Taking a Cloose Look at Our

Daily Walk

...as Our Eyes Are Opened to the Possibilities that Are Ours in Christ

DEAR FATHER, let me never come to the end of my praises for all You have done, and for all You are doing, and for all I believe You are yet to do in behalf of these people I bring before You. They have no hope unless the power of Your Kingdom is released in their lives. Bring forth in them the clear knowledge of what you want to do in them.  
Send Your Spirit to renew their minds so they can understand the out-workings of your will. Give them the wisdom to relate properly to their families, their business, and their responsibility to others as they walk in Your will.

Oh, LORD, I stand in awe of You and Your Kingdom's power.
Let Your Kingdom come!

 ...In the Name of Christ Jesus,

The prayer for this month deals with what one preacher calls “where the rubber hits the road.”  It's about the living of a life that is pleasing to the Lord, all the while growing in our knowledge of Him.  It follows what we learned to pray last month.

In the high understanding given Paul of Kingdom mysteries, he always came around to how we live among others. He frequently called this outward expression of faith our walk. This month's prayer calls for our walk to become worthy of the Lord.  The way we live before others reflects our relationship with Him and determines whether we bring honor to Him. Worthy is from the Greek word, áxios, a word of honor.  It means to have nothing in one's conduct or character that will bring dishonor to the Name of the Lord.

Passages from Paul’s Epistles speaking of the walk of a believer become good points for praying.  They lead to the working of honor into our own lives as well as in those we hold before the Lord in prayer.

The first point to be settled regarding the way we live, or walk, comes out of Romans 6:4, where Paul relates our walk to the Resurrection of Christ.  He said…Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Our relationship with the living Christ can become so close that the power of His resurrection will come over on the way we live.  We are holding ourselves, and others, before Him as this becomes reality in our daily living.

In Romans 13:13, Paul calls for a break with all deceit and wild living. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 

In II Corinthians 4:2, Paul spoke of allowing our lives to be open and honest for the examination of anyone....renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness (the cunning trickery of a dishonest person ready to do anything for his own profit), nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 

In II Corinthians 5:7, he said, For we walk by faith, not by sight.  This is a walk of close and unbroken fellowship with the Lord, even over a rough path where many of the steps cannot be discerned.

In Galatians 5:16, he said, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  This calls for the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our day by day lives.  Intercessors move in this and draw others with them.

In Ephesians, Paul said much about the walk that comes out of a relationship with the living Christ.  The following passages are good checkpoints for our lives as believers and prayer points for intercessors.  We paraphrase each passage. 

Ephesians 4:1—Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called.”  Conduct the daily affairs of your life in a manner that gives honor to your calling in Christ.

Ephesians 4:17—Walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Do not conduct the affairs of your life like people who know not Christ. 

Ephesians 5:2—And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Carry out your relationships with others in a way that puts them first just as Christ put you first.

Ephesians 5:8—Walk as children of light.  Let your manner of life be completely free of dark and shady dealings. 

Ephesians 5:15—Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.  Give careful attention to your personal life, especially with regard to your spouse, your children, and your employment. 

Colossians 4:5—Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Going back to our prayer from Colossians 1:10, we find that our walk is to be worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.  Pleasing is from the Greek word, areskía, a word describing the quality of someone who does everything for the pleasure of someone else.  It describes a slave serving his master, doing everything in a way that is pleasing and with absolute submission to what the master wants.

Colossians 1:10 is the only verse using areskía, but Romans 15:1-3 has a word similar in meaning.  From this passage we find what it means for a believer to demonstrate this “pleasing” quality. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself.

When the above quality works in us, it does not take away our right to be free persons.  Instead, it brings us into line with what is right and proper for a believer living in close relationship with the Lord Jesus.  There is no bondage, only perfect freedom.

When the parts of a well-made machine are put together according to the directions of the maker, it runs well and is pleasing to its maker.  When the Holy Spirit does a similar thing with our lives, working the quality of areskía, into us, we become pleasing to our Maker.  What a joyful direction the above passages bring to those who pray!

Next, we consider becoming fruitful in every good work. The Lord Jesus spoke often of fruit in the lives of His disciples. In His parable of the soils in Matthew 13:3-23 and Luke 8:4-15), He told what will hinder the bearing of fruit. These scriptures are clear and provide some good points for prayer. 

Note carefully what becomes of the Word of the Kingdom in Matthew 13:19, When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart… When the Word of the Kingdom is planted as a seed in the good soil of a heart it produces good fruit.

Souls overcome by the distractions of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of the flesh, seldom bear fruit (Mark 4:19).  It is here that people who pray can find much fertile soil for their spirits as they hold both themselves and others before the Throne of God's grace.

It was in this month of November that Glenda and I were dealing with the fact that she had been diagnosed with cancer.  We were apart for a few days during this time, but my intercession for her increased.  Through it all—even in dealing with the emotional drain that tried to come—I felt I was to stick right to the prayer that comes out of Colossians 1:10.  I wanted what she was going through—and the way we handled it—to be worthy of the Lord.

