Mature in Christ - Part 1

Mature in Christ – Colossians 1:9-10

The book of Colossians begins with Paul joyfully acknowledging that he has heard about the faith of the people in the church of Colossae. He says that from the day that he heard about their faith he has been praying that certain things would occur in their lives, namely spiritual growth. Paul is obviously very pleased that the people in this church are now brothers and sisters in Christ. They have heard the gospel, the good news of the grace of God and understood it and believed. But Paul knew that this was just the beginning of their lives. Their initial faith in Jesus was not the end of his ministry to them nor was it the climax of their relationship to Christ, but it was just the beginning of their new life in faith. It was the start of a lifetime of transformation.

Paul, as a minister of the word, recognized that his role was not just to proclaim the gospel and to win people to Christ but to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). The maturity of the believer was of supreme importance to Paul. It is what he said that he toiled for and struggled for with all the energy of God that was working within him (Colossians 1:29).

Paul describes to the church how he has been praying for them in order for them to be transformed into mature believers. These thoughts are not just relevant for the people in Colossae but should be taken as instruction for what all believers should pray for and yearn for in their own lives in order to grow spiritually mature.

Be filled with the knowledge of his will

The first and most important part of Paul’s prayer for these young believers is that they will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. An understanding of God’s will and desires is crucial for spiritual growth. We cannot begin to take on godly characteristics or to live in a way that is pleasing to Him unless we first have knowledge of what it is that pleases Him.

If I tell my son to clean his room, to please me he must know what I am looking for before he begins. He can work hard at cleaning all the dirt off his toys but leave them scattered all over the room and I will not be pleased. He can gather up everything and throw it into the closet making sure nothing is left on the floor but I still will not be pleased. There is a way for him to clean his room that is pleasing to me and unless he finds out what it is he will work all day in vain. Likewise, there is a specific way that God wants us to live and we cannot do it without an understanding of what it is he wants.

God’s revealed instructions are recorded for us in the pages of the Bible. For us to be knowledgeable of His will we must be knowledgeable of the Bible. Psalm 19 tells us “the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” and that “the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes ” (Psalm 19: 7-8). It is the testimony and the commandments of God that is recorded in the Bible that gives us wisdom and opens our eyes to understanding. It is when we delight in the pages of the Bible and meditate on them day and night that we can begin to have spiritual wisdom and understanding.

The prayer that Paul had for the believers at Colossae and the prayer that we should have for ourselves is that God will give us wisdom and understanding as we meditate on God’s revelation to us.

Live in a way that pleases the Lord

Paul prays that the believers will be filled with knowledge, but not for the sake of being knowledgeable. This understanding and wisdom comes so that we will “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” (Colossians 1:9-10). The purpose of knowing the will of God is to live in obedience to that will in order to live in a way that pleases God - "Coram Deo"

Adapted from http://www.youversion.com/contributions/62941/expository-summary-colossians