THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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2 Pet. 3:18). That in which they should especially increase should he "the knowledge (real, full, clear knowledge) of God” (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18; John 17:3)., MONDAY, Nov. 11th. Col. 1:11. Not only would Paul have them filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understand^ ing and “ bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,” hut also he would that they should he “ strengthened (literally “ made powerful” ) with all power” (cf. Eph. 3:16; 6:10, R. Y. Margin). The tense of the Greek word rendered “ made powerful” is the present tense denoting a continuous process. They should not be made powerful only on some one great occasion or crisis of their life, but continuously, day by day, ever more and more powerful. This strength should be to the utmost possible extent, “ with (rather, in) all power.” The measure of the power with which they were made powerful should he “ according to the might of His (i. e., God’s) glory,” i. e., accord-^ ing to the might of God’s perfect being' (cf. Phil. 4:19). The result of this strengthening would be “ all patience and long-suffering with joy.” The word rendered “ patience” means more than patience in the sense in which we cus tomarily use it. It means “ bearing up under” and is rather endurance and perseverance than patience. “ Long- suffering” is patient endurance of wrongs (cf. 1 Tim. 1:16), and this was all to be accompanied with that which is ever present in a life strengthened by the Holy Spirit, “ joy” (cf. 1 Thess. 1:6; Gal. 5:22; Acts 13:52). Some one has said, “ the fulness of Divine power in the saints is to result pri marily not in doing some great thing hut in enduring and forbearing with heavenly joy of heart.” Note the ful ness and largeness of Paul’s prayer for these saints at Colossae, viz., that they might (1) “ be filled with the knowl edge of His will.” (2) “ bear fruit ‘ (continuously) in every good work.” (3) “ Increasing (continuously) in the knowledge of God.” (4) “ Be (continu ally) made (more and more) power ful with all power according to the might of His glory.” (v. 9-11). TUESDAY, Nov. 12th. Col. 1:12-14. In v. 12 we have the fourth charac
teristic of the ‘‘walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,” thanksgiving, •“ giving thanks unto the Father.” It is “ the will of God in Christ Jesus’’ that believers in Christ “ give thanks in everything” (cf. 1 Thess. 5:18; Eph. 5:20). Paul himself, as is abundantly proven by his epistles, was constantly giving thanks. These thanks should be rendered “ unto the Father,” the source and giver of every blessing (Jas. 1:17; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1 :3). Paul cites three special causes of thanksgiving to God: (1) God “ made us meet (fitted us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” By nature we are utterly unfitted for such a position (Eph. 2:1-3), but by grace God has fitted us for it (cf. Eph. 2:4-6, 10). This inheritance is “ in the light,” i. e. in truth and love and holi ness, and the saints are “ in the light” (cf. John 8:12; 12:36; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5; 1 John 1 :7). The first fruits of the inheritance for which we are made to meet we get now, hut the fulness of it we get hereafter (Acts 26: 18; 1 Pet. 1 :4). (2) God “ delivered us out of the power of darkness,” or more literally, “ out of the authority of the darkness.” The same expression is used in Luke 22:53 in the Greek. By “ the authority of the darkness” is meant the dominion of Satan (cf. Eph. 6:12; Acts 26:18). Satan’s realm is the “ darkness,” i. e., error, hate and sin, in striking contrast to “ the inheritance of the saints in light.” From this “ authority of the darkness” God deliv ered us (pf. 1 Pet. 2 :9). (3 ) God “ translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of the Son of His Love.” What a change was that, out of Satan’s realm, “ the authority of the darkness,” “ into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.” A blessed “ out of” and a glor ious “ into.” Every man is a subject to some power, either “ the authority of the darkness” or the Kingship of “ the Son of H'is love.” Jesus, the Son of God, is the peculiar object of God’s love (cf. Eph. 1:6; Matt. 3:17). In Christ, in His Kingdom, we he'came the objects of that same love with which the Father loves Him (John 17:23, R. V.). In this Son, i. e., because of what He is and has done and in vital union with Him, “ we have redemption.” By “ redemption” Paul means especially deliverance from the guilt and penalty of sin, “ the forgiveness of our sins.” (cf. Eph. 1:7) “ Forgiveness” is not
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