Colossians 1:10 – That you walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.
One of the recurring themes in the Bible is God’s demand for increase in our lives. The growth and increase God demands for our lives is produced by a relationship with Him. Jesus, Who said we were called and chosen to bring forth fruit, also said that unless we abide in Him, we cannot bring forth fruit (John 15:4, 16). The seed of the Word of God is sown into our lives for the purpose of bringing forth an abundance of fruit: for some thirty fold, and for others sixty fold, and even one-hundred fold (Mark 4:8, 20). The increase and growth opportunity provided for us by God is the ability and privilege of coming into the fullness of the measure of the maturity of the ministry of Jesus (Ephesians 4:13, 3:19). The only reason God’s people would fail to experience increase would be their unwillingness or neglect to walk out a relationship with the Lord Jesus. God has provided all we have need of to grow. He has supplied us with His grace, which is His divine power given to us to do and to be all He has purposed for our lives (2 Peter 1:3-4, 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:13). To neglect such an opportunity and pricy provision carries a severe penalty (Hebrews 2:3; Luke 13:6-9; Matthew 21:43, 25:28; Revelation 3:16).
We are to be passionate and intense about our eternal purposes in God. We are to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10-11). If we recognize how God is One Who rewards those who diligently seek Him, then we should be willing to give our all in order to realize all He has purchased and planned for our lives (Hebrews 11:6). If we place Jesus in the proper seat of authority in our lives, then we will increase as the manifest presence and glory of God increases in our lives (Colossians 2:19). Through the soul prosperity that comes through obedience to the Word of God, then every other area of our lives also prospers – so we may experience increase in every dimension of life (3 John 2; Matthew 6:33).
There are several things we must be willing to do if we are going to have the increase God has purposed for our lives. We must be willing to dwell in the life He has provided for us in Christ Jesus (John 15:1-16). We must desire the sincere milk of the Word, so we can grow (1 Peter 2:2). There must be a submission to the Holy Spirit, Who will bring the increase in our lives as we cooperate with the body of Christ in the local Church (Ephesians 2:21-22, 4:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 9:10). We must be willing to see that our lives have come to an end; and now, the whole meaning of our lives is to reveal the life of Christ Jesus (Colossians 3:3; Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:14- 15; John 12:24; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21).
Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
