Summary: In the times and cultures of the Colossian church, hope was a commodity hard to come by. In his letter to them, Paul instructs them where they can find the kind of hope no one can rob from them.

I. Intro

A. This is another of Paul’s “prison epistles,” written from the barracks in Rome (as he did with his letter to the Philippians) and in the company of Timothy

B. Points out Epaphras (not Epaphroditus, a messenger for the Philippians), likely founder and pastor

C. He expressed thankfulness for this body (vv.3-4), making a point to affirm their testimony and their love

D. He points out that the fuel of their faith is hope, which is the focal point of the book

II. Know God’s Will (v.9)—Three Principles

A. Pray for Others

1. Don’t forget that one of the things that keeps our faith strong is the advocacy of other believers on our behalf

2. Don’t forget that one of the things we are called to is prayer for others

B. Be Filled with Knowledge

1. Later in the book, Paul will encourage them to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (3:16)

2. What is this “knowledge?” “That our God may make you worthy of His calling, and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power” (2 Thess. 1:11)

3. Comes with benefits: “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph. 1:17b)

C. Get All Spiritual Wisdom & Understanding

1. Wisdom: not just “deeper knowledge,” but the ability to grasp things at the spiritual level

2. Understanding: not just “ability to figure things out,” but how to apply spiritual principles to daily life

3. All—not just some, not just “select,” but actual access to the entire knowledge and understanding of God (Rom. 11:33)

III. Live God’s Will (vv.10-12)

A. Walk Worthy of the Lord (v.10)

1. This means to live a life that makes your commitment to Christ obvious (Philippians 1:27)

2. This means to live a life that makes your service to Christ productive (Philip. 4:14-17)

3. This means to live a life that shows your knowledge of Christ is increasing (1 Peter 2:2, 3:18a)

B. Walk in Spiritual Power (v.11)

1. What is this power? How powerful is it? How much do we have access to? According to His glorious might! (Eph. 3:16-20)

2. What is it for? All endurance and patience—with joy!

a. “Endurance”—dealing with difficult people

b. “Patience”—dealing with difficult situations

c. “Joy”—joy?! How am I supposed to do THAT?

(James 1:2-4, Matt. 5:12, Rev. 2:10b)

C. Walk Like You Know Who You Are (v.12)

1. You’ve Been Qualified!

a. Qualified: make sufficient; empower; authorize

b. Default qualification: God’s wrath (death in hell)

2. You’re an Heir to the Kingdom!—A real thing, if we are children of God (Rom. 8:17)

IV. Be Thankful for God’s Will (vv.13-14)

A. God’s Will Starts with Deliverance

– “Delivered” really means “drawn to oneself”—this rescue was personal: we weren’t just “set free,” we were “rescued and held close,” very much as in delivering a baby

B. God’s Will Changes Destinies

– Our destiny before Christ is death; because of Christ, it becomes eternal family with Christ

C. God’s Will Purchases Freedom from Sin

1. Redemption = payment of a ransom; meant for freeing slaves

2. Forgiveness = pardon / dismissal of debt

(Psalm 103:12)

V. Conclusion

A. Prayer is very powerful, but it has prescribed purposes. Jesus said “ask what you will,” but He always emphasized wanting what the Father wants

B. Know who you belong to—and live up to it. Life will be tough, but you have both the power and the hope to overcome.

C. Remember, your destiny is rooted in your past. If He loves us enough to rescue us, He has big, BIG plans for how He’ll use us—and by His grace He will improve us along the way.