Go with me if you would back
to Colossians chapter 1. Last Sunday night we looked at
the first 8 verses of this chapter. And we just went line by line
seeing what the Apostle Paul had to say. And that's what we're
going to do tonight. We're going to look at verses
9 to 15, line by line. This is one sentence, and it
is a glorious sentence. The sentence actually continues
to verse 17, but we're only going to look at it up to verse 15
tonight. So let's read 9 to 15 again. Paul said, For this cause we
also, since the day we heard it, Do not cease to pray for
you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that
you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God, strengthened with all might, according to His glorious
power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, giving thanks
unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom
of His 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." That is wonderful,
isn't it? That is truly wonderful. He said
in verse 9, for this cause, we also, since the day we heard
it, do not cease to pray for you. What cause is He talking
about? What did they hear of? Verse four. Since we heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus. Since we heard that God put faith
in you and caused you to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. And
that's what we mentioned Sunday night. There is nothing that
encourages a child of God more than hearing that God has put
faith in another child of God. You know, when we gather together
like this, it's all we need is two or three. Isn't that right? Our Lord said, we're two or three
are gathered in my name. But every single person that
walks through that door encourages me. Every time I see the Lord
brought back another one of His children, it encourages me. And
if we walk through that door, He's the one who brought us.
And it encourages me. He said, we give thanks, we're
praying because we heard of the faith that God put in your heart,
causing you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We heard that
He caused you to stop believing on yourself like everybody is
doing. Well, I just believe in myself.
We heard He caused you to stop believing on yourself and stop
looking to yourself and start totally looking to Christ. We
heard He caused you to cast your everything on the work and the
blood of Jesus Christ. Verse 4, He said, Since we heard
of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have
to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,
whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
which is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth
forth fruit, as it does also in you since the day you heard
of it and knew the grace of God in truth." They said, we heard
that God gave you faith, hope, and love. And we heard that His spiritual
gift wrought spiritual gifts, spiritual fruit in you. So verse 9, He said, for this
cause, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the
knowledge of His will. in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We pray you might be filled with
the knowledge of His will." How can we know what His will is? How can we know what His will
is, God's will is? He said, we pray you might be
filled with this knowledge. How can we truly have a knowledge
of His will? Here is the answer. This is His
will. We are so heavily in the Scripture. More than the average place. We turn, we look, we turn, we
look. The reason is because this is
His will. Not what a man says his will
is. Not what anybody thinks his will is. This is His will. In His Word, He has revealed
His will concerning some wonderful things. He has revealed His will concerning
the redemption of His people. He has revealed His will concerning
what He is going to do with His lost and ruined people. Look
with me at Matthew 18. Matthew 18 verse 12, it says,
How think ye, if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them
be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth
into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And
if so be that he find it, Verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth
more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not
astray. Even so, it is not the will of
your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish." He said that's his will. His will is, He is
not willing to allow one of His little sheep to perish. Not one. Look with me at John 6. Verse 39. And this is the Father's will,
which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
Through His Word, we know His will. We know His will. That's amazing, isn't it? He
has revealed, this is God, and He has revealed His will through
His Word. We know the things that He has
purposed to do in His heart. We know the purpose of God. Through
this Word, we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
We know that. Look with me at Romans 9. Romans 9 verse 11 says, For the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the will and purpose of God,
according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth. Through this Word, we know that
God chose a particular group of people to save. And through
this Word, we know exactly who the group of people was. We know
exactly who God chose to save. Who His will was to save. We know what type of people He
chose. He chose sinners. Now, you know the average person
does not know that. You know the average person does
not know that. The average person believes God
chose to save not sinners. God chose to save good people
who have overcome their sin and put away their sin. Through this Word we have the
will of God, we have the mind of God, we have the purpose of
God. He chose sinners who still have to say, I'm still a sinner. I thought I was over it, but
I'm not. I thought I was doing a little
bit better, but it turns out I'm not. Still a sinner. That's who he chose to save. How can we be so sure of that? He put it in his word. The Apostle
Paul said, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom
I am chief. I'm the chief. Look at 2 Timothy
chapter one. 2 Timothy 1 verse 9, it says, Who
hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." He saved
us, He called us, and He did it according to His own purpose
and grace before the world ever began. Through His Word, we know
the glory of His will. So back in Colossians 1, verse 9 says, We also, since
the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire
that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Paul told the Corinthians, I
pray this for you, and I pray this for us. I sincerely pray
this for us. I pray this for me. I pray this
for you. That we might be filled with
