A Study of The Book
of Colossians
Praying for a worthy
walk
Colossians 1:9-12 SCC
2.12.12
Introduction:
OUR GOAL FOR ONE ANOTHER OUGHT TO BE THE PURSUIT OF THE
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 9
This ought to be a high priority concern:
It was for this
reason: Hearing of the good report of the Colossian believers in that city
from Epaphras, ceaseless prayer was being offered to
God on their behalf. That good report included their faith v 4, and their love
in the Spirit v 8. Paul never forgot to pray for them when he regularly prayed.
Actually this praying had been ceaseless since the day he had heard of their
spiritual transformation.
And
asking God: So the kind of praying was
intercessory praying. It is the general word for ‘praying’ and means to ask,
make a petition, or requesting God on one’s behalf. So this praying was focused
and directed with an outcome of some kind in mind for the ones on whose behalf
requests are being made. All of the imagery here is of energetic, repetitious,
deliberate, driven intercessory prayer. The idea is that this kind of praying
for these kinds of reasons ought to be a high priority in our praying for one
another. Too often this is silent and missing in our prayer requests!
The concern is for knowledge:
That you may be filled with the knowledge of
His will: The content of the prayer is for ‘knowledge’. It is not for
‘experience’ or ‘knowledge by experience’. The hope is to be ‘filled’ with this
knowledge. The idea is to be filled out to completeness so that this knowledge
permeates all of one’s life. The specific knowledge is ‘the will of God’. That
is, God’s will as revealed to the prophets and apostles. So it is the knowledge
of the will of God, which ought to be our paramount concern for one another.
But specifically how should we expect to see the knowledge of Gods will in
one’s life?
The knowledge is of putting God’s will to work:
In all spiritual
wisdom and understanding: First, the
outcome of this knowledge is expressed in
all spiritual wisdom. Here it is the idea of applying the knowledge of
God’s will to life’s situations. Specifically how the will of God is applied in
all of daily life. Second, the outcome of this knowledge is expressed in all spiritual understanding. Here
the idea is putting together information, drawing conclusions, and seeing
relationships between God’s will and specific life situations. The nature of
this wisdom and knowledge is spiritual not
fleshly. It has to do with a heavenly kingdom orientation of life. Looking
through the lens of how they think in heaven. Then putting that to use in one’s
life situation here on earth.
NB: The
controlling idea is the significance of the will of God being put to use in all
of one’s life situations, relationships, opportunities, ambitions, and
decisions. Put to use in a way that appropriately applies God’s mindset in
specific ways based on proper understanding of the mind of God. This is what we
ought to pray for and work toward in one another’s lives.
THE RESULT OF LIVING OUT GOD’S WILL IS A WORTHY WALK 10
This means living your life by the Lord’s standards:
So that you may live your life worthily of
the Lord: Since we live for an audience of One, then make sure our lives
are conducted before Him by skillfully putting His will to use. The word means
‘equal weight’ so that believer’s lives are equal to the same standard God
expects. That is being holy as He is holy. So a transformed character is
demonstrated that meets God’s standards and is worthy of the quality His will
reveals to us.
This means living your life so God is pleased:
To please Him in all respects: You have
an obligation to take responsibility for your life. That is, to have a worthy
conduct that pleases him in every aspect of life and in every way. The outcome
of the spiritual nature of the wisdom and understanding of the application of
God’s will is a life that is well lived and worth the breathe that sustains it.
Paul even fleshes this concept out in his own life when he writes, Therefore, also we have as our ambition
whether at home or absent (from the body) to be pleasing to Him (2
Corinthians 5:9). But what is it that characterizes a worthy walk? There are at
least four characteristics of a worthy walk based on knowledge of the will of
God applied to life.
A worthy walk is characterized by:
1.
A life bearing fruit in every good deed.
So a basic component of a life well lived from Gods perspective is one that is
fruitful. This fruitfulness will be manifested by every good work or deed. The
quality of the work is described as good. The nature of that goodness is
compatible with whatever the will of God is in life. God determines what makes
a life well lived. The fruit of that life is one consistent with the will of
God. We do not get to determine that. The problem in the garden was Eve and
Adam determining what was in their best interests instead of submitting to
God’s will for that. That is also our problem. The issue for you and me will be
who gets to determine what is in our best interests. 1 John 5:3 says, For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. The reason God’s
people break his commandments is due to their believing that they are
burdensome, that His will does not reflect their best interest. Your best will
always reside within His will and His commandments reflect His will.
2.
A life growing in the knowledge of God.
The point of knowing the will of God is so we can ultimately know who God is.
This is something that needs to be cultivated in our lives. We grow up by this
knowledge. The will of God is a window into the mind and heart of God. Ignoring
or spurning or changing the will of God as we live life distances us from knowledge
of God. So it seems that we have two decisions in life. One is to pursue life
away from the will of God and see what we can get away with. The other is to
pursue what seems to be closest to the heart of God through the pathway of His
revealed will in scripture. This is the path by which we grow in the knowledge
of God.
3.
A life of spiritual strength v 11. Here
are included three words for strength. One is to ‘be strengthened’. The other
is ‘power’. The last is ‘might’. So the idea is being strengthened with all
power and might spiritually. All this is according to God’s glorious might. The
same might which raised Jesus from the dead (Eph 1:19-20). So the necessity is
that we live within the realm of a spiritually strong life—one that is
energized by a powerful spiritual aptitude to put to use the will, heart and mind
of God in life circumstances. The reason
is twofold: (1) for displaying great endurance, which implies not easily
succumbing under suffering. In other words, having such spiritual strength that
you will not find a way out of the will of God when it is hard. (2) for displaying patience, which implies self-restraint which
does not hastily retreat. So not only will one not lose heart but also he will
not want to retaliate in life.
4.
A life of thankfulness to God v 12. This
kind of patient-producing power in life is accompanied by joyfully not
begrudgingly giving thanks to God the Father. This concept is everywhere in
scripture (1 Thess 5:18; Phil 4:6; Gal 5:22). And
what is this thanksgiving centered upon? Three things:
(1) God has qualified us or made
us competent. He has made me able and fit for something. Anything I have and
anything I am finds its source in God my Father. Pride is artificial inflation.
It is making something of myself that is not true. Pride is independence from
God. It is really just a bunch of hot sir since it refuses to acknowledge God,
His power and ability to make me fit and able in life.
(2) To share in the inheritance
of the saints. I am qualified by God the Father to have this inheritance making
it possible for me to share in it by His grace. I did not earn it or deserve
it. He made me fit for it. This inheritance is the kingdom treasures that
belong to us as believers in our new eternal parcel.
(3) It is in an entirely new
realm—one in the light. This is the spiritual sphere to which we have been
transferred in v 13-14—a new kingdom in which we belong and have our being.
Ø
A worthy walk ought
to be the result of knowing God.
Ø
Steadfastness and
patience takes a great deal of power.
Ø Thanksgiving ought to be for spiritual blessings first and foremost.