Colossians, Philemon – December 14

If commenting on the whole letter of Colossians in one day wasn’t enough, we have Philemon also. Not that it takes a long time to read, but it is packed with so much we could spend time talking about. For today, I’m only going to only talk about two verses from Colossians.

Colossians 1, verses 9 & 10 says, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”

Before we can be effective doing anything we must be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” As we receive this insight and revelation from Holy Spirit, we can began to “walk worthy of the Lord,” please Him, and be “fruitful I every good work.” The end of verse 10 makes a powerful point; as we begin to live our life by the knowledge God has given us, the verse says we will “increase in the knowledge of God.” So, there is greater revelation knowledge that we receive as we live our life in the truth that God has already given us. You can only receive so much revelation of God by being a “monk;” you need to take the truth He has given you and begin to walk in it, and by doing that you will receive more.

Hebrews 5:13-14 makes this same point; it says, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” What makes some able to handle “solid food” (KJV: “strong meat”)? It’s because they have their spiritual senses exercised by “reason of use;’ in other words, they put the truth they know into practice. People who can handle the “meat of the word” are not necessarily intellectual giants; they are humble people that practice what they know God is instructing. The deep understanding of God’s word only comes as we walk with Him.