Here is a pivot in the letter, a summary of what has been said, and a springboard into what is to come.
Paul speaks of a past experience – gracious, decisive and concrete – in which we embraced Jesus Christ the Lord as proclaimed in the gospel. The title is shorthand for all that Paul has spoken of Christ in endorsement of the gospel preached by Epaphras: it speaks of Jesus’ relationship to God and to men, and his exclusive and absolute rule over the first and new creations.
Then there is a present activity: “so walk in him.” Paul commands those who have received Christ to live so as to reflect our union with him. Indeed, we cannot so walk without union with Christ – sinners do not earn grace by obedience, they obey because they have received grace. We might as well tell a pauper to live like a prince in order to be adopted into the king’s family; it only demonstrates his inability. But tell a pauper adopted by the king to live like a prince, and the command makes sense! The power for such a life comes from our union with Christ (Jn 15.4-5) and the character demonstrated is Christlike (1Jn 2.6).
Finally, we observe a permanent connection: “as . . . so . . .”. We must go on and end as we began, and that can never be apart from Christ. We first came to him urgently, unreservedly, humbly, effectually, and gratefully, and so we must always come – never imagining that we can advance without him, go on apart from him, remembering that our life, strength, righteousness, acceptance, and holiness are bound up always and entirely in him.
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