May 16, 2019 FILLED
Colossians 1:9-12 “..we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may 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; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
What a prayer request! We may think that this prayer that Paul made for all believers, including you and I, is ‘pie in the sky,’ just a prayer that sounds good, but would never be a reality for us. Read this prayer request again and look closely at what Paul is asking God to do in each one of us. We may be guilty of having a small view or understanding of what it means to be born again, to be made new, and to be joined to God. Paul knew that this prayer was for real; He knew that this is exactly what God wants to do in us and He knew that by the Spirit of God in us, this prayer request could become reality. This prayer on our behalf is an excellent picture of what it means to be made new; to be transferred into the Kingdom of God. We also must remember that when Paul made this prayer, believers faced persecution and trials on every hand, yet they could experience this prayer becoming a reality. You might say that if this prayer described me, I would be perfect-and that would be correct. In Matthew 5:48 we read: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Here, to be perfect means to be ‘complete,’ and in that sense we are perfect as Colossians 2:10 tells us that we are complete in Him. We are not ‘sinless’ as believers, but if and when we sin, we can be quick to confess our sin and continue walking in the ways of the Lord. Our ‘completeness’ in Christ means that there is provision for sin should we sin, AND our finding our completeness in Him does away with any desire to sin and instead, creates within us a desire to please Him in all we do. God has done a marvelous work in us; we can now spend a lifetime discovering and expressing what all it means to be in Him. There is no higher calling in life, nothing that compares to living as sons and daughters of God as expressions of the love of God, and the power of God to make us new creations. As we re-read this prayer made on our behalf, let us claim each segment as ours-who we are becoming-who we are right now, in Him.
Colossians 2:6: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Colossians 1:9-12 “..we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may 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; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
What a prayer request! We may think that this prayer that Paul made for all believers, including you and I, is ‘pie in the sky,’ just a prayer that sounds good, but would never be a reality for us. Read this prayer request again and look closely at what Paul is asking God to do in each one of us. We may be guilty of having a small view or understanding of what it means to be born again, to be made new, and to be joined to God. Paul knew that this prayer was for real; He knew that this is exactly what God wants to do in us and He knew that by the Spirit of God in us, this prayer request could become reality. This prayer on our behalf is an excellent picture of what it means to be made new; to be transferred into the Kingdom of God. We also must remember that when Paul made this prayer, believers faced persecution and trials on every hand, yet they could experience this prayer becoming a reality. You might say that if this prayer described me, I would be perfect-and that would be correct. In Matthew 5:48 we read: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Here, to be perfect means to be ‘complete,’ and in that sense we are perfect as Colossians 2:10 tells us that we are complete in Him. We are not ‘sinless’ as believers, but if and when we sin, we can be quick to confess our sin and continue walking in the ways of the Lord. Our ‘completeness’ in Christ means that there is provision for sin should we sin, AND our finding our completeness in Him does away with any desire to sin and instead, creates within us a desire to please Him in all we do. God has done a marvelous work in us; we can now spend a lifetime discovering and expressing what all it means to be in Him. There is no higher calling in life, nothing that compares to living as sons and daughters of God as expressions of the love of God, and the power of God to make us new creations. As we re-read this prayer made on our behalf, let us claim each segment as ours-who we are becoming-who we are right now, in Him.
Colossians 2:6: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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