I wanted the time both of us might be called aside because of the trial to be a time of bearing fruit in every good work.  You can know very well that what Jesus said in John 15:2 became very real in our thinking and understanding.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Most of all—maybe because I was hurting for her—I wanted her to increase in her knowledge of God, as this month's main prayer from Colossians 1:10 was directing us to pray.  I prayed that very thing for her and saw the remarkable answer of the Lord. After that, she and I together were allowed to spend nearly ten years in fruitful ministry for the Lord.

We will start our “prayer-starters” with the first two chapters of the Epistle of Colossian and finish it next month as we make the last month in our discipline of intercession a month of praying about joy.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus released for us an ability whereby we can walk worthy of Him. See how Paul leads us toward praying ...that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (pleasing Him in all You do), being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge (the acknowledgment) of God…Colossians 1:10.

Psalm 119, the longest of all the Psalms, leads us into praying along the same line as the Colossians prayer. Nearly every verse in this Psalm has a word in it that relates to the Word of the Lord. We underline them in these three verses.

Psalm 119:1-3—Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.
(MSG)—You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right—you don't go off on your own;  you walk straight along the road he set.

PRECIOUS FATHER, I praise You for the way You have opened for us to walk in triumph. I’m beginning to learn how real triumph comes to us from the resurrection of Your Son. Please let the understanding of what was accomplished when You raised Him from the dead come on over my own heart, and on into the hearts of these I hold before You.

Paul’s Great Statement about the Resurrection and Us
—Eph 2:4-6

Matthew 10:1—And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power (dúnamis, enabling power) against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

No unclean spirit could withstand an order coming from Jesus when they were commanded to depart. Of course, when the disciples did this, they had to do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus. There would be no sickness or disease able to remain when the appointed, and anointed, disciples of Jesus ministered healing to the suffering and afflicted.

Before the Lord Jesus returned to His Father in Heaven, He charged those same disciples with a commission they were to pass on to others as it reaches all the way to us.

Matthew 28:18-20—And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power (exousía, authority) is given (has been given) unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world (... the consummation of the age). Amen. Nowhere in Scripture is there a withdrawal of this powerful commission.

 

FATHER, please let my heart hear and understand the commission You are laying on my life. If some of it has an element of difficulty, or even impossibility, teach me to train the eyes of my heart on You. Please help me grow up to be a son, or daughter, that can face difficulty without murmuring or turning back. Teach me not to fear the hard things of life but to bring my heart and soul into a closer communion with You.

Learning to Grow in Adversity—II Cor 2:3-10

Nearly every letter we receive from inmates begins with words of ...blessing in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Paul was also a prisoner when he wrote Colossians. It too begins with an opening blessing. Although he included Timothy in his opening to Colossians, there is no evidence that he added anything to the body of the Epistle. But, it is an indication that Paul was not alone in the revelation of Truth that was coming from him.

As we see the following, we can only imagine where Timothy might have been, for it was Paul who was the prisoner. We can be grateful, however, that he stood with Paul and encouraged him. We draw an example from Timothy in this. To the best of our ability, let each one of us ...remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them—Hebrews 13:3a.

Take note here in Paul’s opening words that, instead of complaining about his condition, he pronounced grace and peace on those who were free. What an example of grace this was in his life! Colossians 1:1,2—Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus (Timothy) our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

FATHER, please keep it on the hearts of those of us who are walking free that our freedom is a gift. We praise You for it. For those who are bound, we remember them today. Whether they are being treated justly, or not, please let the grace of Your presence abide with them so they can know the wondrous freedom that only You can bring to anyone of us. And, FATHER, for these who walk free in the world but are bound by sin, please visit them with the convicting grace of Your Holy Spirit. Whether in bonds or in freedom; draw them on to know the freedom that only Christ Jesus can give.

How Paul and Silas Responded to Life in Prison—Acts 16:25-31

As Paul began this Letter to some people he had never met, he went right into what he called ...the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the Gospel—Colossians 1:5.

This was, indeed, a major emphasis of the message he preached. It is also an important factor on which we should train our souls as—very soon—may face a time when all hope and freedom will come under attack.

Paul reminds us in Colossians that the Gospel, which had come to them, had come for all the world. It carries within it the power to bring forth fruit, particularly to those who, when they hear it, will receive it as ...the grace of God in truth (Colossians 1:6).

In Colossians we will find Let us never forsake the way of life in the Kingdom of God’s dear son for any distant and corrupt hope that might try to approach us.

Gracious LORD, work into my heart a concern for believers who are undergoing severe trials and who feel alone. I am sure it’s hard for them to have much hope. Please let hope be born in their spirits by the moving of Your Spirit, a hope that shall never be put to shame.

Learning More from Paul about Being in Prison because of the Gospel—II Timothy 1:3

Paul learned of the Church in Colosse from Epaphras. We discover this as he spoke ...of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;  who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit—Colossians 1:7,8. Take note of what Paul said of Epaphras near the conclusion of Colossians. He said, Epaphras who is one of you, a servant of Christ, who saluteth you, who is always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God—Colossians 4:12.

