Continuing in our study of prayer as part of the PPOG for the spiritual life of the believer we are now looking at Paul and Timothy's prayer for the believer's spiritual growth in Col 1:9-12;

In verse 9 we have "Since the day we heard of you, [we] have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you ” may be filled (pleroo) with the knowledge (epignosis) of His will (thelema) and all spiritual wisdom (sophia) and understanding (sunesis).

Last time we saw that David had been given spiritual understanding regarding God's provision for human Inability, failure and sin in the person and work of TLJC.

Like David, Paul understood that there was no condemnation or punishment on him for his sinfulness because of the spiritual understanding he had received from God regarding the fact that the sinfulness inherent in his humanity was condemned and punished by God in the sinless humanity of TLJC on the cross. Rom 7:25; - Rom 8:3), by whose blood or atoning sacrifice He made peace, so that you who were at one time alienated and of hostile intent through your evil activities He has now reconciled by the death that required him to take on a corporeal body so that he could die. Col 1:21 -22;

For the Divine Son of God, the Logos John 1:1,14; the Image of God 2Cor 4:4: Col 1:15) to become corporeal in order to die for the sins of the world was an absolute necessity. The plan of God required this judgment to occur.

When one believes in TLJC spiritual understanding is given and the veil is removed 2Cor 3:16-17; Col 1:9; understanding by the Spirit: to whom we turn for understanding and enlightenment]. results in freedom... Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.... The spirit of truth is the source of the freedom. John 14:16-17; because he teaches the word of truth. which reveals the way to freedom. John 8:31-32;

The Breath that the Lord imparts John 20:22; is Spirit and the Spirit, like the wind, goes wherever He wishes: and so is everyone who is born of the Spirit John 3:8;c

Believers are not under the law Rom 6:14; Rom 10:4; that was given to the children of Israel by Moses, the veiled lawgiver, 2Cor 3:13;

The Law, which was sent to show what sin is, to condemn, to lead to TLJC Gal 3:21-24; and then to pass away came through Moses.

Grace, Truth, Wisdom Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption came through TLJC. John 1:17; 1Cor 1:30;

Believers are set free and liberated to see the unveiled face of TLJC and to look without a veil and see in His face the knowledge of the glory of God and while seeing his unveiled reflection believers reflect his glory and are being transformed by means of that glory into glory, the glory of His image as by the Spirit 2Cor 3:18;

God is the one who has given this spiritual understanding, He has illuminated us and provided the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ. 2Cor 4:6;

This is the illumination which results in the believer being filled with knowledge of his will, of wisdom and understanding that Paul was praying for believers to have and it is also what we should be praying to occur for all believers....

2Cor 3:16-18 describes the Spirit as being to us as the Lord was to Moses with whom he spoke face to face in the tent of meeting. The Spirit, who shows us the Image of TLJC is the Spirit of TLJC. He is Jesus Christ in Spirit even as Jesus is God in the flesh.

The Spirit is the divine means for the Son in the flesh to live in us in spirit and to be re-presented in our mortal flesh (human bodies 2Cor 4:10;

Gal 4:6; Since you are sons. God sent the Spirit of His Son who cries out, 'Abba. Father!' into your hearts. And now we, as sons of God by faith that Jesus is the Christ, We also cry "Abba, Father" Romans 8:15; for the Father of our Lord Jesus is also our Father! And we are sons with full inheritance-rights because the Father has qualified us Col 1:12;

God the Father sent His Son in spirit into our stream of consciousness, who after being "born in us”, cries out "Abba Father"

Paul teaches that the Spirit of the Son is in our hearts (stream of consciousness) and that it is Paul's job as apostle of TLJC 1 Cor 1:1; to labor in order that TLJC be formed in us so that TLJC can be re-presented in and by us Gal 4:19;-> 2Cor 4:10;

These are Manufacture and Manifest which are two of the "5 M's” that we've seen before... Masticate, Metabolize, Manufacture, Manifest, Magnify which describe the work of God the Holy Spirit and Bible Doctrine in the believer's soul.

In this passage, Paul describes himself as somewhat of a surrogate mother, to be in labor as a mother is in birth pangs, not to give birth to the Son who was already born in them at the moment of their salvation, but so that the Son that was born in them will be fully formed in them in order that they may re-present TLJC. Gal 4:19; my "little children” the Greek word "tekna" for whom I am suffering labor pains again, this time until Christ takes shape in you and you re-present His nature.

Paul had previously labored in the cities of Galatia as the apostle of the good news of the Grace of God Acts 20:24; and many there believed that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God. At that time when they had believed in TLJC God sent the Spirit of His Uniquely born son into their hearts, that is, into their volitional consciousness.

In this analogy, the Son is "born" in believer's hearts and "cries out, Abba!"

At that point believers come to the second decision point that is given to all who are boom of God as the new spiritual species. Their decision regarding Bible Doctrine. 1Tim 2:4;

There must be an ongoing change effected by the Word and the Spirit in the believer's thinking until the Son who was "born" into the believer's heart grows up so that TLJC can be re-presented.

This is why Paul describes his suffering as labor pains. We have studied the product that the Spirit of the Son produces in the believer...Love, joy, patience, peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, modesty. self control..

These are all characteristics that were presented by TLJC during his life in unglorified humanity as recorded for us in the Gospels. John 1:1; 1John 1:2;

These are the virtues which are to be re-presented through church age believers who "conduct their lives continually under the influence of the Spirit of Jesus Gal 5:16 cp. Rom 8:4;