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Text: Colossians 1:10
God’s will is that you increase your knowledge of God
- God’s will is clear that He wants you to be a student of Him.
- Knowledge requires participation of the student.
- Proverbs 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
- Your testimony about what God has done in your life is your knowledge of God. Maybe it’s something the Lord taught you about himself through a trial of affliction? through answered prayer? through the Lord using you to point someone else to himself? Maybe through a sin the Lord has helped you overcome?
The knowledge of God is eternal life
- John 17:1-3
- The Lord Jesus Christ says eternal life is a knowledge of God.
- John will further explain that this knowledge is not confined to the imagination, but is an experience and fellowship with God through Jesus Christ’s words.
- See how it begins 1 John 1:1-3
- 1 John 1:4 – John says he’s writing so whoever is reading may partake of the joy that is characteristic of eternal life.
- 1 John 2:1-3 – John says he’s also writing so whoever is reading will stay away from sin. Sin is the opposite of eternal life, it is ignorance of God. John’s readers aren’t going to see Jesus Christ in the flesh like John saw him, so John says you don’t have to see him in the flesh to know him. You’ll know you know him if you keep his commandments.
- Commandments are NOT the Old Testament law, they are the commandments the Lord Jesus Christ gave in the gospels.
- Jesus Christ said keeping those commandments are not grievous.
- Keeping those commandments does not mean sinlessness. See verse 2.
- 1 John 2:18, 21, 26 – John says he’s also writing to prevent seduction by the world.
- Seducing spirits is what Paul called them.
- Solomon likened them to a beautiful Hollywood celebrity in Proverbs 7:6-23 that would entertain you, seduce you, give you a “good time”, and gladly take your money. But before you knew it, your soul would be brought down to hell, as your body dies in its endless pursuit of pleasure.
- 2 Peter 1:2-8, the knowledge of God is how grace a peace are multiplied to you
Destroyed for lack of knowledge (of God) through pleasure
- Hosea 4
- People who were God’s people, were given God’s words, didn’t care to know God.
- Verse 2- Works of the flesh are contrary to the knowledge of God, and these works breed more ignorance of God.
- Dangerous and perilous is a good description of people who are ignorant of God.
- They break out, like a fire breaks out of its boundaries, or a prisoner breaks out of his confinement. And their blood is mingled as blood toucheth blood.
- Verse 3 – cultural ignorance of God because of the works of the flesh
- God’s definition of polluting the land: swearing, lying, killing, stealing, adultery… therefore shall the land mourn
- Verse 6 – Destroyed for lack of knowledge
- lacking a knowledge of God, not lacking education
- Lacking a knowledge of God that was presented to them. Gentile nations weren’t under the same responsibility.
- Rejected knowledge in verse 6
- Forgot the law of God in verse 6
- How does God reach the next generation if there is no one who knows the law to teach them? If God can’t find someone who has studied to show himself approved of God, there won’t be a qualified teacher.
- Verse 7 – Prosperity increased their sin
- Verse 8 – Appetite for sin
- Verse 9 – Nothing sanctified
- 4:12-16 – Remember Paul and John would both say something about seducing spirits.
- Death culture not eternal life. Death culture where the works of the flesh are magnified, idolized, glammerized, celebrated, and pleasing to God’s people. Romans 1:28-32
Destroyed for lack of knowledge through religion
- Philippians 3 – Cost of God’s education. The flesh not only loves pleasure, but the flesh also loves religion.
- Counting loss
- …count all things but loss…
- Paul can’t continue in his religion and in his life the way he is living and know Jesus Christ at the same time.
- ...know him… (vs 10)
- Biblical Christianity is the only belief “system” that revolves around people getting to know the main figure more and more.
- Jesus Christ said take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.
- Christ is the measure of all things God will approve
- Jesus Christ is God’s righteousness
- …power of his resurrection…
