COLOSSIANS – Part Two

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

www.godsbreathpublications.com

 

Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome. Epaphras, the pastor of the church in Colossae, came to Paul to share how well the Christians were growing in faith, but also to ask for help to address the issue of false teaching that was threatening the church. Paul responded by writing this letter of encouragement that is packed full of basic doctrine concerning Christ and the Gospel. It is unclear what the exact heresy was that was attempting to creep into the church at Colossae, but it had elements of Jewish observances of the Law as well as paganism and Gnostic beliefs. It is very relevant for us today, for we are surrounded by pagan beliefs and ascetic religious concepts, while at the same time dealing with a new resurgence of Gnostic conceptual influences. In this second part of this series on the epistle of Colossians Paul shares his prayer for the spiritual growth of the Christians in Colossae.

 

Colossians 1:9-14

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

 

Paul shares that from the very first day he was made aware of the Christians who were committed to Christ in the city of Colossae, he began fervently praying for them. He tells us that he prayed that God would fill the Colossians with the knowledge of God’s will. When a Christian grows in godly spiritual knowledge they are basically gathering scriptural information and increasing in awareness of concepts and precepts that God wishes them to live by. Here Paul prays that once this knowledge is acquired, that the Christians at Colossae will understand the meaning of such knowledge and then apply it through using godly wisdom. Today most Christians do not lack Biblical knowledge, they simply fail at times to comprehend and understand how to apply it to daily living. They consider it good information to know, but fail to discern how to use it practically in life. A second aspect of failure to apply spiritual knowledge can be, that though it is understood and fully comprehended a Christian, can at times make a choice not to apply it to their lives because they choose to let their flesh rule life rather than the Spirit. We see here that Paul prays that the Colossians receive knowledge, but also most importantly, that they understand it and apply it with wisdom in every situation in life. Just like the Colossians, we today are able to understand the meaning of the spiritual knowledge we acquire through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He will instruct us in its meaning and also convict us to apply it wisely to our lives. John 16:13-15 tells us the Spirit who is given to us when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior will teach us. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”

 

In verse 10 Paul gives the reason for this prayer. He states, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:” Paul knows that if knowledge is understood and produces wisdom it will have an impact on the life of a Christian if it is continually obeyed and applied to one’s life. But how does this proper application of godly knowledge please God? Paul tells us in the next few verses,

 

Colossians 1:10-12a

“bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”

 

Paul lists in his prayer several results of applying what we have learned as a believer to our lives. These godly results please our Heavenly Father and bring honor to our Lord, Jesus Christ. First we will bear spiritual fruit. As we learn God’s truths, understand them and apply them the Holy Spirit will manifest in our lives the fruits of the Spirit.

 

Galatians 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

 

These fruits of the Spirit will become a part of the expression of our faith in all areas of our lives in the good works we do. This is part of our calling as Christians, to do good works in the power of the Spirit.

 

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

 

2 Corinthians 9:8-9 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

 

2 Timothy 2:20-21 “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”

 

As we grow in knowledge of God we will be strengthened in our faith by the power of God

 

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, 3:3 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word…But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”

 

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

As we continue to grow in understanding and wisdom we will also increase in our spiritual endurance and faith. That is the process of becoming more and more mature as a follower of Christ. Everything that God placed in the Bible as He inspired holy men of God to write it was written to teach us, to increase our spiritual endurance and to validate and establish our hope in Him.

 

Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

As we gain knowledge, increase in understanding, apply wisdom, do good works, grow in our endurance we will walk in a worthy manner that is pleasing to the Lord. This is the process of becoming more and more like Christ, which is the process of becoming more holy each and every day. This fulfills our true calling as a child of God.

 

1 Peter 1:15-16 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

 

This type of lifestyle will not only bring our Heavenly Father joy and pleasure, but it will also increase and expand the joy in our own lives because we are living according to the pattern for which we were created. We will be in constant fellowship with God, keeping in step with the Spirit and living Christ-like in all areas of our lives. This type of lifestyle manifests joy in our lives and stimulates us to give thanks to our Heavenly Father.

 

 Colossians 1:11b-12a

“…and joyfully giving thanks…”

 

Paul knows and assures the Christians at Colossae that as they walk according to the life of Christ they will be filled with the joy of the Lord. When you are obedient to the Lord’s commands and seek to love others, there is an overwhelming joy that fills your entire being. In the Old Testament this was called the “joy of the Lord” and we know it gives us great strength and endurance in the midst of hardships, testings and struggles. Nehemiah 8:10 states, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.” This joy comes not only from living a life pleasing to the Lord but also because we know that God has made it possible for us to share in the bountiful inheritance that He lavishes upon us because we have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and are now considered a saint (holy in His sight) who is part of His kingdom of light. He grants us forgiveness for our sins, bestows upon us eternal life and gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us. He also gives us a new nature and heart so we are no longer bound by our sinful nature.

 

Colossians 1;12-14

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

 

In ancient times it was the practice of a conquering king to take captive those he had conquered and transplant them into his own kingdom. This is what has happened with us. We were captives of Satan in his domain of darkness and sin before we accepted Christ as Savior. When we were rescued by our King, Jesus Christ, we were transplanted into God’s Kingdom. This brings us great joy. This joy is with us each day and can increase as we continue to experience the blessings of God and sense the change He is constantly making in our lives as we walk according to the pattern His Son set as an example.

“At the close of life the question will be not, how much you have got, but how much you have given; not how much you have won, but how much you have done; not how much you have saved, but how much you have sacrificed; how much you have loved and served, not how much you were honored.”

Nathan C. Schaeffer

 

In the next part of this series we will learn something of the glory and uniqueness of Jesus Christ our Lord and how this affects the way we live as His followers!