‘We Have Not Stopped Praying for You.’ (3)

 

 

 

 

 

[Colossians 1:9-14]

 

 

 

 

 

Second, the Apostle Paul prayed without ceasing to God that the faithful saints of the Colossian church would become those who please the Lord.

 

Today's passage is Colossians 1:10a, from the Modern Korean Bible: "So you will live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way...."  Looking at 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul says, "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him."  Apostle Paul exerted himself to be someone who pleases the Lord.  In other words, Paul made pleasing the Lord his goal.  We, too, should make pleasing the Lord our goal, just like Paul.  Furthermore, we need to examine what it means to please the Lord, as mentioned in Ephesians 5:10.  Let me provide an example. Psalms 69 is an example where we can learn what pleases God.  How can we please the Lord?

 

  • To please God more, we need to pray to Him (Ps. 69:13).

 

This is because God will welcome us and come close to us.  Also, since God will respond to our prayers, we should approach God with humility.  God will surely rescue us.

  • To please God more, we need to confess our sins (v. 5).

 

We will realize that our folly was relying on people, not God, in our prayers.  Moreover, when we pray to God, we will realize that our sins cannot be hidden from God.  Therefore, we need to confess our foolishness and sins to God while praying.

 

  • To please God more, we need to work diligently for the Lord's church (v. 9).

 

When we pray to God, we will love God more because of His welcoming love, confess our sins, and repent.  Therefore, we need to work diligently for the church with God's zeal.

 

  • To please God more, we need to give thanks and praise God (v. 30).

 

When God bestows grace upon us, Christians, even in times of hardship, we desire to please God rather than delighting in ourselves.  God, in turn, makes us sing praises to Him with thanksgiving in the midst of our difficulties.

 

If we look at Colossians 1:10a, the Apostle Paul is speaking to the faithful brothers (saints) of the Colossian church, saying, "So you will live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way...."  Paul prayed continuously for the faithful brothers of the Colossian church, asking that they may please the Lord in every aspect of their lives.  How can they, as well as us, please the Lord in everything?  The key is to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord (v. 10).  So, what does it mean to walk worthy of the Lord?  Let's explore the meaning with a focus on two Bible verses:

 

  • The first Bible verse is Ephesians 4:1b - "... walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called."

 

Looking at this Bible verse, we can say that walking worthy of the Lord means walking as saints who have received God's calling.  Thus, the Modern Korean Bible of Colossians 1:10 translates as, "So you will live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way."  In other words, walking worthy of the Lord means living as saints who believe in the Lord.  To live as saints, we need to consider if we are living a saintly life.  Are we living a life separated from sin and the world through Jesus?  Are we growing in holiness, reflecting the image of God?  To live a saintly life, we need the "all spiritual wisdom and understanding" that God gives us (vv. 9-10).  As we started the year 2021, we focused on three aspects to live as saints who believe in the Lord: (a) Bear every good fruit (v. 10): Leading people to Christ (1 Cor. 16:15), praising God (Heb. 13:15), contributing to the needs of poor brothers and sisters (relief giving) (Rom. 15:26-28), living a godly life (Heb. 12:11), and showing a holy attitude by bearing the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) (MacArthur). (b) Endure all things with joy (Col. 1:11): We dedicated ourselves to endure situations that cannot be endured with the joy of the Holy Spirit, enduring the unbearable person. (c) Give thanks to God the Father (v. 12).

 

  • The second Bible verse is Philippians 1:27a - "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ ...."

 

Looking at this Bible verse, walking worthy of the Lord means living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (living as those who believe in the good news of Christ).  So, what does it mean to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ?  Based on Philippians 1:27-29, we can consider three aspects:

 

  • Living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ means "standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

 

Here, "one spirit" refers to what the Apostle Paul mentioned in Philippians 2:2 as "being of the same mind" and "having the same love," and then in verse 5, he says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."  In other words, "one spirit" refers to the mind of Christ Jesus.  Living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ means that all of us are standing in the mind of Christ Jesus.  And "one mind" naturally refers to not our own will but the will of God. Paul mentions this in Philippians 2:2 as "being of the same mind."  Additionally, in Philippians 2:8, Paul emphasizes that Jesus Christ obeyed and went to the cross according to the will of God.  Therefore, living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, through "one spirit" and "one mind," is cooperating for the faith of the gospel.

 

  • Living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ means "not being frightened in anything by your opponents" (Phil. 1:28).

 

The church of the Lord is established by the Lord (Mt. 16:18).  Satan and his forces, opposing the establishment of the church by opposing church leaders and saints, try to make us fearful, especially by frightening church leaders, in order to hinder and interrupt the establishment of the Lord's church.  However, we should not be afraid of these opponents.  The reason is that, even in the midst of such opposition, the Lord causes our adversaries to be afraid and greatly discouraged because He is establishing His church.  The opponents of the church are afraid and greatly discouraged because they know that the Lord has brought about "this work" (Neh. 6:15-16).  John 16:33b says, "...In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

 

  • Living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ means that, by God's grace, we "are granted the privilege not only of believing in Christ but also of suffering for his sake" (Phil. 1:29).

