Title: A Verse by Verse Study of Colossians.
Lesson 5 – Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae.  (Part Two)    

Text: Col. 1:9 – 12   

I. V. 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;

     A. Introduction.

          1. Paul’s prayer was that these Colossian believers have their hearts and minds filled with spiritual knowledge and that they also be filled with spiritual wisdom.

          2. Just knowledge alone is not enough, there also must be wisdom.  

          3. The Lord said through Moses Deuteronomy 4:6 “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”  Knowledge is worthless without wisdom.

          4. Godly Knowledge + Godly wisdom = Spiritual understanding and that is a Supernatural Intelligence.

II. V. 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;”

A.     Spiritual Understanding or Supernatural Intelligence allows us to “…walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing…”
     1. Our Spiritual Understanding or Supernatural Intelligence Should make us whole heartily desire to walk to the Lord’s pleasing. However without Spiritual Understanding we will never walk to please the Lord.
     2. Paul said this is something he would not stop praying for, “…do not cease to pray for you…”
     3. The Lord said our Spiritual Understanding is pleasing to God. The Lord speaks of rewarding our walk in faith. Spiritual Understanding Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Enoch was blesses with not seeing death because of his pleasing the Lord.
     4. Ephesians 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” This reads “…I call that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called;”
     5. Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” Do not just walk this way while I am present but also in my absence that I may hear of your walk. This is what he had heard of these Colossian believers. Colossians 1:4 “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,” This is what it was before the teachers of Gnosticism.

 

B.     V. 10b “…being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
1. Paul speaks of two things here to be fruitful and to continually increase.

2. This is what these teachers of Gnosticism were seeking to stop, just as Arminianism and Religionist does today. Both are impossible without standing in Spiritual understanding.
3. John 15:8 “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” The only way to continually please the Lord and continually being fruitful and the only way to continually being fruitful is by continually “increasing in the knowledge of God;” 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. “

C.     Having Spiritual Understanding, causing us to be fruitful in every good work, will continually increase our knowledge of God.

1.      All of this = “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” This is our goal in life, isn’t it?

2.      So many believes that they should walk to please themselves. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”

3.      It is not us who works for God but rather God who works in us and through us to produce fruits. This is why it is pleasing to Him. God is always pleased with His works, remember creation. Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”