Grow With Pastor Joe

True wisdom is able to discern and then do God’s will. In our study of Colossians 1:9-14 we have seen the prayer of Paul for the church at Colosse as they are facing the challenges of false teachers who are taking away from the preeminent doctrine of Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency. Christ is supreme and sufficient for all things. He is superior in His wisdom and work. He is sufficient in His wisdom and work. What can we add to Christ’s wisdom or work for, in, and through the life of the believer. The life of the Christian is the life of Christ in the Christian. Paul has prayed that the believers would grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in relation to the will of God. This is only accomplished as the believer lives by faith yielding themselves to the work of the word by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We must learn the scriptures and be led by the Spirit if we are to live in obedience to the scriptures. Last week, we began looking at Col. 1:10 which is the beginning of the purpose of Paul’s prayer for the believers to know God’s will according to God’s word. In Col. 1:10-14 we see the purpose of knowing God’s will is that believers would walk in His will. Col. 1:10 shows us that to walk in His will is to have a practical, productive, and proximate walk. Last week we looked at the first phrase of the verse and examined what it means to walk worthy of the Lord in a practical way. This week, we will focus on the second half of the verse as we see that to walk in His will is to have a productive and proximate walk.

            Before we dive into the rest of Col. 1:10, lets read John 15:1-8 which says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. ⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” Jesus is the source and sustainer of our Christian life. Our eternal everlasting life is of Him, through Him, and to Him. In this message to Jesus’ disciples given just hours before He would willing go to the cross, He tells them that He is the Vine and they are the branches. You don’t have to be a viticulturist to know that branches only bear fruit (fruit hangs off of the branches) because the branch is attached to the vine. In viticulture, the gardener or “husbandman” will do what is called “spur pruning” which causes the clusters of grapes to be healthier and grow directly off of the main vine. This is used to keep the branches from breaking off and the entire vine bowing. The branch must remain in its union with the vine to bear fruit. Now, as we see from Jesus’ words, and Paul’s words, the Lord has created us to bear fruit for His name’s sake. Christian living is inside out. He does a work inside of us to do a work through our life for His glory. Our life is in Christ. We are united with Him and His church. Practical Christian living or, walking in His will is to walk in daily moment-by-moment communion with Christ, the True Vine who saves, sanctifies, and sustains us. If we are going to abound in productivity, then we must abide in proximity to Him. The two are directly linked together. Abiding is relying and resting in His word, work, and will. Col. 1:10 says, “¹⁰ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” The purpose of knowing God’s will is to then walk in His will as we live a productive life for Him while living in close proximity to Him. The closer we are to Christ, the Vine, the greater the fruit will be seen in our life. Today, we will see that to walk in His will is to have a productive and proximate walk. In this study, we will see that we will only be productive fruit bearing Christians by being in close proximity to Christ as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit as we depend upon His leading in our life.

            First, to walk in His will we must have a productive walk. Col. 1:10b says, “being fruitful in every good work.” Faithfulness and fruitfulness are expected of the believer. We are saved by faith and then we live by faith. However, there are good works that the Christian is called to live by. In my experience, there is a poor understanding of Christian works today. There are two extremes. One extreme says that we become Christians through good works. The other extreme says that because our works don’t contribute to our salvation then there is no good works needed in Christian living since, they are guaranteed a spot in Heaven. Paul writes in Rom. 6:1-4, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Rom. 6-8 shows us that the Christian is united to Christ and is set free from the old man who was under the old master of sin. Now, we are free in Christ, not to do as we please, but to be pleased by what pleases Him and to be pleased to live for His pleasure. That’s precisely what we see in Col. 1:10 as well. As you read through Rom. 6-8 you will see the theme that we have been saved, not by our works, but by His. However, the emphasis is to live in communion with Christ based upon our union of belonging to Him. Furthermore, it is expected that Christians “should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:14). When it comes to understanding a productive Christian walk, there is another misconception that plagues the hearts and lives of most Christians and local church ministries. There is a philosophy of Christian living and ministry that focuses on a productive Christian walk being associated solely by an abundance of activity. You can give a two-year-old a keyboard and they won’t get much done. Maturity matters. Activity can’t replace abiding in Christ but abiding in Christ will lead to an active life and an abundant life of productive fruit for Christ. Yes, Christians are called to good works, but our good works, no matter the amount or scale, will ever impress Christ. Nor will all of our fleshly efforts in His name win blessings, favor, or future rewards. Faithfulness to God’s word will lead to fruitfulness in God’s work. As Hudson Taylor put it, “God’s work done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” The Lord Jesus is supreme; therefore, our lives should be spent for His glory. The Lord Jesus is sufficient; therefore, all Christian living is by His wisdom and work for, in, and through us. Notice a couple of key phrases to help us better understand what it means to have a productive walk.

