The book of Colossians is a letter from the Apostle Paul, who was being held in a prison in Rome. He was writing to this new group of believers in the city of Colossae which was in what would now be modern-day Turkey. This church had been started by Epaphras who is believed to have been one of Paul´s students during his earlier ministry in Ephesus. Colossians was written almost 30 years after Christ had lived.
It was 62 A.D. At this point, Paul had been a believer for about 25 years. He had already taken his three missionary journeys and written most of his letters that we find in the New Testament. He had witnessed the miraculous works of God and been the victim of tortuous persecution from man. He was in the prime of his ministry with enough experience to teach others what God had taught him through the years. He would soon be freed from prison, but would then be arrested again about 6 years later and executed at Nero´s orders in 68 A.D.
In the previous verses, we read that this young church in Colossae possessed a faith that had already resulted in a love for all the saints. They were a congregation of Jews and Gentiles, masters and servants, rich and poor, and yet their faith in Christ had birthed in them a love for each other. Even though surrounded by a pagan culture and vastly outnumbered, they were able to love each other because their eyes were fixed on heaven and the eternal life that awaited them all. This love had truly become proof that they were followers of Christ (John 15:34-35).
With this in mind, we now approach Colossians 1:9-14. Remember the Apostle Paul was writing to them as their spiritual grandfather as he penned these words.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:
Epaphras had come to Rome and shared the great news with Paul about what God was doing in Colossae. Since that first day that Paul had heard about the gospel taking effect in the lives of these new believers, he had not ceased praying for them.
This does not mean that Paul was praying for them every moment, but that on an ongoing basis, the church in Colossae continued to be on his mind, in his heart and in his prayers.
Paul´s concern for this young church drove him to support them the best way he could. He prayed. God has ordained prayer as the most powerful way that we as Christians can join Him in His work. Yes, we can volunteer, or give donations, or even tell others about Jesus, but nothing in the Christian life ushers the work of God into a situation like prayer.
We see it throughout scripture. As Jesus´ disciples prayed in the upper room in Acts 2, the Spirit came, and 3,000 people put their faith in Jesus.
In Acts 4:31, in the face of persecution, “They prayed, and the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” In Acts 6:6 they prayer as they chose the first deacons. As a result, the word of God increased, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.”
In Acts 9:40 Peter prayed over the body of a woman named Dorcas and she was miraculously brought back to life. In response, “It became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”
In Acts 10-11 prayer played a key role in Gentiles coming to Jesus and being admitted to the church. In Acts 12:6-19 the church prayed for Peter´s rescue from prison and God sent an angel who miraculously freed him.
In Acts 13:1-3 the church prayed and was led to send out the first missionaries, Paul and Barnabas.
As has been said before, when we work, we work. When we pray, God works.
At this point, we need to take note of how the Spirit led Paul to pray. Paul prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:
It was not to merely to know about God, it was to be filled with, lorded over by, the knowledge of His will. It echoes Jesus´ words in the Lord´s Prayer. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We see the prayer for God’s will again in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
It was an expression of James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” It was a seeking that recognized the frailty of the logic of man and longed for the revelation of God.
This “knowledge of God´s will” at times reveals itself as a very clear and specific word from God. At other times it is a general knowledge of God´s character and principles that help us discern His will. In some ways, it is similar to a child obeying his or her parent. At times the child obeys with the parent’s clear command in mind. At other times the child obeys with the parent’s character in mind.
It could be similar to following your GPS on a familiar route. You know the shortest and best route, but for some reason, on this day the GPS is leading you to go out of the way to your known destination. What will you do? Will you stick with what you “know,” or will you follow the wisdom of the GPS? Oftentimes when we follow the GPS we avoid the traffic delay that we never would have known about otherwise. At times it takes faith and humility to trust the GPS, but many times it shows itself to be right.
It also takes humility to receive the knowledge of God´s will. It is an awareness that we need wisdom from outside of ourselves. A teachableness of spirit to seek out, listen for, receive, and submit to the knowledge of His will.