What a commendation of a believer who served as part of a ministry team in a local church! Seeing the brief mention of this man causes us to believe there were many faithful saints whose names we will never know this side of heaven, but who helped give birth to the powerful movement that has reached unto us today. What might happen if more men like Epaphras were on the scene today in churches across the land? It can start with someone like you beginning right where you are.

FATHER, put it within my own heart to be a person who knows what it means to labor fervently in prayer. Deliver me from being one who only cares for those who care for me. Teach me to reach beyond the circle of my own personal friends and loved ones when I pray.

One of our greatest examples of intercession for others may be seen in Daniel who identified with his people Israel and labored fervently for them in prayer.—Daniel 9:3-19

What Paul prayed for the Colossian believers has become our own powerful pattern for praying. Let’s see it here again from the King James Version, then we will learn what we can from the more simple wording found in the New International Reader’s Version.

Colossians 1:9,10—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; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God...NIrV—That’s why we have not stopped praying for you. We have been praying for you since the day we heard about you. We have been asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what He wants. We pray that He will give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. We pray that you will lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We pray that you will please Him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We want you to grow to know God better.

DEAR JESUS, I thank You for the examples left for us in the Scriptures of people who came before us in praying. What a pattern we find in one after the other of them. Most of all, I thank You, dear Redeemer, for what You have taught us about prayer. And, Oh! Your greatest prayer was when You prayed, “Father, not my will, but Thine be done.” Teach me, and these with whom I fellowship to humble ourselves in praying the same.

Let’s take note again of what Paul wrote in Colossians 1:9-11. What a rich string of words! Just to keep us on track, let us see verse 9 by itself.

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...

See this verse with me as translated from the Received Text of the Greek New Testament. Its words are rich, oh, so rich! For this cause we also, from the day we heard, do not cease praying and asking that you might be filled with the acknowledgment of His desire, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

The word understanding comes from the Greek sunesis and carries with it the meaning of being able to put matters together, matters that could otherwise leave us floundering as we try to walk in God’s will. We really do need the understanding that only the Holy Spirit can give as we walk in God’s ordained will. Thus, we pray.

DEAR FATHER, it is my strongest desire to live my life in the most perfect expression possible of what You want for me. However, I’m often faced with the impossibility of fulfilling Your will. Much of what You seem to want from me I don’t understand. But I’m beginning to learn from Jesus that You will do through me whatever You want. Thank You, loving Heavenly Father.

It’s God Who works in us to perform His will.—Philippians 2:12-16

We have gone over the prayers from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians many times. But, as long as they continue to speak new things to my heart, I believe they could do the same for you. So—let’s see what might come to us from the next verse from which we’ve been taking guidance for praying through nearly a quarter of a century.

Colossians 1:10—That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God...

Sometimes God’s will has seemed unlikely and hard to understand. But, we are learning that our every act and motive contributes to the working out of the high purpose the Lord has for each one of us.

Let us walk ...worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, even when we don’t understand every step we’re required to take. If we preach what is right, if we say “amen” to what we believe is right, if we are faithful in attendance and in fulfilling whatever responsibility is laid upon us, and yet allow some attitude to creep through that is not worthy of the Lord or pleasing to Him, then we do damage to our own spirit as well to those little ones—in the faith—who are observing us.

We are learning that the Gospel is spread by more than words spoken or written. The lives we live do much to spread the pure Gospel of Christ. That is one of the reasons we are maintaining a discipline in praying, both for ourselves and for others.

DEAR LORD, please cause Your Spirit to keep a close check on my spirit. I’ve learned that dark things buried in my spirit come through to the eyes of others. Help all of us in this fellowship of believers to live a life worthy of Your Kingdom.  Help us walk in a manner that is always pleasing to You.

There is something so powerful and vital in the passage that belongs to next month, that we can well spread some of it out for this month. Colossians 1:11 is loaded with the light and power of God’s Kingdom as it moves on into our lives.

Just remember, what we quote here needs what comes before and after it to make the statement complete. We’re drawing the verse out alone because some of the words in it can use our special attention. See this verse 11 by itself:

...Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness... There’s a lot of God’s “government” in this verse!

The Greek word dúnamis relates strongly to the words strengthened and might. When they are used together it very literally means, “enabled with all enabling power.” This is the kind of power Jesus promised the disciples in Acts 1:8. He said they would receive this power when the Holy Spirit came upon them from the eternal Throne of God in Heaven. It is the power by which His Kingdom operates on earth.

Then, we have the string of words according to His glorious power. This should read, “according to the dominion of His glory.” The word power is from the Greek krátos, which means, “force, sway, dominion.” The might with which we are to be strengthened is according to the dominion of God’s glory. The word translated “glory” is from the Greek dóxa meaning, the high dignity of God’s Kingly rule. Through us He will give expression to the dominion of His glory as it spreads throughout the earth.

FATHER, what I see from Your Word tells of a movement of Your Kingdom’s power in the earth. Oh! this calls for a greater movement of Your grace than I ever imagined. But, here I am ready for that grace to bring its rule into my life. Won’t You please extend the protection and power of that grace over these that I now name before Your Throne.

