COLOSSIANS 1:9-14WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD

4 PRINCIPLES FOR ALL BELIEVERS

• PRAY

• KNOW THE TRUTH

• LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW BY GOD’S POWER

• THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU THROUGH CHRIST

PRAY

• And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you … Colossians 1:9a

• Do you?

• When?

• Why?

• What?

• How?

KNOW THE TRUTH

• asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding 1:9b

• Worldview: Your set of beliefs– What is real: Metaphysics– What is true: Epistemology– How you should live: Ethics

KNOW THE TRUTH

• asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding 1:9b

• What you believe to be true does not change what is real or how you should live

• What you believe to be true does determine how you, personally, live.

• How do you know what is true and do you really want to know it?

FALSE AND TRUE TEACHINGS ABOUT TRUTH

• Knowledge of the truth is not necessary: just have faith– Knowledge of God and His will is essential for

proper living

• Knowledge of the truth is the goal: no change necessary– Saved by faith; not knowledge

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW BY GOD’S POWER

• so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 1:10-11

• Believers “walk” purposefully.

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW

• so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1:10

• So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

• Marriage: knowledge; change; bless them

• God: knowledge; change; bless Him

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW• so as to walk in a manner worthy of the

Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1:10

• For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works…for good works Ephesians 2:8-10

• Saved not by works, but for good works!

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW

• so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1:10

• Knowing God becomes more crucial in a culture that values knowing everything but the One Holy Triune God & His will.

• Every spiritual crisis derives from a failure to know God.

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW• May you be strengthened with all

power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, Colossians 1:11

• I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

• Saved by God’s grace

• Live by God’s power

• Pray for others and for yourself

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW

• May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy 1:11

• Endurance: perseverance in difficult circumstances

• Patience: long-suffering with difficult people

• Christ followers don’t run, retaliate or quit!

THANK GOD FOR SALVATION

• with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:10-14

THANK GOD FOR SALVATION• with joy, giving thanks to the Father…

1:10-11

• Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Lk 17

THANK GOD FOR SALVATION

• the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 1:12

• Justification: an instantaneous legal act of God in which He declares all our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and declares us to be righteous in His sight.

THANK GOD FOR SALVATION• the Father who has qualified you…1:12

• Justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

• Justification: a completed past event

• Sanctification: an ongoing process

• Glorification: a future event

THANK GOD FOR SALVATION

• He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 1:13

• Helpless, hopeless slaves rescued!

• Helpless hopeless slaves to sin rescued and taken to Christ’s kingdom forever!

• Ingratitude is illogical and morally wrong!

THANK GOD FOR SALVATION

• the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 1:13-14

• For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

• but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

4 PRINCIPLES FOR ALL BELIEVERS

• PRAY

• KNOW THE TRUTH

• LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW BY GOD’S POWER

• THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU THROUGH CHRIST

• What needs to change?