the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I pray that God might send spiritual
understanding as opposed to our natural foolish and fleshly understanding. The way man sees it is not the
way it is. The way we naturally see things
is not the way it is. I pray that God might deliver
us from blind religion. Religion is so blind. I pray
that the Lord might deliver more sinners from blind religion. I pray that He might deliver
us from our ignorance to who He is, who He really is. And our ignorance to what He
has to say to us. I pray He might deliver us from
our ignorance to who we really are. And I pray He might give us wisdom,
give us spiritual understanding of our sin, a true spiritual
understanding of our sin, our absolute inability to do anything
to please Him. Do you know that the more we
look to Christ, the more we please Him? Outside of Christ, we cannot
do anything to please Him. Nothing. I pray we might receive
more of a spiritual understanding of just how desperately needy
we are. Completely, completely relying
on Him. I pray He might give us wisdom
and a true spiritual understanding of the mercy that there is to
be had in Christ. There is so much mercy in Christ. I pray he might give us an understanding
of our need of it and an understanding of how plenteous it is. I pray he might give us an understanding
of how he can be just with us. That's something I didn't understand
whenever I was young. I'd hear I'm a sinner too, right? But
we're the elect. I pray God might give us a spiritual
understanding of how He can be just with us and deal with us
and give us what we deserve, truly give us what we deserve. His elect do not get a free pass. Give us what we deserve and completely
justify us and say you are spotless and holy and free to go. I pray
He will give us an understanding, a true spiritual understanding
of how Christ can set us free. How can He set us free? through
His blood, through His sacrifice, through His substitution. I honestly
pray that He might fill us with the knowledge of His will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Verse 10 says that you might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful
in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Now
this word says, the knowledge of God says that all of His people
walk by faith. We walk by faith. That is the
only way that a sinner can walk worthy of the Lord. He must walk
looking to Christ. He must. God's people do strive
to bear fruit, spiritual fruit. I want to bear fruit. I want
to be like Christ. All of God's people do. They
all want to be like Him. They want to grow more and more
into the image of their Lord. They know that they are never
going to be in His image until they are physically in His presence. But we desire to know more of
Him. We desire to grow in His grace.
We desire to grow in the fruits of the Spirit. But the moment
that we walk in a way that those fruits become a component of
salvation, the moment that it is no longer blood alone and
grace alone, we are walking unworthily. Because now we're mixing works
and grace. And you can't mix works and grace. Look at Romans
11. Romans 11 verse 6. And if by grace, if salvation
is by grace, if God freely gives it to whoever He wants to give
it to, if it's by grace, then it's no more of works. We don't
earn it. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. If you earn it,
it's not a gift anymore. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. It's either a gift or it's not. You cannot mix the two. Look
with me at Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2 verse 10 says, For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. We are His workmanship. He does
produce a brand new creature. But, verse 8 says, By grace are
you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves? It is
the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. There's
no room for boasting in salvation. It's by grace through faith,
and we just look to Him. Completely look to Him. Over
in 2 Peter 3, I'll read this to you. 2 Peter 3, it says, in 2 Peter 3 verse 18, But grow
in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, to Him be glory, both now and forever, Amen. Grow in
grace, giving all the glory to Him in all things, for all things. That's what it is to walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing. If we want to please the Father,
glorify the Son. If we want to please the Father,
you know our brother just prayed that the Lord might bless our
worship, and I pray He will. And if He does, if the Father
is going to be pleased with our worship, it is going to be by
way of us glorifying the Son. All glory goes to Him. Well,
back in Colossians 1, it says in verse 9, For this cause we
also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for
you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge
of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that
you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God, strengthened with all might according to His glorious
power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." Strengthened
with all might according to His glorious power. Paul said, this
is what I'm praying for. And this is what I'm praying
for. Because God has given you faith, and hope, and love. And because He has produced spiritual
fruit in you. He has produced the fruit that
shuts down self and turns to Christ. Paul said, I pray that
you might be strengthened according to His glorious power. Not ours,
His. I pray He might strengthen us
according to His glorious power unto all patience. He said, I
pray that it might produce patience. I pray that you might wait on
the Lord. Look to the Lord. Hope in the
Lord. Lord, increase our faith. Increase
our trust. He said, I pray that it might
produce patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. When is a child
of God strengthened, really? At what moment is a child of
God strengthened truly? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12
verse 9, He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee,
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore,
Paul said, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power
of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, Then am I
strong. I cannot tell you how often that
verse of scripture comforts my heart. And the reason I say that
is because I am always weak. I'm always weak. I'm always so weak. In so many
ways. I'm always so weak in faith. I'm always so weak in ability
of every kind. Every time I step into this pulpit,
I think, I need your strength or there will be none. I need
you to speak or no words will be spoken, not to the heart.