The Spread of God’s Glory.—Habakkuk 2:14; Haggai 2:6-9

There could be no Word in Scripture more clear in defining how the redemption through His blood brings us into His Kingdom. In the Colossians passage for today we see three distinct actions of God’s grace that take place when we receive the redemption through Christ’s blood.

Recall the words of the preceding verse 6 that speak of acknowledging the grace of God in truth. It is His grace that has brought us into an effectual place in His Kingdom from which we shall share with Him in His Government on the earth.

Revelations 5:9,10—And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

See these words from Colossians 1:12-14—

Giving thanks unto the Father, ¹⁾ which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (He has qualified us for our allotted portion of the inheritance of the saints in the light): ²⁾ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness (rescued us from the authority of the darkness), and ³⁾ hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son (transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love): in Whom we have (the) redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins (the deliverance from the captivity once held over us by the sins that had possessed us)...

Those of us who have given ourselves to the purpose and calling of the Lord Jesus, what Paul has laid out in this Colossian passage will draw our spirits on, “enraptured” with the purpose of the redemption that is ours by His blood.

O, GREAT REDEEMER, please open our understanding to know the purpose You hold for our lives. It is beyond anything my mind can grasp, but my heart pounds with excitement at the very thought of being a part of Your Kingdom on earth. Please hold me—and these that I name before You—through the perilous time during which the enemy will try to offend us to the point of defecting from Your fold.

Colossians 1:14-16—(Paul speaks of God’s dear Son) In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature: for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him...

There are those who disregard. In this Colossians passage J. B. Phillips has failed to include that it was through His blood that we have the redemption. Other than that, it captures the essence of what Paul expressed. For it is by His Son alone that we have been redeemed and have had our sins forgiven. Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through Him that every thing was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen. Through Him, and for Him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for Him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation.

All things were created ...by Him, and for Him. Thrones, dominions, principalities and powers were created by Him and for Him. Oh, what a right He has to rule—and we with Him!

DEAR LORD, please bring us onward in the call that You are laying upon us, to reign with You. Strengthen us in our minds, in our wills, in our emotions, in our conscience. Deal with us so that nothing will remain in us that will bring dishonor to Your Kingdom. Work the qualities of Your Kingdom into all that we are.

The following verses are so full that our hearts could take days just soaking in them. As we study what Paul has laid out, we see, in ever increasing measure, where God’s Kingdom will reach. And, we’ll see where we can reach with Him as we become part of His Kingdom. We’ll also see that it’s about the reconciliation that is ours through the redemption. Take note of the frequent occurrence of the word all.

Colossians 1:16b-20—all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist (endure; are held together). And He is the Head of the Body, the Church: Who is the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead  (the first to overcome the realm of death); that in all things He might have the preeminence (the first place). For it pleased the Father that in Him should all (the) fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be (the) things in earth, or (the) things in heaven.

Upon studying this verse in the Received Text of the Greek New Testament, it becomes evident that the ALL things of verse 20 refers to the realms of government named in verse 16 that were created by Christ and for Christ. The last chapter of Ephesians has made it clear that these realms are presently under occupation by evil forces with whom we are called into combat. In the final conflict, the principalities and the powers that oppose the rule of Christ shall be reconciled unto Him.

DEAR LORD, as You are preparing us for the conflict of the ages, keep our hearts close to Your heart. Cause us to love what You love and to hate only what You hate. Please purge our understanding so it can embrace Truth and walk in the pure light of Your Kingdom. Make us ready for the spreading of Your Kingdom into all the earth.

Colossians 1:21b-23—And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in our mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: if we continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which we have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

We must understand that the message Paul is presenting here is a message of preparation for reigning with Christ in His Kingdom. Can we allow our hearts to pursue this? Can we perceive that reigning with Christ will require that we be pure in heart, mind and motive, lest the enemy overtake us and bring us down in defeat? Can we not understand what Paul was presenting in I Corinthians 6:9,10?

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Opening ourselves to God’s grace while maintaining even a secret connection with the works of the flesh that Paul listed will result in our being blocked from God’s Kingdom. We must come to the understanding that while we are saved by grace apart from works, we must be qualified for the Kingdom?

FATHER, I want nothing in my life—not even in my thoughts—that will block me from Your Kingdom. It is my heart’s desire to live each day without blame before You. And, FATHER, here are these people that I love who are also being drawn toward Your Kingdom. Please work in their lives that they might become overcomers. Let them know what it means to reign with You.

As I was looking into the Greek New Testament at yesterday’s Scripture, it caught my eye that there were three negatives all in a row. They are to be worked out in us after we have been reconciled to God by the death of His Son. We don’t see these in the translation, but they are evident in the Greek. 

Let’s view Colossians 1:21,22 again:

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight…

These three words, holy, unblameable and unreproveable, all begin with a Greek negative indicating that something must take place in us after our reconciliation with God that will make us acceptable in His presence.

