Starting Place. Colossians 2:6. It seemed normal, though not very meaningful at first. That was probably all we could expect when we first put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We had a vague awareness of God that we hadn’t experienced before, especially when He seemed irrelevant to us, and we ignored Him and His great salvation. Then, an incident happened—an extraordinary event, an awakening. Maybe it was the loss of a loved one, a long-standing hope shattered, and the regular course of life was disturbed.
Then, some news came, a message was delivered, and long-held confusing thoughts were now clarified. God had spoken. He is real, after all. It is true that Christ Jesus came into the world long ago, and He died—the just One for the unjust, paying the price of sin—so that we might be saved. A choice is set before us that we can't avoid—God offers salvation by grace through faith. The mind is opened, the heart is moved, and the truth of the Gospel is believed. Repentance happens as we become aware of our need; Christ is turned to and gladly welcomed as our personal Savior and Lord.
Relief may be the first sign that faith in Christ has brought light to the darkness in our souls. A peaceful confidence offers calmness, and we begin a new life. New desires arise; we want to thank God for what He has done for us. Other people come to mind, and we want to share the Savior we have come to trust. We haven't just turned a page in our old life; that was a new beginning. The Spirit of God gave us new life and moved into us, and in this new life, He anoints and seals us with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Now Jesus Christ is Lord, the Supreme One. Life is lived with Him in control. New desires have come, and old ones have gone, all part of saving the soul. Each day has different goals; we work but with different motivations. When we received Christ Jesus the Lord, God gave us our salvation. We didn't then, nor will we ever earn or deserve this great blessing God gave as a gift. The difference now is that His will is our guide as the Spirit leads us through life and opens doors of faith that make life truly abundant. All the things we do and the way we do them have God's glory as our aim. Whatever we do, whether it's a small task or a great one, we now do it in Jesus' name.
We can live for the Lord Jesus Christ by dedicating our lives and will to Him as our Lord. By seeking to learn from His word, His earthly life, and the teachings He gave, what was once hidden becomes real and personal to us. The Holy Spirit within guides us into all truth, reveals Christ to us, and shows us future things. The close, spiritual, and living union we share with Him is a fact and a power that strengthens us so we can live for God.
To “walk in Him” means living in alignment with Him. Obeying Him, doing things His way, making decisions according to God's will, and confessing Him as Lord with our words are all part of what it means to be “in step” with Him. This is a life of growth, not just activity. Our Lord Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us; we should do the same for others. He came to seek and save the lost; we should do that by fulfilling the mission He entrusted to us. He prayed and preached; we need to stay in fellowship with God through prayer and reading His Word. The Lord went to the house of the Lord and read the Bible there. He wants us to “forsake not the assembling of ourselves together” and to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him when we gather with His people. He was holy in His walk, words, and works, and He desires us to be like Him. This is what it means for us to “walk in Him” – following in His steps.