The Christian Walk In A Nutshell

The Christian walk is to grow in love in the likeness of Christ, by Christ, in Christ and for Christ.

"The" - function word to refer to a definite, particular or unique object/noun/verb; strong emphasis

"Christian" - one who was saved by God through grace from His judgment that is brought about by man's sinful state. A Christian has been purchased by the sacrifice of the great Lord Jesus on the cross and he also possesses the Holy Spirit that continually works within him, transforming him into the image and likeness of Christ. The work of the Spirit brings fruits (e.g. repentance, godliness, wisdom, fortitude, etc.) that inevitably manifest in his life.

"Walk" - (verb) not idle or stagnant, pressing forward constantly with an overcoming of sin; (noun) a manner of living, a lifestyle

"To grow" - to increase, expand or develop into maturity; this means that Christians are initially immature and unregenerate and they need to learn, unlearn and be transformed constantly in their lives here on earth

"Love" - devotion or affection; the greatest attribute; possessing every Christian virtue with the exception of love makes everything else meaningless; every godly virtue and commandment branches out from love; every act of God is based on love (and yes, even the terrible judgment in the great white throne of God in revelation is an act of love)

"To grow in love" - to develop and mature in the context of love

"To grow in love in the likeness of Christ" - to develop and mature in the context of love and also in conformity to Christ; in other words, to become like Christ

"By Christ" - focusing on connotative meaning, what I meant here is that "we are to grow in love in the likeness of Christ by the power of Christ". It is impossible to be like Christ without the power of Christ that is exercised by the Holy Spirit. Even after receiving the saving grace of God, our very character has to be changed because sin has done so much damage in the very corners of our soul that we are constantly under its unholy influence. We need to be recreated by the Holy Spirit. He works in the very faculties of our soul, bringing about changes that manifest in our lives. He does not only change our attitude or perspective towards things, He changes our very nature so that every perspective, attitude and characteristic is conformed to God's desire.

"In Christ" - focusing again on the connotative meaning, what I meant here is that "we are to grow in the likeness of Christ not only by His power but also in His presence". We are to grow in His company, within His domain. This also means to experience and worship Him as we live in communion with Him.

"For Christ" - This means that a Christian truly belongs to Christ, not the world or any other "principality". We are not only slaves to righteousness but to Christ, Himself, the Source of all righteousness. Like Paul, we are bond servants of Jesus. We are made for Him and meant only for Him. He owns us and we personally delight in His ownership. All the laws and commandments that we are to obey have been created out of love. And all of them have one main purpose: to love God and worship Him in spirit and truth. Regeneration is just a means to our Great End that has no end: God. After the work of regeneration is complete, we are to live with Him as true bond servants (as we did on earth), worshiping Him day and night in heaven, throughout eternity. We do so not only because the Spirit irresistibly drives us or God commands it but because, we, given our new, completed natures, truly want and love Him.