., etc., etc. The list was never-ending.
As I was memorizing this verse several months ago, God freed another part of my heart through His blessed Gospel. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord.” PAUSE–how did I receive Christ? How did you receive Christ? Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH in Jesus. So, the way I “received Christ Jesus the Lord” is BY GRACE. “Therefore, AS you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…” So the way that I “walk in Him” is BY GRACE. Paul is instructing the Colossians to continue to walk in grace, in the Gospel. He is saying that grace wasn’t just to save you, it is to sustain you, to grow you, to mature you, to complete you. There is freedom in grace, there is bondage in self-made or self-kept religion.
There is nothing you can do to earn or lose favor with God, if you are in Christ…WALK daily in that glorious GRACE.