It reminds us of Proverbs 3:5-6 where we read, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”
In this verse, we see the same. Paul prays that the Colossians would be, “filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” That the Colossians would trust in the Lord and not trust in their own ideas, logic, knowledge, or supposed wisdom.
It does not mean blind faith or that Christians are not supposed to be proficient at reasoning and thinking deeply. It just means that in the midst of striving to make good decisions, we never forget that there is a wisdom that is greater than us and that can only be revealed through God´s Word and through the Spirit who guides us into all truth (John 16:13).
Trusting in the Lord is marked by an absence of insubordinate debate, arguing, rationalizing, and delayed obedience against what God reveals to us. Instead, it is accompanied by a heart that has already committed to obedience and to walk in it, even before one has heard God speak.
I heard a missionary once talking of discipleship and helping new believers grow in their faith. He referred back to the Great Commission and Jesus´ words right before He ascended to heaven.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
He focused on that phrase, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” As we make disciples we should teach them the commands of Christ, but they will never perfectly know all the commands. The true essence of the command is to teach them to obey all things. That means that the lordship of Christ will be so prevalent in that person´s life that he or she will have a heart that is already pre-committed to obedience as he or she gradually becomes aware of all of Christ’s commands.
That is similar to the heart that is prepared to receive the knowledge of God´s will. Verse 10 then tells us why Paul was praying that the believers in Colossae would be filled with the knowledge of God´s will.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:
As our lives are filled with the knowledge of God´s will we are then prepared “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” “Walk” refers to the manner in which we live. It is not just a one-moment event. It is the ongoing direction or trajectory of our lives.
In the scriptures we see the word “walk” used many times. Ephesians 5:2 says to “Walk in love.” Psalm 81:13 God wishes that “Israel would walk in my ways.” Psalm 1:1 talks of “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” 1 John 1:6 tells us that “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that “we walk by faith, not by sight.” As we read these verses we see that “walk” refers to the manner in which we live. It is our way of life. We are to walk in His ways, and thus live in a manner that is worthy of the Lord.
This knowledge of God´s will, for which Paul is praying, is not just right theology or doctrine. It results in right knowing that overflows into right living.
This is similar in meaning to Paul´s words here when he says, “to live in a worthy manner of the Lord.” Based on Christ’s majesty, His love, and his ultimate sacrifice what kind of living is worthy of the Lord. Listen to the description of Christ’s sacrifice. As we read in Philippians 2:6-8
“Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
And in Isaiah 53:3-6
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
With that kind of perfect Savior, Paul was calling the Colossians to live a life worthy of that. We should love because He first loved us. We should forgive because He forgave us. We should selflessly serve others because He did the same for us. We should long for holiness because He was holy.
Paul then goes on to describe a life lived worthy of the Lord in Colossians 1:11-12.
Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
A life lived worthy of the Lord is to bear fruit. Scripture describes both fruit in our lives such as the fruit of the Spirit that is evident as we are made more like Christ, and the lasting fruit that come from our lives such as service to others, evangelism, making disciples or answered prayer. John 15:5 tells us clearly that the bearing of fruit comes only as we abide in Him. A life lived worthy of the Lord is not just a life of empty good works, like those spoken of in Isaiah 64:6 that to God are worth nothing more than filthy rags. A life lived worthy of the Lord is a life of good works that bear fruit.
Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
A life that is worthy of the Lord is also characterized by an increasing knowledge of God. Not just an increase in our knowledge about God, but in our relational knowledge of God. As we walk faithfully with Him we experience His promises and His provisions personally. It becomes a firsthand “knowing” as we experience Him working in and through our lives.
A life worthy of the Lord will be strengthened by power.
Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Not just any power, but power according to His glorious might. In scripture, we see that He is strong enough to heal, calm a raging storm, bring all creation into being, hang the stars in their place, and even raise Christ from the dead. That same God now dwelt in the lives of the Colossian believers. One who walked in a manner worthy of the Lord would be recognized by the strength to endure and the strength to be patient, even with joy.
