A note from our Pastor:

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

Colossians 1:10

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

In the prior verse, the Apostle Paul recorded his prayers for the saints at Colossae. He says he prayed and desired that they be filled with knowledge. Not just any knowledge, but a knowledge of God and of his revealed will for them. Our study verse this week builds on that foundation.

For the Apostle, the end or purpose of knowledge was to influence day-to-day life. The Apostle uses a Hebraism that has been adopted into biblical English to refer to this as the disciple’s walk. In some places in scripture, it is also called your conversation. Whichever term is used, the point the Apostle made is clear. Believers should let a knowledge of Jesus Christ influence how they live.

In this instance, the Apostle instructs his disciples to walk worthy of the Lord. This is not to imply that any person can ever live a life that earns them eternal salvation. Rather, this phrase means to live life in a way that reflects Jesus Christ. Furthermore, that reflects the nature of the gospel he taught.

It begins by having a manner of life that demonstrates a faith in Christ. Applying this way of living impacts the mindset, the manner of speech, interaction with others, and the approach to spiritual matters. It reflects a spirit of love, grace, and mercy. And ultimately it is driven by a core desire to keep the commandments to love God and love your neighbor.

The Apostle then instructs the saints to consider two other items. First, to be fruitful in doing good works. The instruction is to be fruitful not simply active. In other words, the disciple should be focused on whether or not doing good works is increasing the fruit of the spirit (as detailed in Galatians 5) in them and others. The second action is to continue to grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ. Knowledge is a cycle. The more you act on that knowledge through the day-to-day walk the more opportunity you have to learn and grow.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah