October 19, 2018 KINGDOM LIVING part 7
Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, 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 qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
If there has ever been a power-packed sentence, this is it! This one sentence captures the heart of what it means to be in Christ, and it gives a clear view of the new nature that God has given us. The important thing to realize is that the things spoken of in this verse is not a list of things we must work on and get better at. Notice the “so that” that connects the two over-riding truths of the verse: being filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom, results in the life depicted in the remainder of the verse. It was the all-consuming passion of Paul for believers to know and experience what it meant to be in Christ and for Christ to be in them. Many in the church today, including those who are leaders in the church, propagate the idea that it is through commitment and self effort that spiritual growth takes place. This is largely because mankind, by his very nature, assumes that it is up to him to get whatever he wants or needs. Even believers may have difficulty in accepting the fact that God has given them a new heart and a new nature, not because they have earned it, but because God in His grace chose to do so when they were born again. (Do not misunderstand, being committed and taking responsibility is a good thing.) We must understand that only because God has made us new and has given us the Holy Spirit, can we live a life in keeping with His design. It is simply a matter of choosing to put off our old man-who we use to be-and to put on the new man that we are in Christ. So, it’s not a matter of self-effort, but a matter of believing and yielding to, and walking in the reality of who God says we are in Him-according to the new creation that we are. The verses above describes the life that is ours in Christ-let the truth of it become reality for us. It’s true-we can walk in a way that pleases the Lord; we can please Him in all respects; we can bear fruit in every good work; we can increase in the knowledge of God; we can be strengthened with all power according to His might; we can attain to all steadfastness and patience; we can with joy give thanks to our Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints-and we are saints now. This all may sound too good to be true and beyond our reach, but this is the life that is available to every believer. We must reject the lie that tells us that we cannot live such a life here on earth, in the nitty-gritty of life, and we must ask God to open our eyes and understanding so that we might know and embrace our true identity in Him. If you are tired of struggling and trying in your own strength to live the Christian life and tired of the spiritual roller-coaster life, there is good news for you. Your salvation is greater than you think; not only does it assure you of heaven, it makes you a totally new creation, with a new nature, a new mind, and a new spirit. Read the scriptures, and as you read, ask God to reveal to you who you really are in Him.
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, 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 qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
If there has ever been a power-packed sentence, this is it! This one sentence captures the heart of what it means to be in Christ, and it gives a clear view of the new nature that God has given us. The important thing to realize is that the things spoken of in this verse is not a list of things we must work on and get better at. Notice the “so that” that connects the two over-riding truths of the verse: being filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom, results in the life depicted in the remainder of the verse. It was the all-consuming passion of Paul for believers to know and experience what it meant to be in Christ and for Christ to be in them. Many in the church today, including those who are leaders in the church, propagate the idea that it is through commitment and self effort that spiritual growth takes place. This is largely because mankind, by his very nature, assumes that it is up to him to get whatever he wants or needs. Even believers may have difficulty in accepting the fact that God has given them a new heart and a new nature, not because they have earned it, but because God in His grace chose to do so when they were born again. (Do not misunderstand, being committed and taking responsibility is a good thing.) We must understand that only because God has made us new and has given us the Holy Spirit, can we live a life in keeping with His design. It is simply a matter of choosing to put off our old man-who we use to be-and to put on the new man that we are in Christ. So, it’s not a matter of self-effort, but a matter of believing and yielding to, and walking in the reality of who God says we are in Him-according to the new creation that we are. The verses above describes the life that is ours in Christ-let the truth of it become reality for us. It’s true-we can walk in a way that pleases the Lord; we can please Him in all respects; we can bear fruit in every good work; we can increase in the knowledge of God; we can be strengthened with all power according to His might; we can attain to all steadfastness and patience; we can with joy give thanks to our Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints-and we are saints now. This all may sound too good to be true and beyond our reach, but this is the life that is available to every believer. We must reject the lie that tells us that we cannot live such a life here on earth, in the nitty-gritty of life, and we must ask God to open our eyes and understanding so that we might know and embrace our true identity in Him. If you are tired of struggling and trying in your own strength to live the Christian life and tired of the spiritual roller-coaster life, there is good news for you. Your salvation is greater than you think; not only does it assure you of heaven, it makes you a totally new creation, with a new nature, a new mind, and a new spirit. Read the scriptures, and as you read, ask God to reveal to you who you really are in Him.
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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