“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, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Colossians 1:9-12 ESV)
Paul wrote this to Christians who were faithful in Christ Jesus, who were in the process of being conformed to the likeness of the character of Jesus Christ. They were those who had been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And they were those who were bearing much spiritual fruit for the kingdom of God, according the grace of God, and according to his gospel of salvation.
So we who have also died with Christ to sin and who are living to him and to his righteousness, by the grace of God, and in his strength and wisdom, may find encouragement and wisdom in Paul’s words, which are to us also. For we are all a work in progress, and not one of us has reached absolute perfection, and we won’t until Jesus returns to take his faithful bride to be with him for eternity, at which time our salvation will be complete, and not until then, and only provided that we remain faithful to our Lord to the end.
So all of us need to be continually being filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, for not one of us has arrived at a state of perfection to where we no longer need to be taught the wisdom of God and the knowledge of his will. For if we are in Christ, and he is in us, we are going through a daily process of denying self, dying to sin, and following our Lord in obedience. So we need to be instructed every day in the ways of the Lord so that we continue to grow in our walks of faith.
And the reason that we need this daily dose of wisdom and understanding is so that we now walk (in conduct, in purpose, in practice) in a manner worthy (fitting to, suitable, appropriate) of the Lord, fully pleasing to him. And what is that manner of practice that is appropriate and fitting to our Lord? It is that we deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant), in the power of God. It is that sin is no longer our practice but now righteousness and obedience to our Lord.
And, yes, we are to be the children of God who are living our lives to be pleasing to God in all manner of life and actions and speaking and attitudes. So we make it our goal to please him. And we are to sow to please the Spirit. And we are to find out what pleases the Lord and to do it. For we are to learn how we ought to live in order to please God. And we are to be those who keep, in practice, the commands of God and who do what pleases the Lord in practice, because we love him and we want to do what pleases him.
See: [Romans 8:8; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Galatians 6:8; Ephesians 5:10; Colossians 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 13:6; 1 John 3:22]
But let me insert a quote here from a man named Steve McVey:
"Many people who sit in church every week have horribly faulty ideas about who God is, about who they are, and about what He expects from them. They go through the motions of their religious rituals in an effort to please a God who already is pleased with them because they are His Beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. But they think that if they don't do the right things, He will curse them, and if they do the right things, He will bless them." (The Grace Walk Devotional pg 222)
Now compare what he said in this quote to the above noted Scriptures where we are instructed that we must live our lives to be pleasing to the Lord. Yet, many have bought into this man’s false (unbiblical) teaching and they are being convinced that nothing is required of them other than a once in their lifetime profession of faith in Jesus Christ which is often not biblical faith at all, but a faith created in the minds of humans, many of whom want to continue living in sin and so they teach we don’t have to obey God.
And then we have many people today who are quoting Ephesians 2:8-9 out of context, and they are teaching that no works are required of us, either. But they ignore verse 10 which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And they ignore Titus 2:11-14. And verse 14 says this: “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
See: [Tit 2:11-14; Eph 2:10; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 2:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6,16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Phil 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim 2:21; Tit 3:8; Jas 2:17; 1 Pet 1:17-21; 1 Peter 2:24; Rev 2:1-29; Rev 3:1-22]
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14 ESV)
And this is why we must be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, which means we need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in context. And this is why we must walk in a manner worthy (appropriate, fitting) of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work (the good works of God which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them). It is because the whole purpose of our salvation from sin is to deliver us from the domain (power) of darkness (sin) so that we can live for Jesus.
For when Jesus Christ shed his blood for us on that cross it was to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now walk in righteousness and holiness free from the control of sin. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. And he died to free us from our slavery to sin so that we will now become slaves of his righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant).
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody
“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Ks49apflE
Caution: This link may contain ads
No comments:
Post a Comment