Let us make a few comments, based on the diagram from the previous post.
Ø The
request is that they would be filled with the full knowledge of God’s will in
all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
The knowledge of God’s will is what we find in the Scriptures. Paul does not just pray that they will know
the Bible. He desires they know the
Bible in it’s practical usage in their lives.
That is the sense of “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” We should see that in the word wisdom; we
sometimes call the wise person “street smart.”
“Understanding” is an interesting Greek term, the root meaning being “a
running together, a flowing together.”
In other words, it’s putting various streams of knowledge together. Paul used this term in 2 Tim. 2:7: Consider
what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. He said something; then he asked the Lord to
help them understand the use of what he said.
It is spiritual wisdom and understanding because it is the work
of the Spirit, and because we do not see this life simply in fleshly or worldly
ways (2 Cor. 5:16). This is New Covenant
truth: that change comes to the believer, deep change because we have become
new creations (2 Cor. 5:17).
Ø What
will be the result as the Lord answers this prayer? It will enable them to walk worthy of the
Lord, fully pleasing. They will walk
the walk that pleases God, and that is what we desire: we make it our aim,
whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him (2 Cor. 5:9). What a wonderful truth!
Ø
But then we ask: what does it look like when we
are fully pleasing God?
o
First, all our good works will bear fruit and
will cause us to increase in the “full-knowledge” of God.
o
Second, all the power we need to do these good
works will be God’s power, given so that He gets the glory and not us. We, sadly, often try to dredge up our own
strength or rely on the world’s sources of strength; that does not please
God. He is pleased when we draw on His
power. The phrase is literally, empowered
with all power according to His glorious innate strength.
o Third,
being joyfully faithful to the end as we do these good works. Note that it is not pleasing if we are
patient with all grumbling or complaining or self-pity. It is with joy, and a spirit of thanksgiving,
knowing what God has done to bring us into a relationship with Him.
I don’t know if you noticed one more
thing. Remember what Paul was thankful
for? It was their faith and love
inspired by hope. Look at the life that
pleases God: one of good works (love), done in His power (faith), with joyful
patience (hope). Doesn’t that make a lot
of sense. Pray this prayer often! We need believers, including ourselves, who
are fully pleasing to God!
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