The Apostle Paul states that believing in Jesus Christ is God's grace, and suffering for His sake is also grace.  Suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ is a privilege for God's children.  Therefore, the apostles rejoiced in the sufferings they endured in the name of Jesus.  Tribulations refine us (spiritual growth and maturity) (Rom. 5:3-4).  We do not face suffering alone; Jesus Christ suffers with us (8:17).  Those who understand this truth and genuinely experience God's grace in suffering for Christ's sake experience God's deliverance.  Experiencing God's deliverance means, for example, being close to the brokenhearted, listening to their cry, and delivering them from distress (Ps. 34:18, 15, 17, 19, 22).

 

                We must have clear evidence that we are Christians.  We need to collaborate with one heart and one mind for the faith of the gospel.  Furthermore, we should not be afraid and should be bold in the face of adversaries.  We should consider suffering for Christ as God's grace.  Therefore, when people see us, they should not be able to deny that we are Christians, and they should have nothing more to say (Acts 4:14, 16).

 

In conclusion, the phrase 'walking in a manner worthy of the Lord' in Colossians 1:10 means living as saints who have received God's calling and living as people who believe in the gospel of Christ.  Pastor John MacArthur said this about the verse in Colossians 1:10: “This is a key New Testament concept which calls the believer to live in a way that is consistent with his identification with the Lord who saved Him” (MacArthur).  Our prayer topic, for which we should pray unceasingly, is that we all live in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him.  By not ceasing to offer this prayer to God, we should live as saints who believe in the Lord, pleasing Him.  Also, we should live as people who believe in the gospel of Christ, pleasing our Lord.  In short, a life that pleases the Lord is, as mentioned in Colossians 1:9, living according to God's will.  And according to Colossians 1:10, God's will is walking in a manner worthy of the Lord.  Let us all hope that we can emulate Jesus' Gethsemane prayer and say, 'Lord, not my will but Yours be done' (Lk. 22:42).  Thus, with a heart of prayer and dedication, we hope that we can offer praise to God with the hymn “My Jesus, as Thou Wilt”: (v. 1) My Jesus, as Thou wilt!  O may Thy will be mine; Into Thy hand of love I would my all resign.  Through sorrow, or thro' joy, Conduct me as Thine own; And help me still to say, My Lord, Thy will be done.  (v. 2) My Jesus, as Thou wilt!  Though seen through many a tear, Let not my star of hope Grow dim or disappear.  Since Thou on earth hast wept, And sorrowed oft alone, If I must weep with Thee, My Lord, Thy will be done.  (v. 3) My Jesus, as Thou wilt!  All shall be well for me; Each changing future scene I gladly trust with Thee.  Straight to my home above I travel calmly on; And sing, in life or death, My Lord, Thy will be done.  Amen.” 

 

We are branches attached to the true vine, Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:1, 5).  As branches, if we abide in Jesus and His words abide in us, we bear fruit (v. 5).  Without being connected to Jesus, we cannot bear fruit on our own (v. 4).  In other words, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing (v. 5).  Therefore, as branches, we must remain attached to the true vine, Jesus Christ, to bear fruit.  By bearing fruit in this way, we are purified by God the Father, who is the vinedresser, to bear even more fruit (verses 1, 2). Our responsibility is to purify our souls by obeying the truth, loving our brothers sincerely, without hypocrisy (1 Pet. 1:22).  When we love one another not only in words but also in actions and truth (1 Jn. 3:18), bearing the fruit of love, God the Father is glorified (Jn. 15:8), and Jesus says to us, "You are my friends" (v. 14), and His joy abides in us (v. 11).  Believers in Jesus, who already possess eternal life through faith in Him, are called to fulfill Jesus' twofold commandment: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt. 22:37, 39).  When we obey these commandments with our whole being and love God with genuine devotion, while also loving our neighbor as ourselves, a twofold fruit is produced.  This twofold fruit consists, firstly, of the fruit of character, where we participate in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), meaning that through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, we become more like Jesus.  Second, it involves bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

 

Today, looking at Colossians 1:9a, the Apostle Paul emphasizes his continuous and unwavering prayers for the faithful saints of the Colossian church.  In the Modern Korean Bible, it is stated, "Since we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you."  Building upon this statement, under the title "Continuously Praying for You," we have already contemplated two aspects of Paul's prayer out of five aspects for the faithful saints of the Colossian church: (1) The Apostle Paul prayed incessantly to God for the faithful saints of the Colossian church to be filled with knowledge of His will.  In the Modern Korean Bible of Colossians 1:9, it is stated, "Since 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."  (2) Paul prayed without ceasing that the faithful saints of the Colossian church would become those who please the Lord.  The Modern Korean Bible of Colossians 1:10a reads, "So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way."  Today, let's reflect on the third aspect of Paul's prayer, focusing on Colossians 1:10.