COLOSSIANS: STABILITY BY CHRIST'S ALL-SUFFICIENCY AND SUPREMACY

Part IV: God's Plan For Stable Christian Living

(Colossians 1:9-12)

I. Introduction

A. Today's unsettling, insecure world has led many believers to become unsettled and insecure, so in contrast to today's world, we believers need to focus on the stability and security we have in our Lord.

B. The Colossian epistle presents Christ's all-sufficiency and supremacy in ways that settle and provide security, and one way it does so is by teaching us God's plan for stability in our Christian walk.

C. Colossians 1:9-12 teaches this plan, and we view it that we might understand and apply it for stability in life:

II. God's Plan For Stable Christian Living, Colossians 1:9-12.

A. Having heard of the evidences of their true conversion to Christ, what we viewed in our last lesson from Colossians 1:3-8, Paul gave ceaseless intercessory prayer on behalf of his Colossian readers, Colossians 1:9a.

B. That prayer dealt with the application of God's plan for their lives, and Paul sought God's involvement to establish his believing readers in a spiritually stabilizing life as described in Colossians 1:9b-12 (as follows):

1. Paul asked God to fill his believing readers with the knowledge of His will, Colossians 1:9b. Such knowledge comes to a mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit versus the sin nature (1 Corinthians 2:5-6, 13) coupled with one's exposure to Scripture (1 Peter 2:2), so Paul prayed that his readers might rely on the Holy Spirit to read Scripture to acquire a full knowledge of God's will, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 670.

2. The apostle added that he prayed that his readers might gain all wisdom, "practical know-how which comes from God (James 1:5; 3:15)" as well as "understanding" in "clear analysis and decision-making in applying this knowledge to various problems" faced in life, Ibid., p. 670-671; Colossians 1:9c. By relying on the Holy Spirit, one can thus not only acquire full knowledge of God's will, but attain the wisdom and understanding to analyze problems faced in life and make edifying decisions in applying that knowledge.

3. The goal of gaining such full knowledge and its edifying application to life's problems was that Paul's readers might walk "worthy" of the Lord, that they might literally live "of equal weight," or live equal to God's standards in life in terms of righteousness, Colossians 1:10a; Ibid., p. 671. Incidentally, such a life is not primarily pleasing to other people, but it is pleasing to God, Col. 1:10b ESV; Galatians 1:10; Ibid.

4. Paul then added four results of such a life in the form of Greek participles (as follows), Galatians 1:10c-12:

a. This godly life would result in one's bearing fruit, producing righteousness in his works, Col. 1:10c.

b. This godly life would result in one's growing or maturing in his faith, Colossians 1:10d.

c. This godly life would result in one's being strengthened with all power according to God's spiritual might in the inner man that he might become patient and long-suffering with joy in trials, Col. 1:11; Ibid.

d. This godly life would result in one's giving thanks to God the Father who has made the believer fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light, Colossians 1:12.

Lesson: Because of the positional stability Paul's believing readers had due to their salvation in Christ, he knew God had a plan for their stability in their experience of living the Christian life. He thus prayed for God to implement His plan, asking Him (1) to fill his readers with the knowledge of His will, what occurs through one's relying on the Holy Spirit in reading Scripture. (2) Thus fully knowing God's will, by continuing to rely on the Holy Spirit, Paul prayed that his readers might gain practical insight in applying Scripture knowledge to the trials they faced in life with the ability to have clear analysis and decision-making in doing so. (3) The goal of such knowledge and its wise application would be lives lived equal to God's righteous standard that pleases not as a goal other people, but it pleases the Lord. (4) Consequently, Paul added that these people would thus (a) bear fruit in the Christian life, (b) mature in the faith, (c) be strengthened with all spiritual might and power unto becoming patient and long-suffering in life's trials with joy (d) to the end that they would give thanks to God the Father Who had made them fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light in God's heavenly glory.

Application: (1) If we are truly saved, may we rely on the Holy Spirit as we expose our hearts and minds to God's written Word that we might fully understand His will and then understand how to apply His Word to addressing trials we face in the Christian life! (2) As a result, we will see God's standard of holiness attained in our lives, a standard that pleases the Lord instead of primarily trying to please other people. (3) In the end, we will thus enjoy real fruit-bearing in righteousness, real maturity, real strengthening unto all needed patience and long-suffering in life's trials with joy that leads to real thanksgiving to God for making us fit inheritors of heaven's glory!