Colossians 1:9-12 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you… 1. All mere speculative knowledge is profitless. If the whole world of science were before me, and yet if its principles were not applied, it might puff me up but it would be of no utility. Much more is this so with regard to Divine truth. I may have all knowledge, but if I lack the faith that worketh by love it is vain. 2. But there is one peculiar glory about Divine truth — he that knows one truth cannot be wholly ignorant of its bearings. It is a chain that has involved in it link within link, and he that touches one can move the whole. E.g., He that has a spiritual knowledge of God loves Him, and he that loves Him loves His will, and he that loves His will desires to do it. I. THE WORTHY WALK. There are similar passages in Ephesians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:12. 1. Every man living in sin is dead, a cumberer of the ground, and only fit to be cut down. This is his worthlessness. He is as unprofitable servant and spiritually worthless. This is one of the first teachings of the Spirit, and even the saint is compelled to confess that in Him dwelleth no good thing (Genesis 32:9-10). This was the confession of the Centurion and the Prodigal. 2. But although in the natural man this is so, and the spiritual man is made to feel it — yet the latter knows that he has been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, redeemed for glory, and renewed by the Holy Spirit, and so is made worthy by grace. 3. Hence he is under powerful obligations to walk worthy by being fruitful in good works. This the natural man cannot be any more than a bad tree can produce good fruit, but the renewed man can be and is. (1) The characteristics of a good work are — (a) that God has commanded it; (b) that it is the result of faith — for without faith it is impossible to please God.Faith first pleads the righteousness of Christ as the ground of acceptance, and then lays hold of the strength of Christ as the power for performance. "In the Lord I have righteousness and strength."(2) In these sorts of works we are to be fruitful. There must be no reserve. All we have and are is to be devoted to God's service. II. THE HIGH AIM — to please God in all things. 1. This is impossible to the natural man who is without faith. Even a child of God does many things that are displeasing to God. There was but one who was perfectly well-pleasing to God. But in Him we are pleasing too — for we are made the righteousness of God in Him. 2. The Christian aims at acting out this righteousness in unreserved obedience, in little things as well as great — in eating and drinking, etc. With such a life God is well pleased. III. THE DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. Notice the order of procedure — knowing the will of God, doing it, and by doing it brought into closer acquaintance with God. "If any man will do His will he shall know." "Thus shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord." David knew more than the ancients, because he kept God's precepts. (J. H. Evans, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; |
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