Tuesday, February 21, 2017

COLOSSIANS 1:9-17 - CREATOR, SUSTAINER, SAVIOR

COLOSSIANS 1:9-17
CREATOR, SUSTAINER, SAVIOR

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Because Paul had heard that the believers at Colossae were a fledgling church, he continually interceded on their behalf.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV) 17 Pray without ceasing.

Paul was practicing what He often preached that believers should continually lift each other up in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 (KJV) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We should always be in an attitude of prayer and ready to intercede at all times for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul and his co-laborers prayed that the Lord would enlighten the Colossian believers not only with knowledge but with the wisdom and spiritual discernment to apply knowledge.

Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Since they have received Jesus by the wooing of the Holy Spirit, and that Spirit now indwells them, Paul prays that the differences between the old man and the new man would be apparent. They would not be earning salvation through worthiness because that is impossible. The fact that they had trusted Jesus already would enable them to live in a worthy manner. Their faith would be pleasing to God.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

We cannot please God in our own strength or power. We cannot please God outside of the Spirit. We can only please God by Jesus’ strength flowing through us by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV) Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Spiritual fruit includes leading others to Christ, worshipping and praising God, giving of one’s resources to God’s work, living a life that shows evidence of being changed by God, and exhibiting the “fruit of the Spirit” found in Galatians.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The change brought on by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit should be evident in our lives. Stephen Curtis Chapman has an excellent song about this called “The Change.” You can listen to it here:

John MacArthur has a great explanation of “increasing in the knowledge of God.”

John MacArthur Study Bible:
increasing in the knowledge of God. Spiritual growth cannot occur apart from this knowledge (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18). The evidences of spiritual growth include a deeper love for God’s Word (Ps. 119:97), a more perfect obedience (1 John 2:3–5), a strong doctrinal foundation (1 John 2:12–14), an expanding faith (2 Thess. 1:3; cf. 2 Cor. 10:5), and a greater love for others (Phil. 1:9).

Psalm 119:97 (MSG) Oh, how I love all you’ve revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long.

Growing in the knowledge of God comes through the study of His word, hearing the word preached and taught, discussing the Lord with brothers and sisters in Christ, and meditating (pondering) the things learned. Our thoughts about God should be continual, never-ending. The result will be perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

We have no strength to obey or please God on our own, but Jesus infuses us with His own strength.

John 15:5 (KJV) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Philippians 4:13 (AMP)   I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

In our study of Ephesians, we discovered a new synonym for longsuffering – longanimous.

longanimous - adj showing patient and unruffled self-control and restraint under adversity; slow to retaliate or express resentment.

This reminds me of something my mom’s CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) used to say, “Whatever my sovereign Lord God has called me to bear, He will enable me to endure.”

This patient, longsuffering, longanimous attitude WITH joyfulness can only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. The reason the Christian can remain unmoved by whatever is going on in our lives is that our Advocate, our Captain, the Lord Jesus is fighting on our behalf.

Psalm 62:6 (KJV) He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.

You can listen to John Michael Talbot sing Psalm 62 by clicking the link below:


Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

We like verse twelve in the Complete Jewish Bible:

Colossians 1:12 (CJB) giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light.

Jesus’ work on the cross made us worthy to be adopted into His family, living in His light. We were merely dust, but by His grace, we are His precious jewels.

Psalm 103:14 (CJB) For he understands how we are made, he remembers that we are dust.

Malachi 3:17a (AMPC) And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure).

A song that brings home this point is “Diamonds” by Hawk Nelson:


Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

God, by the blood of the Perfect Lamb, the finished work of Jesus on the cross, moved us from the kingdom of Satan to being a royal priesthood in the Kingdom of God.

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;

Our sins are forgiven when we receive God’s free gift of salvation, purchased for us by Jesus’ shed blood on the cross. He continues to cleanse us each time we confess our sins to him.

1 John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Colossians 1:15 (AMP) He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.

Jesus is the God-man, fully man yet fully divine. Jesus did not divest Himself of His power as God: He chose to limit Himself as to when and how much He would display His might. He is firstborn, not in the sense of being a created being, but as the preeminent, pre-existent One. Jesus Himself told the disciples that since they had seen Him, they had seen God.

John 14:9 (AMP) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not know Me yet, Philip, nor recognize clearly who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’

The only way to see God with the naked eye and not be incinerated is by seeing Him incarnate in the person of Jesus. This truth is also proclaimed in Hebrews:

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

God, Jesus, The Word, spoke and the worlds were created. Everything we see and all the invisible realities were created by Jesus. A great song to worship this Creator is “Because of Who You Are.” You can listen to it here:


This shows us how important words are – the words of God and our words to one another. Speech is the vehicle God chose to create everything, so our ability to speak should be used for His glory. Our ability to speak and communicate with Him and each other, sets us above all other creatures and is an essential part of being made in the image of God.  God created everything for Himself and for His glory. We are blessed to enjoy His bounty because He decided to share it with mankind. As His creation, and especially as His adopted children, we who believe should live our lives in a way that is honoring to God. We should exalt the Lord, not only in words, but through our actions.

John 1:1-3 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

I love this verse in the Amplified Version:

Colossians 1:17 (AMP) And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

Jesus existed before all of creation. Since He IS God, He was not a created being but has always been. He did not create the world and then step away. He is the glue that holds the galaxies together! His is the hand that holds the planets in their orbits! As an old song says, “He can turn the tides or calm the angry sea.” Or as we sang as children, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”


Ponder This: Paul prayed the Colossian believers would grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. Part of that process is pondering, meditating on, ruminating on Scripture, God’s word. Jesus created us, saved us, and sustains all of creation. We need to fill our minds with thoughts of the awesomeness of the Savior we serve. 

No comments:

Post a Comment