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6As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. 7Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.

The early Church taught the people how to walk as Christ walked, they taught them how to regulate their lives and conduct themselves in union with and conformity to Him! That is what the early Church taught,

6As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. 7Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.

Just as we have borne the image of the man of the dust (the fallen nature inherited by Adam), so shall we and let us also bear the image of the Man of heaven-which is Christ!

49And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven.

When we look through the Gospel's we see what Christ did and said while He lived and walked among us in the tent of His flesh. We see what He did and said, but do we see how He walked? Christ walked by what He saw and heard in the realm of the Spirit, He walked after that which He was shown in heaven, through the Scriptures, by the Spirit! That is how He walked!

38I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father's side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father.

Then Jesus goes on to tell us, that He is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but that He only does what He sees the Father doing,

18This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him [to do away with Him]; because He not only was breaking (weakening, violating) the Sabbath, but He actually was speaking of God as being [in a special sense] His own Father, making Himself equal [putting Himself on a level] with God. 19So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. 20The Father dearly loves the Son and discloses to (shows) Him everything that He Himself does. And He will disclose to Him (let Him see) greater things yet than these, so that you may marvel and be full of wonder and astonishment.

Jesus is talking about His close accompaniment, participation and proximity to the Word (at that time the Old Testament, which was the voice of His Father), made alive by the Spirit of God. The Word, alive by the Spirit within Him! It was the very substance of His inner being!

So, if Christ Himself could do nothing other than by His union with the Father (the Word made alive by the Spirit), what about us?

6As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. 7Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.

Jesus told us, without a vital union with Him, we can do nothing!

1I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. 3You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. 4Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. 5I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. 9I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. 10If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love. 11I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. 12This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. 15I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] 16You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. 17This is what I command you: that you love one another. 18If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. 20Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours. 21But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.

Christ dwelling in our hearts, is not just a fond memory of His sacrifice on the Cross for us, Christ dwelling in our hearts takes place when we abide in His Word and His Word abides in us! On the inside of us! Within us! Christ in us and among us takes place as His Word empowered by the Spirit becomes the substance of our inner beings!

4Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

When we dwell in Him, in His Word, in spirit and in truth, He will dwell in us! Then we will begin to realize and possess in reality the glorious riches of the glory of this mystery of Christ-which is Christ within and among you!

21And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities, 22Yet now has [Christ, the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the Father's] presence. 23[And this He will do] provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith [in Christ], well-grounded and settled and steadfast, not shifting or moving away from the hope [which rests on and is inspired by] the glad tidings (the Gospel), which you heard and which has been preached [as being designed for and offered without restrictions] to every person under heaven, and of which [Gospel] I, Paul, became a minister. 24[Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. 25In it I became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]-- 26The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints), 27To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory. 28Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One). 29For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.

And we will realize the Hope-God's Hope, the Hope of realizing the Glory! And we will bear His image!