As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Colossians 2:6
A university professor, encouraging his students to do well in their upcoming exams, gave them an unusual piece of advice. He told them to go out and buy themselves new clothing, a new dress, sports coat, sweater, or something that looked good on them, and to wear that new clothing to the exam. He assured them they would make better marks. Surprisingly, the students who followed his advice found themselves performing much better than they expected on the exam, and their marks improved significantly over their previous tests. An old saying that has a great deal of truth in it is ‘Clothes make the man’. While it is true that we should not judge people based on how well they are dressed, it is also true that clothes that we know improve our appearance also make us more confident and capable of performing at our best. This is what Paul had in mind when he urged the Christians in Colosse to walk in Christ.
Paul told these folks that they had received Jesus Christ as their Lord. Whatever allegiances they had in their unsaved days, those were gone. The One into whom their lives were committed was none other than the Son of God, the Lord from Heaven. This is the One who had delivered them from the darkness of idolatry and rebellion and had brought them into a saving relationship with Himself and an eternal sonship with the Father. He had also clothed them in His own righteousness. Thus dressed, these saints could go forth in confidence to follow their Saviour’s pattern as they lived before the world. Their walk was in His righteousness, so it behooved them to walk worthy of the one who was their Lord. Their walk was in His power, so it behooved them to go forth in confidence and faithfulness. Their walk was in His likeness, so it behooved them to temper their holy boldness with humility and service.
Like the Colossians, you and I have acknowledged the Lordship of Christ. Like them, God sends us forth to walk in Him. May we imitate His footsteps, display His character, and proclaim His message! -Jim MacIntosh