From Knowledge To The Kingdom Series

Last time we were together, we saw the Apostle Paul giving thanks for the Colossian church—for their genuine faith, their selfless love, and their secure hope.

A good report about a church or a fellow believer should always do two things in us: it should cause us to give thanks, and it should drive us to our knees in prayer. Paul has given thanks, and now he shows us what he prays for. And his prayer reveals the blueprint for a truly mature Christian life.

Our text shows us a divine progression, starting with a powerful prayer and ending with our powerful position in Christ.

1. The Prayer: To Be Filled with Knowledge (v. 9)

After hearing the good report from Epaphras, Paul immediately begins to pray. But notice what he prays for. He doesn't ask for their health, wealth, or comfort. He asks for something infinitely more valuable. He prays that they "might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

This isn’t just about knowing the facts in the Bible. The word "filled" means to be completely controlled or permeated by something. Paul is praying that their every thought, decision, and desire would be saturated with God's will. This knowledge isn't just intellectual; it comes through "spiritual understanding"—a Spirit-given insight into the heart and ways of God.

This is the starting point for all Christian growth. Before you can live for God, you must know God and what He desires. Does this describe our prayers for each other? Do we pray that our brothers and sisters would be filled with the knowledge of His will?

II. The Purpose: To Walk Worthy (v. 10)

Knowledge is not the final destination. Knowledge is the fuel for the journey. Verse 10 tells us the purpose of being filled with God's will: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."

The goal of spiritual knowledge is a transformed life—a "walk," which refers to your daily conduct. To "walk worthy" means to live in a manner that reflects the infinite value of the One you serve. It's about living a life that pleases Him, not in some areas, but "unto all pleasing."

And what does this worthy walk look like? Paul gives two characteristics:

* "Being fruitful in every good work." True knowledge always leads to action.

* "Increasing in the knowledge of God." It’s a beautiful cycle. The more you know God, the more you live for Him. The more you live for Him, the more you know Him.

III. The Power: To Joyfully Endure (v. 11)

Now, we hear this call to walk worthy and be fruitful, and we think, "I can't do that. I'm not strong enough." Paul agrees. You are not strong enough. But God is.

Verse 11 tells us where the power comes from: "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power." We are not called to live this life in our own strength, but to be strengthened by God's own glorious power.

And what is the result of this divine power? Is it worldly success? Fame? An easy life? No. It is for "all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." God’s glorious power shows up in our lives by giving us the supernatural ability to endure difficult situations (patience) and difficult people (longsuffering), and to do it not with a clenched jaw, but with a joyful heart. This is a true miracle.

IV. The Position: To Give Thanks (vv. 12-13)

This entire way of life—knowing, walking, and enduring—is built on a foundation of thanksgiving. Why? Because of who we are and what God has already done. Verses 12 and 13 give us the most glorious news imaginable.

First, He has qualified us (v. 12). The Father "hath made us meet," or fit, to share in the "inheritance of the saints in light." We did not and could not qualify ourselves. We were unfit. But in His grace, He made us worthy.

Second, He did this through a divine rescue mission (v. 13). This is the Gospel in a nutshell.

* He "hath delivered us from the power of darkness." We were captives in an enemy kingdom, under the authority of darkness. He broke in and rescued us.

* He "hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." To translate means to transfer from one place to another. He didn't just rescue us and leave us homeless. He picked us up out of the kingdom of darkness and placed us securely into the Kingdom of light, under the rule of His beloved Son.

This is your new reality. This is your permanent address. You are no longer a citizen of darkness. You are a citizen of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Our Christian life is not about trying harder to escape the darkness. It’s about living out the reality that we have already been rescued from it.