We might not immediately think of holy in this group, but in actual fact it means, separated from common condition and use. If we allow our lives to remain open and available for common use, then whatever comes along might find easy access. Hágios, the word translated holy, is the same word elsewhere interpreted as “saint.” It is the saints who shall possess the Kingdom (Daniel 7:18).

The word unblameable, from amómos means, without a stain on one’s character, without disgrace. How important this is for one who will inherit the Kingdom with Christ. The word unreproveable is from the Greek aneģkletos, which means, having no ground in one’s life for dispute, without reproach, having no complaint from any quarter. These three negatives mark the lives of those who will reign with Christ.

DEAR LORD, to put it plainly, I ask You to move in me to bring my life into order for Your Kingdom. Wherein I have been careless, and have allowed matters to go without attention, please give me the wisdom and grace to bring things into an order of rightness that will qualify me for reigning with You. Here are these others who have professed knowing You, but who have remained careless. Please move in their behalf.

A prophetic Word regarding Paul came from the Lord to Ananiasto tell him ...how great things he must suffer for My Name’s sake (Acts 9:16). Now, in Colossians 1 we have Paul telling of the Gospel whereof he was made a minister. See these unusual words from him as he speaks of himself in this calling:

Colossians 1:24,25—I Paul...who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the Church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God.

What character had been worked in Paul that he could actually rejoice in suffering for the Gospel! We have been a soft lot who have looked for joy along easy paths. The difficulties we might have could work for us a ...far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (II Corinthians 4:17).

It becomes apparent that suffering works a quality into our character that will make us more useful for God’s eternal Kingdom purposes.

DEAR LORD, work it within my spirit to be able to bear reproach for Your Name. I am not looking for hardship just so I can boast in that I have suffered for You. But, I want to walk in whatever path may be necessary in taking the Gospel to those for whom You died.

Adam Clarke, my 18th century friend, gave one of his most valuable insights when he commented on this verse. He understood Paul; in general, as saying, “I have yet some afflictions to endure before my race of glory is finished. They are afflictions, which fall on me on account of the Gospel. They are similar to those Christ bore from the same kind of persecuting people.”

Though Paul spoke of his own sufferings, he did not say he had entered into the sufferings of Christ. He spoke, rather, of bringing to completion that which was lacking of the afflictions of Christ. This was a different matter. Through the centuries, many who have served Christ have endured their share of afflictions. This continues, and will only increase. But of the sufferings, only Christ could bear those. None could share with Him, nor have they ever, before or since He died. As with many of the words uttered by Jesus in His passion, we have the following declared for Him by that Prophet who saw details of His suffering, even beyond what the New Testament writers recorded. Take Isaiah 53, for instance.

But, now, note this: I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me—Isaiah 63:3. Afflictions on Paul and us for the sake of His body, ok, but of the sufferings? they were on Jesus alone, in our behalf—and there was none with Him when He bore our sin and our sickness.

DEAR LORD, please do a work in us, Your people, so that when afflictions increase, we can rejoice in the privilege of going through some difficulty for You. And, LORD, please give Your enabling grace to those who are undergoing persecutions because they have confessed Your Name. Please carry them through in triumph and joy.

Paul spoke of Christ’s body, the Church whereof he had been ...made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given to him to fulfill the Word of God (Colossians 1:25).

Three words in Paul’s statement take our attention. First, he had been made a minister. This is from the Greek diákonos, a word generally meaning, a servant, someone who sees to the needs of others and hastens to their aid. This word was even used in Matthew 20:28 to speak of the ministry of Jesus.

The second word taking our attention is dispensation from the Greek oikonomía. This word carries the basic meaning of, one who manages a household. It speaks of one who has a ministerial commission to make known the Gospel of Christ. Both words apply to one who serves others.

The third word is  fulfill. It would seem there was something in Paul’s ministry that was necessary to bring the Word of God to completion. In one great sense this would be true, for there was much to come through him in his Epistles that would accomplish that very thing. But in the context of its use in this statement here, he referred to the responsibility on him to declare all the counsel of God, as he had done toward the people at Ephesus (Acts 20:27).

Though there are some points in J. B. Phillips interpretation of the New Testament text that might be questioned by some, much that he has given us is valuable. See here his interpretation of Colossians 1:24-25. In this, Phillips is able to express what I would have liked to say.

I myself have been made a minister of this same Gospel, and though it is true at this moment that I am suffering on behalf of you who have heard the Gospel, yet I am far from sorry about it. Indeed, I am glad, because it gives me a chance to complete in my own sufferings something of the untold pains for which Christ suffers on behalf of his body, the Church.

For I am a minister of the Church by divine commission, a commission granted to me for your benefit and for a special purpose: that I might fully declare God’s word.

 

GRACIOUS LORD, I want to be one who is always a servant for others in Your Body. Please grace me with this privilege. While I consider myself as little in comparison with others who serve, I believe there is a special commission upon my life. Help me fulfill it. And as I do this, please keep me committed to giving forth Your full counsel.

