Walking in Christ means continuing in the same manner you received Him: through faith, growing deeper in relationship, building your life on His foundation, and overflowing with gratitude.
Paul’s instruction connects initial salvation to ongoing Christian living.
The way you began with Christ is the way you continue with Christ.
Many believers start well through simple faith but then shift to complicated religious performance or human effort.
This passage calls us back to the simplicity and power of life rooted in Jesus alone.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7, NIV
These two verses contain four rich metaphors describing spiritual growth: walking, being rooted, being built up, and overflowing.
Each image reveals different aspects of how believers develop spiritually while remaining anchored in Christ.
The passage speaks against self-made spirituality while pointing to authentic life found only in Jesus.
The Foundation: Receiving Christ Jesus as Lord
How We Initially Receive Christ
Paul begins with “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord.” This anchors everything that follows. The Colossians received Christ through faith, not works. They heard the gospel, believed it, and trusted Jesus for salvation.
The Greek word for “received” (paralambanō) means to take to oneself or accept. It pictures receiving a gift. You don’t earn gifts. You simply receive what comes to you. Salvation works this way. God offers Christ. We receive Him.
Notice Paul doesn’t say “Christ Jesus as helper.” He says “Christ Jesus as Lord.” Receiving Christ means acknowledging His authority over your life. True faith submits to Jesus as Master.
The Significance of “Christ Jesus as Lord”
This title carries weight. “Christ” means Anointed One. “Jesus” means “The Lord saves.” “Lord” declares divine authority. Together, the title proclaims: The man Jesus is the promised Messiah who holds divine authority.
When you receive Christ Jesus as Lord, you receive everything. You don’t need additional religious experiences or secret knowledge. Christ Himself is sufficient.
The Command: Continue to Walk in Him
What “Walking” Means in Scripture
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.
Colossians 2:6, KJV
“Walk” translates the Greek peripateō, meaning to conduct one’s life or behave habitually. Walking describes your daily conduct and general life direction. It’s not occasional spiritual experiences but consistent living.
Scripture frequently uses walking metaphorically. We walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), in love (Ephesians 5:2), and in light (1 John 1:7). The command “continue to walk” uses present tense, indicating continuous action. Keep walking. Make it your habitual pattern.
Walking As You Received
The crucial phrase is “just as you received.” Your ongoing walk should match your initial receiving. How did you receive Christ? By grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Continue the same way.
Many believers unconsciously think: “I was saved by grace, but now I maintain salvation by effort.” Paul destroys this logic. You were saved by faith. You also grow by faith. Same foundation. Same power. Same method.
Walking “In Him”
“In him” appears repeatedly in Colossians. Christian life happens inside relationship with Christ. Walking in Him means your daily life flows from connection to Christ. You don’t walk toward Him as distant goal. You walk in Him as present reality.
The First Metaphor: Rooted in Christ
The Agricultural Image
Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:7, ESV
Paul shifts to agricultural imagery. “Rooted” translates rhizoō, meaning to cause to take root. The verb indicates completed action with ongoing results. You have been rooted and remain rooted.
Trees with deep roots demonstrate this principle. Strong roots don’t appear overnight but develop slowly, reaching deeper over time. Shallow-rooted plants wither when conditions turn difficult. Deep-rooted plants endure drought and storms.
What Provides Deep Roots
Roots grow through what Paul mentions: being taught. The Colossians had received sound teaching about Christ. As they continued in biblical truth, their roots deepened.
This emphasizes Scripture’s role. God’s Word roots believers in Christ. We grow deep through knowing, believing, and applying biblical truth. Daily Scripture reading may seem ordinary, but it creates extraordinary depth over time.
The Stability Roots Provide
Deep roots provide stability against false teaching. When roots run deep, winds of doctrine can’t topple you. You recognize error because you know truth. Without deep roots in biblical truth, people get blown about by every new teaching.
The Second Metaphor: Built Up in Christ
The Construction Image
Paul shifts from agriculture to architecture. “Built up” translates epoikodomeō, meaning to build upon a foundation. If “rooted” emphasizes depth, “built up” emphasizes growth.
Buildings rise progressively. Foundation comes first, then walls, then roof. Each stage builds on what precedes it. Spiritual growth works similarly. You build on the foundation of Christ.
Christ as the Foundation
Paul elsewhere writes, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Christ isn’t one foundation option. He’s the only foundation.
This means every aspect of Christian living must rest on Christ. Your assurance? Based on Christ’s work. Your growth? Enabled by Christ’s power. Your hope? Grounded in Christ’s promises. Everything builds on Him.
The Process of Being Built Up
The passive voice (“being built up”) indicates God does the building. You’re not the builder but the building. God is constructing you into what He intends.
God builds as you cooperate through spiritual disciplines: prayer, Scripture reading, worship, fellowship, obedience. These aren’t ways you build yourself. They’re ways you position yourself for God to build you.
