God is good Beloved! I haven't written in a while and to see that these posts are being read reminds me how insignificant I really am. As I thought about what I would post today, I couldn't help but think what our high school Bible study discussed in our small group this week. A little background, we have recently moved away from the Gospel of John-because we finished the journey through it-and are now as a community venturing into the book of Colossians. Many of the young men and women in our study are starting to grow a deep hunger for God and His Truth, but we know we have a lot of growing to further undergo.
In our first peek into what Colossians unravels, I was very nervous. I had read this book many times, not to boast in me, and now had the opportunity to share this amazing revelation to these students. To be fair, I was also nervous because Paul's writings are very different than that of John's sometimes narrative Gospel. When I previously had read this book, if you haven't I'd highly recommend it, I always thought that the first chapter was a greeting, and the foundation of all the further chapters. Now to explain that to this group of students, could be potentially "non-impactful" but I hoped God would blow all of our minds. Again, God is good Beloved!
We began the discussion about how Paul is super stoked that the church he was blessed to help craft was not only understanding the Gospel, but was eager to share it. As the night went on we broke into smaller groups after discussing only the first fourteen verses for an hour. A question arose in the guys side of the smaller group discussion that I would like to issue to you today! Lets look at the verse and then dialogue.
"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." COLOSSIANS 1:9-12
We had discussed about how Paul is vigorously praying for knowledge and wisdom of God's Will to flourish in this church so that they live worthy of Jesus. We then looked at how the end of verse 10 tells us how we are called to do that. "Growing in the knowledge of God" is the phrased used here. Now we see that the idea of bearing fruit is definitely present, but Paul has worded this in a way that makes us realize this happens through growing in the Knowledge of God. So as we began to try and explain this idea. The question was issued: What does it mean to grow in the Knowledge of God? One of our students said, "Does it mean that we get to know who they are and what they stand for?" I saw the gears turning, and so I jumped at the opportunity...
What is the criteria Jesus says eliminated us from inheriting His Father's Kingdom in Matthew?
"23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" MATTHEW 7:21-23
So this means Paul's desire for us is the same as that of Jesus. That we Grow to Know Him! But this still isn't all that easy to understand. I told the student that we could look at my relationship with my wife. Anyone who is married will back this up, one of the most important times about their marriage relationship was trying to grow in the knowledge of that person, their spouse! With some people it can be very quick, with others it takes a little more time. When I first met my wife, we felt led to take this process very seriously and slow. See, the students original response to the question isn't sufficient to answer it! If I simply got know who my wife was and what she stood for, yeah that could give me enough to have a certain kind of relationship, but wouldn't give me enough to build a lasting, loving, mature, or even personal one. It would be somewhat surface value. Right?
Beloved, we aren't supposed to long for a surface value relationship with Jesus. Read the verse again! The thing that makes my relationship last with my wife, besides Jesus' transformative power, is our ability to know each other. We desire to know how we think in life situations. We desire to know how the other reacts to life situations, and sometimes how we react to our gut reactions! It's a deep knowledge of each other. To know them on an emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental level.
It's the reality that I can feel the most vulnerable with her and her with me, because we intimately know each other! Are we perfect at that? No, of course not! But it's something we strive for. We desire to model the original state of Adam and Eve in the garden with God, the feeling of being truly Unashamed before him! (Genesis 2:25) God created them to have intimate Knowledge and Relationship of him and with him!
We need to let this reality truly impact our hearts! Are we submitting to God in such a way that we are Growing in the Knowledge of Jesus, thus allowing us to be re-created? Do we know and understand Him this way? Paul's prayer is so bold and so radical to us, but it should be the norm of everyone who claims to be Christian!
So I'll ask it again:
It's your turn Beloved, where do you fall? Leave a comment below!
In our first peek into what Colossians unravels, I was very nervous. I had read this book many times, not to boast in me, and now had the opportunity to share this amazing revelation to these students. To be fair, I was also nervous because Paul's writings are very different than that of John's sometimes narrative Gospel. When I previously had read this book, if you haven't I'd highly recommend it, I always thought that the first chapter was a greeting, and the foundation of all the further chapters. Now to explain that to this group of students, could be potentially "non-impactful" but I hoped God would blow all of our minds. Again, God is good Beloved!
We began the discussion about how Paul is super stoked that the church he was blessed to help craft was not only understanding the Gospel, but was eager to share it. As the night went on we broke into smaller groups after discussing only the first fourteen verses for an hour. A question arose in the guys side of the smaller group discussion that I would like to issue to you today! Lets look at the verse and then dialogue.
"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." COLOSSIANS 1:9-12
We had discussed about how Paul is vigorously praying for knowledge and wisdom of God's Will to flourish in this church so that they live worthy of Jesus. We then looked at how the end of verse 10 tells us how we are called to do that. "Growing in the knowledge of God" is the phrased used here. Now we see that the idea of bearing fruit is definitely present, but Paul has worded this in a way that makes us realize this happens through growing in the Knowledge of God. So as we began to try and explain this idea. The question was issued: What does it mean to grow in the Knowledge of God? One of our students said, "Does it mean that we get to know who they are and what they stand for?" I saw the gears turning, and so I jumped at the opportunity...
What is the criteria Jesus says eliminated us from inheriting His Father's Kingdom in Matthew?
"23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" MATTHEW 7:21-23
So this means Paul's desire for us is the same as that of Jesus. That we Grow to Know Him! But this still isn't all that easy to understand. I told the student that we could look at my relationship with my wife. Anyone who is married will back this up, one of the most important times about their marriage relationship was trying to grow in the knowledge of that person, their spouse! With some people it can be very quick, with others it takes a little more time. When I first met my wife, we felt led to take this process very seriously and slow. See, the students original response to the question isn't sufficient to answer it! If I simply got know who my wife was and what she stood for, yeah that could give me enough to have a certain kind of relationship, but wouldn't give me enough to build a lasting, loving, mature, or even personal one. It would be somewhat surface value. Right?
Beloved, we aren't supposed to long for a surface value relationship with Jesus. Read the verse again! The thing that makes my relationship last with my wife, besides Jesus' transformative power, is our ability to know each other. We desire to know how we think in life situations. We desire to know how the other reacts to life situations, and sometimes how we react to our gut reactions! It's a deep knowledge of each other. To know them on an emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental level.
It's the reality that I can feel the most vulnerable with her and her with me, because we intimately know each other! Are we perfect at that? No, of course not! But it's something we strive for. We desire to model the original state of Adam and Eve in the garden with God, the feeling of being truly Unashamed before him! (Genesis 2:25) God created them to have intimate Knowledge and Relationship of him and with him!
We need to let this reality truly impact our hearts! Are we submitting to God in such a way that we are Growing in the Knowledge of Jesus, thus allowing us to be re-created? Do we know and understand Him this way? Paul's prayer is so bold and so radical to us, but it should be the norm of everyone who claims to be Christian!
So I'll ask it again:
Are you submitting to Jesus in such a way that you are growing in the intimate and transformative knowledge of who He is?
It's your turn Beloved, where do you fall? Leave a comment below!
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