GROWING THE WAY WE BEGAN
The believer’s spiritual knowledge is only in part. Therefore, our greatest need is to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.” (2 Pet 3:18).
God begins this work by giving us faith in Christ through “the word of the truth of the gospel.” (Col 1: 5) Through the preaching of Christ crucified, God begins filling us “with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Col 1: 9) One of the first things he makes us know is that it is his will to grow us in grace and knowledge of Christ through the same means of gospel preaching by which he began this work in us. God makes us “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” by first making us submit to this means of gospel preaching which “pleases God.” (Col 1: 10; 1 Cor 1: 21) God, who through this means makes his child fruitful to submit to his will, through this means continues to make his child “fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” (Col 1: 10-11)
Knowing this to be the means and message God uses, for the sake of Christ’s body, the church, Paul suffered much affliction in his own body as he continued preaching only Christ. He said, “WHOM WE PREACH, warning every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightly.” (Col 1: 24-29)
Brethren, let us cease not to pray for one another that God would continue this work in us by making us assemble together under the gospel of Christ that we might “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”