This is Part 4 of a 15 part Bible Study on the book of Colossians.
Compiled and written by Norma Becker – a true woman of God and God’s word.
FREE – Printable e-book version
Part 4 – Knowledge of His Will
Paul asked God to fill them with the knowledge of His will, with all the wisdom and understanding that His Spirit gives.
Applying this to us, how do we get this knowledge of His will? His will is not a secret, but it takes work on our part. We can’t pick and choose how much of His will we want to follow. We can get this knowledge of His will by reading, hearing, meditating on as well as obeying what He says in His word. Then the Holy Spirit gives us the understanding and wisdom that is the practical know-how or the ability to apply this knowledge to problems in our every day life.
However, He won’t continue to give us more wisdom and understanding if we aren’t following what we already know. This all takes obedience.
Now look at verse 10. In what ways is God’s will to be translated into practical, daily living?
- Live a life worthy of the Lord,
- May please him in every way and
- Bearing fruit in every good work.
These good works are the ones that He has prepared from the beginning for us to do according to 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.”
It talks of growing in the knowledge of God, do we live the way He wants? Do we really want to or only if it doesn’t seem to require too much time or effort on our part?
- How do we know God’s will for our life?
- How do we know if we are walking worthy of Him?
- Who or what is our standard?
- Will we know if we are out of His will? (If God has a will and we can know it, we can also know if we are out of His will and the consequences.)
Then he goes on,
“it pleases him to strengthen us with power.”
Do you think this power is only given out according to our needs? It is not given but His abundant supply is there for the taking. How great is the power that is available? Power of His glorious might – literally the might of his glory, as much power as it took to raise Christ from the dead is available to us.
“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14).
What Does this Power do for us?
It gives us endurance and patience (see verse 11).
What Does He Mean by Endurance?
Endurance is the capacity to see things through. A lack of endurance often results in despondency or losing heart.
What is Patience?
In spite of injury or insult, does not retaliate. Lack of patience often leads to wrath or revenge.
Thankfulness and gratitude is the result of a fruitful Christian life. (see verse 12) Joyful thanksgiving, not thanks given begrudgingly. Thanks because He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light (His children).It doesn’t stop with the deliverance from the authority of darkness or sin, but He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son. It is like removing us from one country, where there is a lot of corruption and bad leadership, and resettling or re-establishing us in another country where Christ is the sovereign ruler.
Another way of putting it is that we are qualified to have a portion of the heritage belonging to God’s people.
I am so impressed with the orderly progression of things Paul prays for. Let’s see how he wants our Christian life to progress.
- Knowing God’s Will
Starting in verse 9, the first thing he prays for is that we know God’s will. We have to know His will so we can walk worthy of Him. - Walk and Mature in Our Faith
The rest of the prayer is how to walk or mature in our faith. Of course our standard for walking worthy of the Lord is Christ Himself.
The decision has been made to follow the Lord and to do His will. The Holy Spirit will now make the wisdom of the Bible available to us. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to have spiritual understanding. This gives us the desire to live the way God wants us to and to do what pleases Him. It pleases Him for us to do the good works that He has planned for us and as we do this, we grow in knowledge of Him.
Tap Into His Resour Nces
If we have done all these things we will be strong in His strength – not in our own. We will have tapped into His resources. We can pray for the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. When we have His resources, the fruit of the Spirit, then we are able to endure any circumstance that we encounter. We are able to endure with patience. Because of endurance and patience we can give thanks with joy through all things because we have that hope – salvation – that he has reserved for us.
So knowledge promotes service, service is repaid by strength and all is crowned with thanksgiving.
Can you recall an experience in your life that taught you how to draw on God’s strength as mentioned in verse 11? Were you a new Christian or a more mature one at the time?
In verse 12, we give thanks to the Father because He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. What is the kingdom of light? It is His kingdom. Another way of putting it is that we are qualified to have a portion of the heritage belonging to God’s people and in the Son He loves, we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
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