I Know People Like This

I Know People Like This

Colossians 1:9-14 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul was writing to the church at Colossae to encourage them. Paul was proud of these Christians because they were faithfully following Christ. He wanted them to know he was praying for them. He tells them what he is asking God to do for them. In his prayer we find a description of the person who faithfully represents God. I know a few Christians like this.

1. They understand that God created them for a purpose. They know God's will.

2. They are led by God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives them wisdom and understanding which  helps them live according to God's will..

3.  Since they are living in God's will they obviously please God and are considered worthy to be called His children. They can live in peace even though others may persecute them because oftheir beliefs.

4.  They produce fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Their good works reflect the Spirit of Jesus.

5.  They are constantly growing spiritually. This growth is fueled by their knowledge of God. Knowledge of God comes through reading His Word, through prayer and through worship. These people studied the scripture together, prayed together and worshiped together. The process of growing in the Spirit is achieved by daily personal time with God and by meeting with other Christians regularly for worship. Without this committed practice there will be no spiritual growth.

6.  The growing Christian will receive strength every day from God. This strength comes from the power of God's might. We need Strength from God so that we will be able to endure Satan's attacks. We are seeing these attacks more than ever. As we are able to endure in the power and might of our Lord we will experience joy and peace because of the ultimate victory that we will know.

7.  The faithful Christian is a thankful person. A person like this will express gratefulness regardless of what is going on in his life because he will never lose sight of what God has in store for him. He will receive a glorious, eternal inheritance. Once lost in the dark world of sin he was rescued and brought into the light of Jesus Christ. He is redeemed, purchased, forgiven, empowered, and unconditionally loved. He lives his life never forgetting who he is in Christ, and his desire is to be aware of the presence of Jesus every day.

I know a few people like this. I love being around these people. The world cannot understand them. The world hates people who serve Jesus wholeheartedly. Jesus said they would. What would the world be like without people like this? One day soon the world will know because Jesus will come and take them with him to their heavenly home. I pray that others will come to know Jesus and will be prepared when he does return.