Colossians 1:11-14
Now Paul gets much more specific of how believers can walk in a worthy manner that pleases God. Paul instructs believers to do this by putting to death the old sinful patterns of life and replacing them with a new life that is continually being changed into the likeness of God. Pleasing God means putting to death immorality, impurity, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, slander, lying and obscene talk. These things are to be replaced with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love (Colossians 3:5-14).
Paul’s prayer for these believers is for a complete change in their lives. He is not just praying that they know more about God or that they start doing better things, he is praying for them to become completely different people. He is praying that they kill off all of their old sinful practices and habits and completely replace them with a new man that is being renewed in the image of God.
Joyfully endure in patience
Paul has also been praying that these believers are able to joyfully endure their trials with patience. Paul, who was writing this letter from prison, knew all about the pains and hardships that often accompany a life of service to the Lord. Paul was able to retain his joy no matter how hard his circumstances became because he viewed his life from an eternal perspective. He saw all troubles in this earth as light momentary afflictions that paled in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that awaited him in the next life (2 Corinthians 4:17). The joy that came from his hope in the promises of God allowed him to endure all things.
His prayer for the church was that God would give them all the strength that they needed to endure with joy. We as well need to pray that the full power of God would strengthen our faith so that we can have patience and joy in all situations.
A mature follower of Jesus is able to view hardships from an eternal perspective and endure with patience and joy.
Always be thankful for your salvation
Paul prays that these believers will continually be giving thanks to God for their salvation. A key to spiritual maturity is a regular recognition and remembrance of the amazing work that God has done for us through Jesus. The more we are transformed into the likeness of Christ the more we will remember with thankfulness what Jesus has done for us. By giving thanks we will remember that through the righteousness of Jesus we are now qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints (Colossians 1:12). By giving thanks we will remember our former status of living in darkness without hope and how we were rescued and placed into a kingdom which we had no right to enter (Colossians 1:13). By giving thanks we will remember how we were bought with a price, the blood of Jesus, freeing us from slavery (Colossians 1:14). By giving thanks we will remember how all of our sins and transgressions against the God who created us and loves us were forgiven because of the sacrifice of His son.
A mature believer never loses sight of the wonderful work of Jesus Christ. Thankfulness is always on his lips.
As the natural goal of a child is to eventually become a mature adult, the goal for every believer is to be mature in Christ. As we seek to be transformed into a mature man or woman of God we should look to Paul’s words in Colossians 1 and echo his prayer for our own lives as we live "Coram Deo"
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