In the last Daily Cultivation we talked about Paul’s desire for the Colossians to know what God’s will is, so that they can live a life that pleases him in every way. Then he goes on and breaks down what that looks like.
Today we will look at a couple verses that reinforce growing in the knowledge of his will.
Paul says in Colossians 1:25-27
“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Paul said it is his duty to present the word of God in its FULLNESS. The fullness is this mystery that is no longer hidden because it has been disclosed to the Lord’s people. What has been disclosed is the reality of Christ in you the hope of glory.
Paul goes on in verse 28-29 and says
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”
The Goal for sharing the word of God in its fullness is to present everyone fully mature in Christ.
In Ephesians 4:11-13 Paul says this in regards to maturity,
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
We grow in maturity as we learn and understand who God really is and who we really are. Because it’s in this knowledge that we discover our duties and the gifts we were given to accomplish them. As we take action and get into motion we begin to grow. This all comes from knowledge.
Peter said it like this in 2 Peter 1:3-4
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Knowledge gives us access. He says we have everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him. Then he says that he has given us these very great and precious promises to participate in the divine nature (it’s the knowledge of these promises that give you access to the divine nature). This is all due to the reality that we are no longer in the corruption of the would caused by evil desires. When we have the knowledge that we are no longer in the kingdom of darkness but in the kingdom of the Son He loves, it changes everything.
Jesus said it like this John 16:12-15
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. He takes what is from Jesus (which is everything) and declares it to us. Which means that Jesus wants us to know what we have access to so that we can live in the true reality of the kingdom.
My good peoples, we are set up to succeed.