Spiritual Growth Col. 1:9 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
When Paul wrote to the Colossians he told them that he prayed for several things concerning their spiritual growth. The things for which he prayed are the same things that we need for our spiritual growth. Our spiritual growth involves:
Knowing God’s will – Col 1:9 – while we find God’s specific will for our lives as we walk with the Lord step by step and day by day, there are many things about God’s will that are revealed in his word. For instance, he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance [2 Pet 3:9]. God’s will is that you should be saved. If you are not saved you are not in God’s will. God’s will is for you to only marry a saved person. So, if you are dating a lost person you are not in his will. God’s will is that you be in a good local church. If your job takes you to a city where there is not a good local church, then you won’t be in God’s will. Wisdom and spiritual understanding from God’s words will help you to find God’s revealed will so that then you can see his specific will for your life each day.
Pleasing the Lord – Col 1:10 – Enoch walked with the Lord and he had this testimony that he pleased God [Heb 1:6]. Enoch is our type in the Old Testament if we are raptured alive when Jesus comes. Therefore, as he pleased God so should we. Our principal concern every day should be that we please God. We should ask the Lord concerning everything we do and say, every place we go and every friend we have, “Lord, are you pleased with this?”
Being fruitful in good works – Col 1:10 – it is one thing to busy ourselves for the sake of the Lord to ease our own conscience but it is altogether something different to be fruitful. Mary was fruitful when she just sat at Jesus feet, whereas Martha, who was very busy for the Lord, was just “careful and troubled about many things,” [Lk 10:38-42]. I love to sow the seed of the word of God, but we have found that a season of prayer before and during sowing is much more fruitful than just throwing out the seed so that you can say that you did something good for the Lord.
Increasing in God’s knowledge – Col 1:10 – we talked about this subject at length last week. So, to get to the point, when you really get to know God, you know what he thinks and how he looks at things. God is not at all like so many people describe him, who don’t really know him.
Being strengthened with God’s might – Col 1:11 – this is not what so many people call being “empowered” by God. The attention is on you when “you got the power.” This is little, weak you being strengthened by Almighty God to be patient and longsuffering with joyfulness in times and during circumstances which, and with people who, would otherwise try your patience beyond your human ability.
Being thankful in all things – Col 1:12 – it’s one thing to be thankful “in” all things, which is the will of God, but it is even more difficult to be thankful “for” all things [Eph 5:20]. Simply put, you can either be thankful or you can be a “poot-head.” Those are your choices. People who meet things in life with gratitude get along better than people who pout when they meet things they don’t like. That’s a fact.
Conclusion: all of these things are for the spiritual growth of Christians who are growing in the Lord. If you are not saved, then what you need is to be redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ [Col 1:14].