Finding Power for Authenticity

Context and High Level Overview of Colossians 1:1–14: Paul is writing to the church of Colossae, this is a gathering of believers that makes God happy. And I mean it, God is full of joy. He is rejoicing at the sight of people coming to faith in His son Jesus Christ. He is happy when faith in Him leads to a faith that is ALIVE towards His good purposes.

Paul begins the letter with a thankfulness to the Lord for this faith, a faith that leads to a love for all the saints. It is real, it is visible, but also takes sacrifice. It means taking a loss so others get a win. And this love is propelled by an eternal hope that is found in the gospel. Faith and hope will produce fruit that points to God. Here is the sequence of events… Because I heard/believed the gospel, I have faith, this produces external hope not build on people/stuff and this leads to faithful living that is alive and fruitful for the glory of God/blessing of our neighbor.

Picking up at v. 9; Post salvation the goal is to walk worthy of our calling and according to His eternal purposes. So Paul is praying that we gain knowledge of His will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding. But how?

But what for? The goal is to walk fully pleasing to Him. Yet we don’t do it alone, in our own strength. Knowing God unleases His glorious might into your life, which enables you to live according to His will even in the midst of a struggle (v.11 for all endurance and patience with joy). This is all thanks to Jesus in whom we have redemption and forgives of sins (gospel)

Application: (1) Hear the gospel daily, the warnings and promises that come with it. (2) Be in the Spirit, in tune with Him. (3) Set your hope in God (creator), not created things (stuff/people) And experience the hope of the gospel, the joy of salvation, the power of victory to walk according to His will today. Look up and have a Jesus moment today. You are not alone, your are not forgotten, Jesus is near. Look up.

Colossians 1: 3–14

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing — as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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