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Eternity 82 - Filled With The Knowledge Of His Will
Colossians 1:7-12 ASV even as ye learned of Epaphras
our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our
behalf, (8) who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. (9) For this
cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make
request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (10) to walk worthily of the Lord
unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the
knowledge of God; (11) strengthened with all power, according to the might
of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy; (12) giving
thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light;
As we saw in the last devotional the Colossians were good at love but poor
at truth. Paul was delighted about their "love in the Spirit"
(v.8). Yet love without truth can be misguided so Paul prays for the Colossians
"that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual
wisdom and understanding...". This would cause them to a) walk worthily
b) bear fruit c) increase in knowledge d) become strong e) develop patience,
and finally - f)be thankful to God. The knowledge of God's will combined
with deep spiritual wisdom and understanding brings a solid soundness to
the Christian life that it can have in no other way. Truth enables us to
see life correctly, to live and act honorably and to bear fruit in quiet
steady ways in our ministry. Truth and wisdom give us a long-term life perspective
enabling us to be strong under trials and thankful in all circumstances.
With a deep grasp of God and of spiritual wisdom we can be overcomers in
all circumstances.
What was Paul praying for when He asked for them to be "filled with
the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding"
? Was it that they would all know the books of the Bible? That they would
all be bible-trivia experts? Or able to parse Hebrew? Or perhaps that they
would be able to give the "eschatological implications of a literal
interpretation of the book of Revelation" (an essay I once got set
at bible college). I don't think so.
Paul was wanting them to know what God wanted (knowledge of His will) and
how to go about doing it in wise and spiritual ways that showed that the
Colossians deeply understood what it meant to be a Christian (spiritual
wisdom and understanding). Bible trivia and esoteric theology have little
or nothing to do with living the wise and spiritual Christian life on a
day to day basis. By nature they avoid it and locate Christianity in such
questions as "who was the shortest man in the bible" (Ans: The
guard who slept on his watch) or in arcane questions about "bible codes"
that have no daily application. Trivia and esoterica dodge around real life
and thus miss out on being "chokma" or true wisdom.
The true results of spiritual wisdom and understanding are evident in a
life that "walks worthily of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good
work". Such a life radiates God, and displays understanding. Such a
life bears fruit in the community and is a blessing to one's friends and
neighbors. True spirituality is tangible. It is not quite enough to have
a good bible knowledge and a dozens "big visions' which never happen.
You have to show your knowledge in your living, you have to make your visions
bear fruit - then you are truly wise and truly spiritual. And we cannot
rest on our laurels or our diplomas. The truly spiritual person is a life-long
learner "increasing in the knowledge of God".
Verses 11 and 12 have a few surprises. Verse 11 begins with "strengthened
with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto..." well
what would you expect to come next? What purpose is this mighty power "all
power according to the might of His glory" going to be put to? Unto
preaching the gospel? Unto mighty works? Unto conquering the world? The
answer is "unto all patience and longsuffering with joy". The
person who can be patient and long-suffering and rejoice in all circumstances
is demonstrating the mighty power of God. God fills us with power so that
we can be PATIENT.
By definition impatient people are spiritually weak and unwise. Most of our weak moments and foolish acts arise when we are impatient. Only the power of Christ in us can make us strong enough to be patient, wise and noble Christians.
Finally the person filled with knowledge and with spiritual wisdom and understanding is no joyless cynic. They are characterized by living "with joy; giving thanks unto the Father". The wise person is a happy person seeing deep joy in a world ruled by God.
This is a contrast to the wise person in the OT Wisdom literature who is
often saddened by the world's ills and puzzled by injustice. In Christ we
transcend such despair, we know that there is love at the end. We know that
the darkness will be dealt with and that God has "made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light".
John Edmiston
Asian Internet Bible Institute
Asian Internet
Bible Institute
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