Christians generally associate faith with their salvation experience, and rightly so. By believing in Christ, we enter into a relationship with Him. But that's not the end—afterwards comes a lifetime of walking with Him.
Since the word walk is used to describe behavior and conduct, we may mistakenly conclude that after salvation, the Christian life is all about performance. But [Colossians 2:5-7] clearly [states] that we walk with Christ in the same way we received Him—by faith. This means we place our trust in Him for every circumstance of life. To help us understand this, Paul uses some phrases which describe how confidence in God grows:
"Having been firmly rooted"—At the moment of salvation, believers are "planted" in Christ. Our roots grow deep as we anchor ourselves in the Lord, drawing our spiritual nourishment from Him.
"Being built up in Him"—The believer's life is built on the foundation of the Savior through obedience. God wants us to choose precious and valuable building materials that will last into eternity (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
"Established in your faith"—In time, as we begin to understand more about the Lord and how He operates, our trust in Him increases, and we experience stability even in the winds of adversity.
In our goal-oriented society, it's easy to forget that walking in Christ is a process. While on earth, we never "arrive" but are slowly transformed along the way. As we trust the Lord, our hearts will overflow with gratitude for all His blessings and the stability He offers in every circumstance.
~Charles Stanley~
Since the word walk is used to describe behavior and conduct, we may mistakenly conclude that after salvation, the Christian life is all about performance. But [Colossians 2:5-7] clearly [states] that we walk with Christ in the same way we received Him—by faith. This means we place our trust in Him for every circumstance of life. To help us understand this, Paul uses some phrases which describe how confidence in God grows:
"Having been firmly rooted"—At the moment of salvation, believers are "planted" in Christ. Our roots grow deep as we anchor ourselves in the Lord, drawing our spiritual nourishment from Him.
"Being built up in Him"—The believer's life is built on the foundation of the Savior through obedience. God wants us to choose precious and valuable building materials that will last into eternity (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
"Established in your faith"—In time, as we begin to understand more about the Lord and how He operates, our trust in Him increases, and we experience stability even in the winds of adversity.
In our goal-oriented society, it's easy to forget that walking in Christ is a process. While on earth, we never "arrive" but are slowly transformed along the way. As we trust the Lord, our hearts will overflow with gratitude for all His blessings and the stability He offers in every circumstance.
~Charles Stanley~
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