What Paul ministered was clearly in line with what Moses and the Prophets had told. But there was a difference; Paul ministered after God’s Son paid the ransom for the redemption of our souls. What he told was in large measure the unfolding of what had been a mystery, sometimes hidden in laws and ceremonies that pointed to the Good News the Apostles of the Lord Jesus were commissioned to make known. Paul’s mission was different from theirs in that he was commissioned especially to the Gentiles.

See this now as we continue in Colossians 1:26-28:

...Even  the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would (has it as He desire to) make known what is the riches of (the bountiful wealth contained in) the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you (Christ in your midst), the hope of (the) glory: Whom we preach (announce as if celebrating a mighty event), warning (admonishing) every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect (bring every person to a readiness so as to recommend them as complete) in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s responsibility in ministering thus was that he might present the company of those under his charge as complete for the purposes of God. It was to Him, and Him alone, that he was answerable for the quality produced in those to whom he ministered.

FATHER, let it be contained firmly in my heart and soul that I have a continuing responsibility toward certain ones. It may be that these ones are whosoever I might meet today. Maybe it’s the ones I’m confined with. Maybe it will be the one single person I must remain with. Whoever it is, let me be found faithful toward them—and toward You.

Paul ministered the Gospel with so strong a desire to present those to whom he ministered complete in Christ, that he spoke of it as striving. This may seem foreign to many of us today because we have the desire to minister out of our rest in the Lord. But, we learn from Paul there is also a labor in ministering the Gospel. It is interesting to note the particular word he used in this concluding verse of Colossians 1. He spoke of his desire to present every man...perfect in Christ, whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily—Colossians 1:29.

What a loaded string of words. What was it that drew Paul on in ministering even after all he suffered because of the very thing he ministered? There was a strong desire present in him to present every person perfect in Christ. Because of this he labored. This labor was a striving. This striving was according to Christ’s working. This working was accomplished in him mightily. Thus, we have these four words into which we need insight.

1. First we have labor, from the Greek kopiáo meaning to labor at hard work, even to the point of extreme weariness.
2. Second is striving, from agoniźomai, a word adopted from the athletic field, relating particularly to the combative games in which the contestant must train to the utmost in physical limitation. There is no place for softness in one who would serve as a soldier in the army of the Lord, though with the realization that the strength by which one strives is a spiritual strength.  
3. Third is working, from energeía, a word relating to the resurrection of Christ. It’s that divine energy that entered His lifeless body and brought it forth alive. It’s part of that spiritual force of energy Paul taught us to pray—in Ephesians 1:17-19—would operate in our lives as believers.
4. Fourth is mightily, from the Greek term en dunámei, describing how all the preceding will work in us. This is from dúnamis; the power Jesus promised would come upon us when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).

   DEAR LORD, I have little hope of fulfilling Your will unless You supply me with the power to accomplish it. But, what I see here in Paul’s letter to the Colossians gives me hope. Oh, my dear SAVIOR, I need to soak in the Word Paul has given us. Please put it strong in my heart. Teach me well. Keep a discipline upon me. Let me bear fruit for Your Name’s sake. Let me glorify Your Name.

Paul was concerned that the people know how much he cared for them. It was not to build up his own ego, but that they might know the value placed on them because of the suffering of the Lord Jesus. Let us see the opening words of this second chapter in his Letter to the Colossians 2:1-3—

For I would that ye knew (for I desire for you to know in a way that can’t be taken from you) what great conflict (what earnest care, or solicitude) I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted (encouraged), being knit together (having been united) in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

FATHER, I praise You that the mystery revealed in Christ Jesus has reached my own heart. My desire is that He might be revealed in me. And, let Him be known in the fellowship to which I belong. Please let the new ones who come among us become aware of Him. As we move among the people of the world, please let Him become known to them.

Being Established according to the Revelation of the Mystery.
—Romans 16:24-27

Even though Paul had never been with the people of Colosse, he still held a concern for them. Remembering what kind of man he was before his conversion, we can well know that a heart like we see in him now could only have come from the Lord Himself. This gives us a confidence that anyone we know can become a new person in Christ.

See now these words: Colossians 2:4,5—

And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

Paul held a similar concern for the people in Rome. This sets an example for any of us who minister the Gospel. Let us learn to hold concern for all those for whom we care. In these days that are closing in upon us it is urgent that we all become grounded in the truth of the Gospel, with a hope that is sure. See how this passage from the Roman Epistle exemplifying Paul’s continuing concern.

Romans 16:17,18—Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

DEAR LORD, here are these souls for whom I hold a deep concern. Some of them are still weak in the faith. Some of them have already begun to depart from fellowship. Please pursue them with Your Spirit. Cause them to long after You. Help me know how to bear a better testimony before them.

Paul gives the following admonition:

Colossians 2:6,7—As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Paul used a double metaphor here, taken partly from the growth of a tree and partly from the increase of a building. He wanted the seed of the Gospel planted in the people of Colosse to take root. He wanted the seed to grow and bear good fruit. He also wanted them to be grounded with a foundation, like that of a strong building that would stand and enable them to become a habitation of God through the Spirit. He considered them to be...