The Third Metaphor: Strengthened in Faith
What “Strengthened” Means
Continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7, NLT
“Strengthened” translates bebaioō, meaning to make firm or establish. Your faith becomes increasingly firm as you walk in Christ. New believers often have weak faith. Mature believers develop strong faith through years of seeing God’s faithfulness.
The phrase “as you were taught” connects strengthening to instruction. Faith grows stronger as biblical teaching shapes your thinking.
Faith as the Means of Walking
Notice faith isn’t the destination but the means. You’re not walking toward faith. You’re walking by faith. Faith is how you walk in Christ.
Strengthened faith doesn’t mean needing faith less. It means trusting more deeply and consistently. Mature believers don’t graduate beyond faith. They trust more completely.
The Result: Overflowing with Thankfulness
The Connection Between Growth and Gratitude
Paul concludes with “overflowing with thankfulness.” As you walk in Christ, rooted and built up, gratitude increases. “Overflowing” translates perisseuō, meaning to abound or overflow abundantly. This describes gratitude that can’t be contained.
Why does walking in Christ produce overflowing gratitude? Because you increasingly recognize what you have in Him. You see His sufficiency, experience His faithfulness, know His love.
Gratitude as Spiritual Marker
Gratitude marks spiritual health. Ungrateful people focus on what they lack. Grateful people recognize what they possess. Christians rooted in Christ overflow with thanks because they’ve received everything in Him.
Paul’s emphasis on gratitude directly counters false teaching. Those teachers promoted dissatisfaction with Christ alone. Grateful people don’t seek more because they recognize Christ’s complete sufficiency.
Cultivating Thankfulness
Thankfulness grows through intentional practice. Count blessings daily. Rehearse God’s faithfulness regularly. Express gratitude verbally. Thank God for specific provisions. Scripture memory also cultivates gratitude, reminding us what we have in Christ.
Prayer for Grace to Walk Faithfully in Christ
Father, help me walk in Christ as I received Him: by simple faith. Deepen my roots through Your Word. Build me up into maturity. Strengthen my trust in You. Cause thanksgiving to overflow from my heart as I recognize Christ’s complete sufficiency. Guard me from seeking anything beyond Jesus. In His name, Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean practically to walk in Christ daily?
Walking in Christ daily means living in conscious dependence on Him rather than self-reliance. It involves starting each day acknowledging your need for His strength, making decisions by asking what honors Him, responding to difficulties by trusting His goodness, and recognizing that spiritual fruit comes from abiding in Him, not striving independently.
How do I know if I’m rooted in Christ?
Evidence of being rooted includes stability during trials, not being easily swayed by false teaching, finding nourishment in Scripture, experiencing sustained spiritual life even through dry seasons, and having convictions based on biblical truth rather than feelings. Shallow-rooted believers wither quickly; deep-rooted ones endure.
Can I be built up in Christ without formal Bible training?
Yes. While formal training helps, being built up primarily requires faithfulness to biblical truth you already know. Attend a solid church, read Scripture regularly, apply what you learn, and seek godly mentors. God builds spiritual maturity through faithful obedience to known truth more than academic achievement or credentials.
Why does Paul emphasize thankfulness in this passage?
Thankfulness directly counters the dissatisfaction false teachers promoted. They suggested Christ alone wasn’t sufficient, creating discontent. Grateful believers recognize they have everything in Christ. Gratitude also marks spiritual health, showing we appreciate God’s gifts. Moreover, thanksgiving sustains faith during difficulties by refocusing attention on God’s goodness.
How does this passage relate to fighting legalism?
The passage combats legalism by emphasizing that we continue in Christ the same way we received Him: by grace through faith. Legalism adds human requirements to God’s grace. Paul insists Christian living operates on faith, not works. We don’t earn spiritual growth through effort but receive it through dependence on Christ.
Works Cited and Theological Study Resources
The Bible (NIV, KJV, ESV, NLT). (2011). Various publishers. [Primary Scripture]
Bruce, F. F. (1984). The epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament). Eerdmans. [Academic Commentary]
Carson, D. A., & Moo, D. J. (2005). An introduction to the New Testament (2nd ed.). Zondervan. [Scholarly Introduction]
Desiring God Ministries. (2023). Living by faith in future grace: Understanding Colossians 2:6-7. Desiring God. [Christian Blog]
Garland, D. E. (1998). Colossians and Philemon (NIV Application Commentary). Zondervan. [Practical Study]
The Gospel Coalition. (2024). Walking in Christ: Practical discipleship from Colossians. The Gospel Coalition. [Christian Blog]
Lightfoot, J. B. (1879). Saint Paul’s epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon. Macmillan. [Classic Commentary]
Moo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Eerdmans. [Contemporary Analysis]
O’Brien, P. T. (1982). Colossians, Philemon (Word Biblical Commentary). Word Books. [Exegetical Work]
Piper, J. (2014). Think: The life of the mind and the love of God. Crossway. [Theological Reflection]
Challies, T. (2022). Rooted and built up: Spiritual growth in Colossians. Challies.com. [Christian Blog]
Wright, N. T. (1986). Colossians and Philemon (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries). InterVarsity Press. [Accessible Commentary]