One, we see the phrase “being fruitful.” These two words in our English translation come from the Greek word, “karpophoreo” which means to bear fruit, be fertile, or be productive. This word is in the present tense which indicates that this is to be consistent and continual in the life of the believer. We should consistently yield a harvest by constantly yielding our heart. Jesus gives the parable of the sower, seed, and soil in Matt. 13:1-23. In the explanation of the one who had received the seed of the gospel with a heart of good soil rich with faith was productive. Being fruitful in the Christian life is not merely about the quantity of our work for Christ, but the quality. Not every Christian will have the same fruit in quantity, but we should all be bearing quality fruit through dependence upon the Spirit of God at work in our life. The only way to be fruitful is to be faithful to Christ. The way in which we can remain faithful to Christ is through constant fellowship with Him through the word and by the Spirit as we see everything in our life that would keep us from fellowship with Him being pruned away and put to death.

Two, we see the phrase, “in every good work.” Later in Col. 3:23-24, Paul says, “²³ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” All that we are and all that we do is to be a living sacrifice unto God (Rom. 12:1-2). The entire life of the believer is for the purpose of serving Christ and glorifying His name with our attitude and actions. The word for “good” in Col. 1:10 is the word “agathos” which means something that is intrinsically good in quality and is profitable. I believe that there are a lot of Christians and ministries that are very active, busy, and working away; however, I believe that many of those same ones aren’t doing a lot of profitable ministry because it is not build upon the word, work, and will of God. It is man’s creation and ministry, not God’s. As believers, we must understand that the good works that are displayed in our life is simply Christ in and through us. Gal. 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Eph. 3:20-21 says, “²⁰ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ²¹ Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Later in Col. 1:27 Paul says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Good works are done by Christ in and through us by His Spirit as we abide in Him by faith. Gal. 5:16-26 makes plain the difference between the works of the flesh and the good works produced by the Holy Spirit. Then, in Gal. 6:6-10 we see that we should be doing good works, especially to those who are in Christ. There are countless verses in the New Testament that call believers to a life of good works and productivity (See Titus 2:14; 3:5-8, 14). While walking in His will means that we will have a productive walk we must remember that this only happens by having a proximate walk with Christ.

            Second, to walk in His will we must have a proximate walk. Col. 1:10c says, “and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Remember, the branch is dependent upon the Vine for everything. We are only as productive for Christ as we are proximate to Him. To stay with the illustration, our cluster has to be closer to the Vine to be a healthy and productive fruit bearing cluster. The closer to Christ we are the more conformed to Christ we will be. We see the closer we are to Christ the more the world and the flesh is pruned out of us so that we can be holy and healthy for His honor. Notice the word “increasing.” This is the word “auxano” which means to grow in quality and quantity. It is in the present tense indicating that we should always be growing. It is also in the passive voice which indicates that the one increasing is acted upon by an outside force. In our case as believer, we increase or grow by His grace, not our grit, determination, or outward works (or even our own inward giftedness). Once more, we see the theme that the practical Christian life of walking in His will is not be in our own wisdom or works. Rather, we are to draw upon His wisdom and depend upon His sufficient and sustained work for, in, and through us. Notice the phrase, “knowledge of God.” The word “knowledge” is the same word previously used, “epignosis” which means an experiential, precise, intimate, and relational knowledge. We aren’t just supposed to know more about Christ, but to know more of Him through His word and by His Spirit. Knowing and growing are inseparable. As we grow to know Christ more each day we grow inwardly in Christian maturity so that we can be enabled by His work through us to grow in the ministry of living for His glory. 1 Pet. 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” Paul writes in 1 Cor. 3:1-2, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” Christian maturity is growing by the milk and meat of the word of God to then do His work and will. God works in our heart through His word by His Spirit so that we grow closer in our relationship with Christ so that then good fruit would be displayed in our life. 2 Pet. 3:18 sums this thought up well by saying, “¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” Knowing leads to growing (inwardly) and growing leads to showing (outward).

            To put it all together, to walk in His will is to walk in His word and trust in His work while working by faith depending upon His grace. God gives us grace to know Christ, grow in knowing Christ, and then show Christ through our good works which are truly His good work in and through us. Christian living is not about an abundance of effort, but abiding in Christ to abound in fruit for Christ. As we close, read 2 Pet. 1:2-10 which says, “² Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, ³ According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁹ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. ¹⁰ Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” Be diligent by faith to walk in His will through a practical, productive, and proximate walk. Are we growing closer? What fruit is in our life? Are we walking in His will?