Ephesians 2:20-22—...Are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord: in Whom they also were builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

It is important that believers know themselves to be the habitation of God through the Spirit. The above word, translated Temple is from the Greek náos, a word signifying the most holy place of the Temple, the Holy of Holies. The whole Body of Christ is being fitly framed together and groweth to become God’s habitation in the earth. Can we but believe this to be so?

We can understand fully where the Lord has His dwelling? In His Temple… In us…

DEAR LORD, I have no ability to understand many matters that regard Your Kingdom. Nor can I understand much about Your dwelling place. But, there is one thing for certain—I can know You, and Your presence. I know Your healing power. I know the presence of Your Holy Spirit when I worship You alone. I’m beginning to know You when I worship with others. Oh, let this knowledge of Your presence increase within me, and with these I worship with.

A Psalm of David to Bring Us onward in Kingdom Authority
—Psalm 47

In the fellowship that was growing in Colosse, there were signs that some believers were being seduced. Paul gave strong warning with regard to the deception that was coming among them. Wherever people are opening themselves to the Truth regarding Christ, the enemy often brings in those who will seek to seduce them from what is wholly true. One thing for which we must be on the watch is, those who come with a great deal of truth, but seasoned with a small amount of deception.

See these words of warning from the Apostle in Colossians 2:8—

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

See this now from J. B. Phillips: I write this to prevent you from being led astray by someone or other’s attractive arguments. For though I am a long way away from you in body, in spirit I am by your side, watching like a proud father the solid steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in Him—in simple faith. Grow out of Him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it, and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness.

Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ!—Colossians 2:4-8

HEAVENLY FATHER, please keep us from being deceived in this awesome hour. Let there come upon all of us in our fellowship a love for the Truth. I do indeed believe this will be our greatest safeguard for the days that are approaching. As we love the Truth, please guide us in our study and in the gifts of the Spirit as they work in our midst.

Being Careful to Receive the Love of the Truth.
—II Thess 2:7-12

The warning that Paul gave in the preceding verse (Colossians 2:8) leads us to one of the most profound statements in the whole of God’s Word. Paul has just warned believers against the philosophy and empty deceptions that were encroaching upon the Colossian believers. Enshroud in what seemed to be statements of Christian faith, there came the teaching of the Gnostics.  “The Gnostics generally believed not in a Jesus who was a Divine Person with a human nature, but in a spiritual Christ who indwelt Jesus.” (Wikipedia )

Gnosticism—from the Greek ginośko, to know—may be found in mystical Oriental religions to whom many are being drawn. The new age movement is moving in upon countless unsuspecting souls. This is particularly so among super-spiritual “Christians” who find delight like the Athenians to whom Paul ministered and who ...spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing (Acts 17:21). Gnosticism was deceptive and confusing—then and now, by whatever name it may be called.

Just as many new believers today become fertile ground for deception, so was true of the Colossians. They saw Jesus as a model for their path to God. With Him as their “spirit guide” they supposed they might find God within themselves. The problem was: they missed the redemption from sin’s bondage. They missed the propitiation for their sins and were thus left to face God’s wrath, unable to declare His righteousness for the remission of their sins. They failed to discover the justification from the Law’s demands that only God’s grace could offer. They failed to know the reconciliation with God that could only come through Christ Jesus.

DEAR LORD, in whatever measure deception has crept in upon us in our fellowship, please search it every bit out. For myself, I ask for a renewal of a love of the Truth. Cause me to love Your Word and search it daily like the people at Berea where Paul ministered. And, LORD, here are these dear ones that I hold before You. Let the love of the world that has taken over in them lose its grip. Please cause Your Spirit to draw them into Your bosom, and there, let their longing for You be renewed.

Becoming Thoroughly Furnished—II Timothy 3:13-17

Borrowing the last Word of the preceding verse and adding verse 9 we have. …Christ.  For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily—Colossians 2:9. We make that same powerful confession now—with Paul—and join him in letting it enter our lives. Instead of trying to make it a profound matter, we just let our hearts go there—and believe.

There was a symbol of the divine presence in the Tabernacle of Moses, and so also in the Temple that Solomon built. But in Christ Jesus, God Himself dwelt in bodily form. This was necessary if the redemption was to come to its completion, rather than remain a dim confession, looking forward to a Redeemer that would come.

No more would any Israelite have to lay his hands upon the head of a lamb that was about to be slain. The Lamb of God came (John 1:29), was recognized by the few (Matthew 27:54), was slain (Luke 23:33), was raised from the dead (Mark 16:6), ascended back into the heavens (Acts 1:9), is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 8:1), where He ever lives to make intercession for us (Romans 8:34), from whence He shall come again (I Thessalonians 4:16). And, as the kingdoms of this world become His kingdoms, He shall reign forever and ever (Revelations 11:15).

All the divine majesty dwelt in Jesus. The Godhead, Deity itself, the fullness of Him Who God was and is and is to come became known in a humble man. Oh, glorious mystery! Who can fathom the depths?

