Walking In His Life Series

The TV show “The Chosen” is one of the most eye-opening I’ve ever seen. It is a series depicting the ministry of Jesus in as realistic a way as possible. It is powerful. One of the most appealing things about it is that you really get the feel of what it would be like to live like one of the disciples. It would be absolutely incredible to be able to live and witness what the disciples did.

However, we tend to forget that we have it even better because we are able to virtually walk in Jesus sandals. When we became believers, the Bible tells us that we should associate our life with the life of Jesus. No we don’t go back and live like a carpenter, speak Aramaic, and live on the road for 3 years. But the key events of Jesus life become ours.

It is not merely that we believe what Jesus did for us in dying on the cross. But we are actually living in his life. His life becomes our life. And that changes everything for us.

Jesus was filled with God’s holiness and presence.

Jesus put off all temptations.

Jesus died and was buried.

Jesus physically rose from the dead.

All these things that He experienced, we also experience because we are IN HIM.

We are continuing in Colossians today and beginning in chapter 2:6 Paul writes this:

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

What is he saying here? Don’t be distracted or deceived into thinking Christianity is just human tradition, just a philosophy, just a way of thinking. NO! It is the life of Christ in you. You received Jesus the Lord, so you are walking IN HIM and WITH HIM.

As we look further into these verses, I would encourage you to notice in your Bible and underline all the places where “in him” and “with him” is found (at least 9 times!). It is a key concept for us because we find our identity and security and hope and future based on being IN and WITH Jesus every day of our lives.

I think of those school bus drivers who pick up kids on the way to school every day. They get inside the bus and they are safe. They are safe from the cold. The driver knows the route and will get them through the snow and ice and finally to the destination. All because they are IN the bus. They put their trust in the bus driver and the bus.

In a similar way, when we become believers, we are putting our lives in the hands of Christ. He is like that bus and his life becomes our life. His security becomes ours. His entire journey is ours. And we know how that ends – with victory!

What in Jesus life can we claim for our life as his followers?

First, notice that JESUS WAS FILLED WITH GOD’S DEITY and so are we!

Verse 9 – “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Did you catch that? IN HIM (Jesus) is the fullness of deity. Jesus has all of God’s presence in him. Although he had a body, God’s presence filled him from head to toe from the moment he was conceived through all his earthly life to today. He is 100% God.

And then verse 10 makes this shocking statement – “and you have been filled IN HIM.” What does that mean??? It means that when we place our trust in Christ, when we lay our lives in his hands, God the Father looks at us as if we were his own Son! We are filled with Jesus life. His life substitutes for ours. His holiness and godliness is overshadowing our failure and sins.

We don’t have to work and toil and sweat in order for God to look upon us with favor and blessing. We don’t need to prove to God our goodness and godliness so that he approves of us and loves us.

When we are IN HIM, God look at us as holy, pure, sacred, priceless, as his own child. And he receives us as his own. Yes, we should do good things, and try to follow the commandments and bless others and serve. But these things are not to gain his approval, but out of the fact that we already are his own. We are filled with life of Jesus over our entire body, soul, and spirit!