“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” (Col. 2:6)
Learning to walk is a milestone for every child at about 12 months old. Learning to walk in Christ is an aspiring goal for every child of God. We might fall as we learn to walk, but the Lord is there to help us back up.
We must first receive Christ before we can walk in him. Martin Luther said, “It ought to be the primary goal of every Christian to put aside confidence in works and grow stronger in the belief that we are saved by faith alone.” (The Freedom of a Christian: Luther Study Edition, 2008, p. 55). We recognize our sinfulness and our need for a Savior. Then, by faith alone, we receive his gift of salvation and his lordship in our lives. We welcome him as our Master and our King. We won’t regret that.
Once we receive him, we walk in him. The emphasis is not “walk” but “in him.” We have tried to walk without him, and it never succeeds. He doesn’t decide to walk with us when we are good enough. He invites us to walk in his grace, assurance, hope, authority, and fruitfulness.
Dear family, walk in Christ Jesus the Lord even if you have failed in the past. Grab his hand and head out on a glorious adventure together.