We are continuing in our study of prayer as part of the PPOG or Predestination Eph 1:3-5; Rom 8:29; for the purpose of determining just how and what we should pray for. At the moment we are examining Paul's prayers and we have seen in that the major focus in his prayers has been for them to appropriate by Grace the spiritual resources that God has provided and advance in God's plan for their lives.
In this segment, we are examining Paul and Timothy's prayer in Col 1:9-12; where Paul is praying for the believer's spiritual growth.
9- Because of this, since the day we heard Epaphras' report we have not stopped praying for you asking specifically that you would be completely filled up with the knowledge of God the Father's intent in the sphere of wisdom and spiritual understanding.
10- to the end that you would conduct yourselves with conduct becoming the Lord to please Him completely (Conduct that imitates the pattern established by the Lord in his presentation and conduct that is empowered by the Lord in the age of his re-presentation) while being prolific by divinely good activities and growing in
the knowledge of God,
11- because of the omnipotence empowering you in accordance with the power of God's glory for maximum perseverance and patience (all the way to pleroma), accompanied by joy...
Paul's prayer is for them to be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding was so that they would be able to walk and persevere in the Christian way of life in their regenerate identity (the "new" man) as a members of the new spiritual species who are the Royal Family of God members of the church and the body of TLJC.
This knowledge of God's will and spiritual wisdom and understanding was to enable them to perservere or "keep on plugging” in their spiritual advance by means of Bible Doctrine and the power of God the Holy Spirit for the purpose of pleasing him in all respects, to bear fruit in every good work and increasing in the Spirit taught knowledge of God because they were enabled to parlay that spirit taught knowledge of God into the power necessary to fulfill the objectives of the spiritual life.
In verse 11, the phrase "Being strengthened with all power according to the might of his Glory " includes three words for strength:
The Greek word translated “ strengthened” is "dynamoumenoi" which is the present passive participle of dynamoo. It has the basic meaning of "being able" or having capacity or ability. Since it is in the Passive Voice it indicates that the power is directed to the believer from God.
The Greek word translated “power” is "dynamei" the feminine singular noun of dynamis from the same root "dynamoo" which also refers to the believer "being empowered or enabled by God.
The Greek word translated “might” is kratos which in New Testament scripture is only used to describe God's power, might or strength. It is often used to describe the presence of power or force rather than to describe it's actual use.
In our passage it is used to describe the power of God which none can withstand, which is omnipotent, and sovereign over all and is demonstrated in the life believers as God pours his power into them.
This power which is provided for every believer at salvation becomes available to be used by the advancing believer as they become aware of it from their consistent and persistent PMA of Bible Doctrine.
In light of this, believers should not grow discouraged and give up if the immediate circumstances do not look right or seem to have the potential to be right.
God can make all things right. Rom 8:28; and he will in his perfect timing.
It is only during the believer's time on this planet in unglorified sin infused bodies where mankind is functioning in the probationary permissive will of God that there can be incongruity between their perfect position seated at the right hand of the Father in union with TLJC and their imperfect experience on this earth.
Believers simply need wait on His perfect timing because it is God's timing that maximum impact is made, maximum Glory is accrued to God and maximum grace is conveyed to the believer. Isa 30:18; Isa 40:31;Deut 33:26;
In fact God's omnipotent power works in the total inability of man because it is in the demonstration of the total inability of man as compared with the total ability of God that God is glorified. Rom 4:17-21;
Since Paul's prayer is for believer's to become strong, we will continue where we left off last time in our discussion of some of the characteristics of the weak and strong believer.
The strong believer is a crisis personality because they identify with their position in union with TLJC and they understand and believe that there is no problem, no difficulty, no pressure or disaster in life that is too great for God to handle, whether it be personal or historical. They recognize that God's power and word supplies all their needs on a continuous basis. Phil 4:13;
In this passage, the word translated "do" in the NASB is the Present Active Indicative of the Greek word "Ishcyo” and the word translated "strengthens" is the Present Active Participle of "endynamoo"
Because of the use of the present tenses, a good translation of this passage is "I keep on being enabled by him who keeps on empowering me" (The believer inside the Plan of God is empowered by ministry of God the Holy Spirit)
Because of free volition and momentum from adversity, no believer ever remains the same spiritually, Each day the believer either gains strength from the Filling of God the Holy Spirit and momentum in the application of Bible Doctrine or loses strength by reverting to the OSN and the arrogance skills.
There are two categories of weak believers, the ignorant believer who is positive to Bible Doctrine who will ultimately become strong and the ignorant believer who is arrogant and negative, who will remain weak unless they come to a change of thinking.