In our absolute weakness, we can completely rely on His strength. I was listening to a man, a false
preacher. I ran across something. I don't
recommend anybody do that. But man, that guy was good. That
guy was good. He was putting on a show. It
was an emotional show like I'd never heard. And there wasn't a bit of spiritual
power in it. Not a bit of power in it. But
the Lord can take one word in weakness, in the weakness of
His vessel, and He can pierce a heart with it. He can open
blind eyes with it. He can cause somebody to truly
see Christ through the strength of His Spirit and the strength
of His Word. This is spiritual wisdom and understanding. This
truly is. When Christ is all and we are
nothing. When we truly do feel our emptiness
and our nothingness. And what I mean by that is we
all know that we should feel our emptiness and we should feel
our nothingness. But there are moments when we
do feel our emptiness and we do feel our nothingness. I mean
we really honestly feel empty and nothing. And when we see
Him to be the only one and the only thing that is keeping us
from falling, at that moment, we are spiritually
at our strongest. Hard to understand. It's hard
to imagine. But when you get to that place
where you are absolutely convinced, it's confirmed to you, the only
thing that's keeping me from absolutely falling away right
now is His hand. At that moment, you're at your
spiritual strongest. At that moment, we're strengthened
with all might according to His glorious power, not ours, nothing
in us, all His. His power, His strength, that's
what causes us to endure the afflictions and endure the trials
with patience and He even said with joy. We endure them with
joy. And the reason is because we
know who it is that's strengthening us. We know who we are relying
on. We know who has caused us to
rely on Him. The Lord Himself, our Lord Jesus
Christ. We know that He's with us. His
will is. He recorded in His Word, I'll
never leave you. I'll stay with you. And we know
what He's done for us and what He will continue to do for us
for all the rest of our days. Well, verse 11, Colossians 1
verse 11, it says, strengthened with all might according to His
glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness,
giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." He has
made us meet. That means able, qualified, worthy to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. Psalm 24 says, Who shall be able? Who shall be qualified? Who shall
be worthy? to stand in His presence. What
must a man or a woman have to be a partaker of the inheritance
of the saints in life? Here's the answer. and a pure heart, no sin, none. Paul said, giving thanks unto
the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. He made us perfect, spotless. How did he do it? Verse 13, who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated
us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." I've wondered, and
you have wondered, I believe every child of God wonders, what
will we do in glory? What will we do in glory? There
is no time there, but it's an eternal span of time. Time does
not exist, but it's just a continual moment of time. What will we
spend our time doing? I don't know what we'll be doing.
I honestly have no idea. But I know one thing we'll be
doing. I know one thing for certain
that we'll be doing. We will forever be giving thanks
unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood.
We will forever be ascribing all blessing and all honor and
all glory and all power unto Him that sitteth upon the throne,
the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. Verse 15 says, Who
is the image of the invisible God? The firstborn of every creature. Think about that. He is the image
of the invisible God. To see Christ is to see God. He is the only image of the Trinity
God that there is. He's the only one. To see God
sitting on His throne is to see Jesus Christ sitting there. And
He said He is the firstborn of every creature. That does not
mean that He was born or created like every other creature. Verse
16 says, For by Him were all things created. He created everything. The firstborn means the heir. The firstborn was always the
rightful heir. In a family, the firstborn was
the rightful heir. All things are going to Him.
By His grace, we are going to Him. We're marching to Zion,
beautiful Zion. We're going to Him as brethren. It was His will to be the firstborn
among many brethren. It was His will to make us to
be joint heirs with Him. Paul said, I pray you might be
filled with the knowledge of His will. I pray that the Lord
might fill us with a true knowledge of what Christ was pleased to
do for us. Sinners like us. Let's close
with Galatians 4. Go with me over to Galatians
chapter 4. Galatians 4 verse 1 says, Now
I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing
from a servant, though he be lord of all, but is under tutors
and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even
so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements
of the world. But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are
sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. That's what Christ has done for
us. That's what he's done for all his people. That's a reason
to give thanks. Paul said for this reason, for
this cause, we pray and give thanks to God for everything
he's done. All right, let's all stand together.