Colossians 1:9-14

-

Scripture Colossians 1:9-14

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: 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. 13 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. [1]

Devotion

            Paul prays for the church at Colossae. He asks that they may know his will and be filled with wisdom from God and understanding in spiritual things. This is so they will not be tempted to follow the false teachers that were telling them they had to live and believe in things that God had not asked them to do. “Paul prays for believers who are doing well. He asks that they continue in the process of growth. The focus of much prayer is on those who are struggling and not doing well. While those are good prayers, Paul reminds us of the need to pray for those who are doing well since they are prime targets for enemy attacks. Many of our prayers ask for immediate relief from circumstantial or personal difficulties. While some of these prayers are good, Paul wants us to include prayers for spiritual growth and long-term development.[2]”

            Next, Paul asks that the church behave in a manner worthy of the Lord. Knowing God’s will and doing it. Not giving up hope when faced with adversity. Enduring hardships and being patient with one another and with their unbelieving neighbors rather than getting angry with them. Paul asks for them to bear the fruit of the spirit in all ways. Being completely given over to good works that all may see and praise God. Being filled with the Spirit means being controlled by Him. The Colossians are to be filled with the Holy Spirit and are to be increasing in their love for the Lord as they grow to know him better and better. “If pleasing God is the goal, how do we achieve it? Paul spells that out very clearly in verses 10–12. By bearing fruit, growing in knowledge, being strengthened for adversity, and giving thanks for salvation, we please God.[3]”

            In verse 11 Paul asks God to strengthen the church will all power so that they might be made strong for endurance and patience and to do it all with supernatural joy. It would be impossible to do this in their own strength, so Paul asks God to supply what the Colossians need. God may do this all at once or over time as a person recovering from sickness gets stronger over time. So, the Colossians are to get stronger in the Lord over time.

            “Finally, believers please God when they are joyfully giving thanks to the Father for the blessings of salvation. Just as Paul was clear to spell out specific means to please God, he is equally clear about the blessings of salvation for which we are to give thanks. This time we are given a list of three: God qualified us, rescued us (v. 13), and brought us into a new kingdom (v. 13).”[4] The Colossians had been qualified by their faith in Christ and rescued from the darkness of this world, therefore they could enter into God’s kingdom of light.

            A kingdom where their sins though many would be forgiven, and they would be redeemed from their previous state of spiritual darkness. So, we ought to live in this same way. Hoping in Christ for salvation and eternal life in the Son. Our lives should be lived in the strength of the Lord and we should be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. So, that we might be a living example to the world around us of the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ.


[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 1:9–14.
[2] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 280.
[3] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 281.
[4] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 282.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more