FATHER, my mind can never comprehend Salvation’s plan. Only my heart can believe it. But, since believing, my mind has come behind my heart and now I can know whom I have believed. I am persuaded that what has been in Your heart from eternity is Truth. Even my mind, as dull as it has been, is coming along side my heart and can see at least some of the depth of Your Love. Oh! Dear Jesus, what more do I need to know, but that You loved me enough to come for me? Let my life now make it known.

The Divine Mystery Made Known and Confessed
—Philippians 2:5-11

Colossians 2:10-12—And ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power: In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead.

DEAR FATHER, only my heart can receive this that I’ve just read from Paul. Please help me become still enough before You to let it begin reaching into the areas of my life that need—oh, so much!—to be touched by His resurrection power. As understanding can come forth in me, please let it come. Let my mind begin piercing through the spiritual darkness that surrounds me so much of the time. Help me understand that much of this is caused by the spiritual forces of darkness that oppose what You’re doing in me.

 

Taking a Review of What Paul Laid out for Us in Ephesians
—Eph 6:10-18

 

 

Colossians 2:13-14—And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him (He, that is God, has made us alive together with Christ), having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross…

DEAR FATHER, I am ready to believe this Word that has come from Paul. I believe it is inspired Scripture and that it came through a man who walked in the reality of it. Now, won’t You please help me, and these I hold before You, to start walking in the reality of it also.

An Exhortation to a Young Preacher—II Timothy 1:6-10

We must learn to keep a hold on the principalities and powers that rise up with the intention of defeating us in our walk with the Lord as they use circumstances and people in their deception. See the following from Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians. They were under subtle attack from the principalities.

Colossians 2:15-18—And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (in Himself). Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind…

From this, we learn there will be those who try to impose laws and ceremonies on us that belong to the Old Covenant, but were fulfilled in the Work of the Lord Jesus. If these deceivers can get us back under the Law, they can succeed in removing us from our place of triumph in the Lord Jesus. What was used against the Colossians was a combination of Old Covenant Truth mixed with the mysticism of the Gnostic heresy. It was subtle and deadly and is still here today. It’s evident in many forms of religious circles today.

Take note of the word beguile in verse 18 above. It’s from an ancient word from the athletic field, referring to an umpire who hands down a wrong ruling in a contest. As Paul used it here, he refers to someone trying to get you to “play the game” by submitting to the rules of another game. As you grow in your relationship with the Lord, just be aware there may be those who, with subtlety and deceit, will attempt to divert you from the prize, which can only be yours in Christ.

FATHER, I am not spiritually wise enough to always know when I’m being deceived. Therefore, I submit my heart and my spirit to Your Holy Spirit. I beg of You, keep me and these I hold before You, in the Truth of Your Word and Your Kingdom.

In speaking of not holding the Head, Paul clearly refers to the Head of the Body, which is Christ, the Head of the Church. Any success a seducing spirit has in removing us from our relationship with Him as our Head is a strike of victory for the enemy.

Years ago I had a roommate whose left arm had lost its connection with his brain. Unless he used his right hand to hold his left hand down, it would flail about. What a hindrance that was to him! Part of his body was not under the government of his head. The word holding in the above verse is from the Greek kratéo. It means, “to be under the government of.”

In the Body of Christ, when any of us are moved away from the governing power of Christ, we become like that young man’s arm, having the tendency to move about in senseless and non-productive ways for God’s Kingdom. We may even do harm, and knock things out of order around us. So, today, it is our purpose to present ourselves before Christ for a miracle of spiritual healing. Let this healing bring us into harmony with our Head and with the rest of His Body. Then, His Kingdom’s purpose can come to pass without a being hindered by carnality.

DEAR LORD, I submit myself to whatever operation of Your Spirit that may be necessary to bring me into harmony with Yourself and Your Body. If there are things that I have carried from my youth that have risen up to keep me from being a part of what You are doing in the Church, then please hold me tight till I am healed.

How members the Body of Christ May Work Together
—Romans 12:4-16

What we have seen in the first two chapters are in preparation for some very amazing and practical aspects of spiritual understanding that will help make us useful to the Kingdom of Christ.

But, let’s see the concluding verses of Colossians 2:20-23—

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Most rules can be kept by the flesh. But, they don’t get inside and change the person. This means that when the person keeping the rules grows tired, or becomes discouraged, the old man who has lived inside them will inevitably rise back up and take over. Then, what do we have? A backslider? This kind of person can never function acceptably in the Kingdom of God. When they succeed in something, they become proud. When they fail, they think they’re of no use at all and just go away.

But, when we come under the Government of Christ as our Head, everything becomes different. Our life, our strength, our direction, our ability to walk in the paths of difficulty and impossibility become His to do in us. It really does become ...Christ in you, the hope of Glory.

LIVING AND GRACIOUS LORD, all that I am is Yours. I confess that in the redemption I became Yours. I confess that you have reconciled me to our heavenly Father. I rejoice in the propitiation for my sins that You accomplished for me. Thank You for salvaging my life from the junk heap of sin.

Having been reconciled to God by Christ’s death,
we are now being saved by His Life—Romans 5:10,11

Berean Ministries
PO Box 38
Elk Park, NC 28622-0038