A life worthy of the Lord would lastly be characterized by gratitude to the Father.
Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
As the Christians in Colossae bore fruit, came to know God in a more intimate way, and were strengthened by God, there was nothing for which they could take credit. It is like Ephesians 2:8-9, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Walking in a manner that is worthy of the Lord is only made possible as God works in our lives. Through Christ God has qualified us to share the inheritance that is reserved for the children of God. Because of this, a life worthy of the Lord will be characterized by gratitude.
1 Colossians 1:13 -14 then goes on to say,
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Bible describes spiritual darkness as a battle between good and evil (Isaiah 5:20), between holiness and sin. Scripture speaks of spiritual blindness that plagues all who do not know God. Theirs is a constant spiritual darkness that can’t be avoided because the person is spiritually blind.
Throughout the New Testament we see this struggle between darkness and light, between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the world.
In Acts 26:18 Jesus explains to the Apostle Paul why He is calling Him to preach the gospel, “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”
2 Corinthians 4:4 states that, "The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." Those who do not believe, are described as being “in the snare of the devil,” “in the power of the evil one,” and “in bondage to Satan.”(2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:2) Without Christ a person is a slave to sin and condemned under the law. (John 8:34)
In Christ, the power of darkness is broken. Truth is revealed. Slaves are set free. Darkness flees in the presence of His light. Sin is forgiven and we become citizens of the Kingdom of God. Satan no longer has any power over us. That is why it is possible to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
It is in the forgiveness of sin that we are redeemed and bought out of the darkness of sin and into the light, in the kingdom of Christ.
Verse 14 uses the word redemption. The Oxford Languages dictionary says that redemption is, “the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment.” It is buying something back. This is what Christ has done for us.
This idea of redemption is displayed in the Old Testament book of Hosea. God instructed the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. He obeyed and married a woman named Gomer. Together they had several children and then she chose to turn her back on her marriage vows and returned to her life of prostitution. In Hosea 2:5 Gomer says, “I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil, and my drink.” Finally, God brought Gomer to a point of desperation where she was going to be sold, as property. How did God instruct Hosea to respond? “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods.” In obedience, Hosea bought Gomer back. He redeemed Gomer, who was rightfully his, and continued to love her as his wife. This is the picture of the redemptive love and forgiveness that God has for all who put their faith in Him.
This is our story as well. We walked in darkness, rebellion, and sin. But now we have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our debt has been paid and through faith, our sins have been forgiven. Now we walk in the light of Christ and the amazing grace of God. With this mind, we are now able to live in a manner that is worthy of God.
As we look back through these verses. We begin with Paul’s prayer for them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, so that they would walk in a way that would be worthy of the Lord. This kind of living under the lordship of Christ would bear fruit, increase in intimate knowledge of Christ, be strengthened by power for endurance, patience, and joy, and would result in gratitude to God. All of this would now be possible because they had been delivered from the dominion of darkness and were now part of the kingdom of God.
It was this declaration of freedom that now made it possible to live a life worthy of the Lord.
It was not just a call to holiness, it was the realization that it was now possible. It has much in common with the story surrounding the holiday Juneteenth.
In 1863, in the midst of the American Civil War, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It declared that over three million slaves living in the southern part of the United States were now free. It was a great day, but it would take two years before the slaves in Texas ever heard about their freedom. Juneteenth is a celebration of that day, June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston and informed the residents of Texas that the slaves were free.
Until this date, since they had not heard, the slaves still acted like slaves and their masters still acted like masters. Externally nothing had changed, but unbeknownst to them, everything had changed. All slaves were now free.
This may not be that different from some of the Christians in Colossae who had been forgiven and freed from the slavery of sin, but practically continued to live as if they were still slaves to sin. With these words from Paul they clearly heard of their freedom, and now could believe it and walk in it.
That is our call as well. May we pray, grow in our knowledge of Christ, and live a life worthy of the Lord.
