Paul and Timothy start their letter encouraging the Colossians who they don’t know personally but know through their friend Epaphras. They encourage them that the message of Jesus is transforming lives all across the Roman world just as it is in their town.
They also encourage the Colossians to live a life worthy of the Lord and to please Him in every way. To do so includes doing good works, being strengthened with the power of the Spirit, giving joyful thanks, and growing in the knowledge of God.
This word means so much more than head knowledge. This is not knowing facts about someone or something. This means “knowledge gained through first-hand relationships or experience.”
We can come to know God through a growing and personal relationship with Jesus because He is the fullness of God in a person.
If you want to know God, look to Jesus.
Paul prays for God “to fill them with the knowledge” so they can grow in their knowledge of God.” God wants us to grow to maturity even more than we do.
You see, our relationship with God is like any relationship with a person, we need to spend time with Him. Without being intentional, all our relationships drift apart unless we make those phone call, send those emails, texts, or letters, and visit. With God, we spend time with Him through prayer, reading the Scriptures, participating in a local church service, small group, and serving others with others.
Don’t let the word “firstborn” throw you. That does not mean Jesus was created. When you come across something that doesn’t make sense, look at the context and use the Scriptures to interpret the Scriptures. Jesus was before all things and all things were created by Him.
To the Jewish mind, firstborn has more to do with rank than birth order. Jesus has ultimate supremacy and authority over the world because He walked among us, willingly sacrificed His life and rose from the dead. Doing that did something in the spiritual realm so that we can escape the evil and broken kingdom of this world and become part of God’s New Kingdom though Jesus!
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