Colossians 1:1-14
Friday, 14 January 2022
“… that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God...” -Colossians 1:10
The Epistle to the Colossians begins with Paul’s earnest prayer for the young church in Colossae. The Apostle thanks God for their faith and love rooted in the hope of heavenly joy and continues to pray that the believers be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through wisdom and understanding by the Holy Spirit (Vs 9). This should be our desire too - not only to receive the Gospel in faith, but also to continue living a Christ-centered life daily. We ought to ask that the Holy Spirit, the Teacher (John 14:26) will fill us with the knowledge of God’s will. Only by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, can we grow in the Lord and walk worthy of Him, pleasing Him in every way.
Paul emphasizes 4 characteristics of a believer’s walk that is worthy of the Lord. Let this be the guideline to evaluate our Christian walk.
Bear fruit in every good work (Vs 10): This is God’s desire for us. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) Our good works are a result of our faith in Christ, not a means of being accepted as righteous. As we abide in Christ the Vine, we bear much fruit and bring glory to the Father (John 15:7-8). “…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Grow in the knowledge of God (Vs 10): There should be a constant growth in our knowledge of God whereby we progress from infant Christians to spiritually mature Christians. Adopted as His children, we call Him “Abba” and get to know Him better in our relationship with Him. A life rooted and growing in the knowledge of God results in a worthy life. The full knowledge of God is the real instrument of enlargement in the soul and life of the believer (Alford).
Be strengthened with all power (Vs 11): To live faithfully in a faithless world, we need to be empowered by the mighty power of God. It should be our prayer that “out of his glorious riches he may strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner being.” (Ephesians 3:16) If we are to face trials and persecution with patience and perseverance, we need the Lord’s strength to stand firm – our own strength is too fragile. Like Paul, let have the assurance that “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
Give joyful thanks to the Father (Vs 12-13): Our attitude towards our Heavenly Father should always be that of gratitude - gratitude for the redemption through the blood of Christ, gratitude for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7), gratitude for the deliverance and gratitude for the heavenly inheritance (1Peter 1:4). Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)
Understanding the magnitude of the price Christ paid for our redemption and acknowledging the significance of God’s grace bestowed upon us, let us examine our walk with Him. Do we bear fruit in good works? Are we growing in the knowledge of God? Are we strengthened in God’s power? Do we joyfully thank the Father in all circumstances?
Prayer:
Abba Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill me with knowledge to understand Your will, that I may align my life and walk worthy of Your calling. In Jesus’ name. Amen
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