This is week 2 of our study of Colossians “Look Up! Living Below For Who Is Above!”
Introduction
Last week, we focused on the reputation of the Colossian church. This week, we will spend our time unpacking verses 9-14 and answering the following questions: Oftentimes, we hear the question, “How do I know what God’s will is………”? Another question – When praying for someone else, what should I be praying?
9 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Wisdom: The Greek term that best fits this concept is “sophia”. In this context, it means having a keen insight into the true nature of things. It is more on the theory side of knowing. Perhaps a good example is the ability to see through the sales pitch of a con artist, or a clever politician.
Understanding: The Greek word is “phronesis”. It refers to good judgment or the skill to govern our lives in a careful, successful manner. This can be in the practical realm of living life. It is to be able to figure out the best decisions that will lead to the best results for our life.
An example might be the skill to develop a step by step plan to build a business, or solve a practical problem, or to handle a relationship.
Knowledge: Maybe the best Greek word is “gnosis”. This concept involves the accumulation of information or facts about a certain object or thing. An example would be knowing a lot of facts about the doctrine of salvation, or maybe Marxism, or the Pittsburgh Steelers. The opposite of knowledge would be ignorance.
Wisdom is the crowning ingredient. Knowledge, in and of itself, is not the end product that brings about great good. Understanding can enhance the ability to utilize knowledge.
Therefore, wisdom must play a part. God’s Word says where wisdom is obtained. “The fear of the Lord(God) is the beginning of wisdom.”
That quality is wisdom. It is the wisdom that comes from our creator. Why trust Him? When you purchase a product and want to know how best to use the product, you will get the manufacture’s handbook. After all, the creator of the product knows best how to utilize the product. The Creator of the universe and all that is in it has said that “Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom.” “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all men liberally….”
So, whatever you do, begin with wisdom. Then you will correctly apply the knowledge and understanding to bring about an expected end.
Now on to unpacking the verses.
Verse 9 – Knowledge of God’s will – Knowing God’s will – His desires and plans based on His character and purposes – results from knowing God Himself and developing a deep personal relationship with Him. Such a relationship grows out of spending consistent time in prayer – listening to and speaking with God – and the study of His word. Our ability to recognize and understand His will comes as we apply His Word to the decisions, attitudes, and actions of daily life. Only this kind of knowledge results in true spiritual wisdom and understanding that guides and transforms our heart and lives as God desires.
Verses 9-12 – We have not stopped praying for you – This is one of Paul’s four great New Testament prayers, recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (the other three are Ephesians 1:16-19, Ephesians 3:14-19; Philippians 1:9-11). These prayers provide excellent examples of how to pray for others, such as our friends, parents, children, other Christians, missionaries, pastors, etc. We should pray that they come to understanding (1) God’s will, (2) gain spiritual wisdom, (3) live in a way that is holy and pleasing to the Lord, (4) bear fruit, (5) be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, (6) continue in faith and righteousness, (7) give thanks to the Father, (8) live with their hope focused on heaven, (9) experience Christ’s nearness, (10) know and experience Christ’s love, (11) be filled with God’s fullness, (12) show love and kindness to others, (13) discern between good and evil, (14) be sincere and blameless and (15) await with eagerness the Lord’s return.
Verse 11 – Strengthened….According to His glorious might – In order to live in a manner worthy of being associated and representing the Lord (verse 10), we must be strengthened by His power. Nothing else can enable us to overcome sin (i.e., the natural tendency to go our own God-defying way).
Verse 13 – From the dominion of darkness – Central to our spiritual salvation and renewed relationship with God is our rescue and liberation from the power and control of Satan and his forces of evil. We are now in Christ’s kingdom and under His rule.
Verse 14 – Redemption and Forgiveness – The term redemption points out the means by which salvation is obtained – by the payment of a ransom. Our sinful condition is the basis for this because it alienates or separates us from God because our natural tendency is to defy Him and go our own way. We are slaves to sin and we are in need of rescue from sin’s guilt, punishment, and power.
The result of being redeemed (by accepting Christ’s sacrifice and forgiveness of sins and surrendering our lives to His authority and purpose) frees us from Satan’s control and from the guilt and power of sin. The freedom from sin, however, does not mean that we can do as we please.
Concluding Remarks and Application
We know from scripture that God’s will is for us to advance the gospel and that He wants what is best for us. But what about specific things? If we stop and think about it, we often go to the internet (youtube – google – etc.) for wisdom and understanding about how to………. Why not spend time in prayer, reading and studying God’s Word (Proverbs comes to mind), seeking Christian counsel when it comes to wisdom and understanding His will?
And the question of knowing what to specifically pray for when praying for others. Stopping once again to think about it – how about getting to know that person and building a relationship…..That doesn’t mean that you have to get into the middle of their business.
Last but not least, notice that Paul continually asked God to fill them with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives……..How encouraging and reassuring to know that we have the Holy Spirit within us helping us with our search for wisdom and understanding – especially when it comes to knowing His will for us!
The following is an interesting take on wisdom and knowledge from gotqustions.org.
Question: “What is wisdom? What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?”
Answer: Wisdom and knowledge, both recurring themes in the Bible, are related but not synonymous. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.” Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Knowledge is knowing how to use a gun; wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it holstered.
God wants us to have knowledge of Him and what He expects of us. In order to obey Him, we have to have knowledge of the commands. But as equally important as having knowledge is having wisdom. Knowing facts about God and the Bible is not all there is to wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” God blesses us with wisdom in order for us to glorify Him and use the knowledge we have of Him.
The book of Proverbs is perhaps the best place in the Bible to learn of biblical wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 speaks of both biblical knowledge and wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, / but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” To fear the Lord is to start on the path to knowledge, and God can then begin to provide us with wisdom through Christ, who the Bible says is wisdom itself: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Knowledge is what is gathered over time through study of the Scriptures. It can be said that wisdom, in turn, acts properly upon that knowledge. Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom applies the brakes. Knowledge sees the quicksand; wisdom walks around it. Knowledge memorizes the Ten Commandments; wisdom obeys them. Knowledge learns of God; wisdom loves Him.
