Select Page
Read Introduction to Colossians

 

“that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

 

When we walk a life that corresponds to who and what the Lord is, we will “please Him.”

“fully pleasing Him”

Literally, this phrase means “unto all pleasing.” Paul wants us to give pleasure to the Lord. “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God” (1 Th 4:1). This also infers that a true Christian may have God’s displeasure.

This word “pleasing” was used originally in the negative sense of a “yes-man” in extra-biblical Greek. This person is willing to do anything to please a benefactor. However, the Bible does not use this word in the sense of a cringing attitude. “Pleasing” implies the Christian’s anticipation to meet the desires of God. It is the willingness to do any wish the Lord may please. It is the desire to fulfill what is eternally due to God.

We think of the Lord’s desires in association with affection. We love him; how can we please him? We try to please the Lord beyond the explicit statements of Scripture. Just as a devoted son seeks to please a parent, we seek to please God. We seek to anticipate God’s wishes,

“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him” (2 Cor 5:9).

People need to pray that they will please God over men. There is a great temptation to live our lives around what men think over what God thinks. God condemns pleasing men (Col 3:22; 1 Th 2:4; Gal 1:10).

Four results come from pleasing God with our lives:

1. “being fruitful in every good work” (v. 10)

2. “increasing in the knowledge of God” (v 10)

3. “strengthened with all might” (v. 11)

4. “giving thanks to the Father” (v. 12)

Principle:

It is possible to please God.

Application:

Are you seeking to correspond your life with God’s provisions for you? Are you, therefore, pleasing God? Are you interested in giving God pleasure? We cannot please everyone, so we might as well please the Lord and let the chips fall where they may. Would you like God to be proud of your life? When our children make a good play in baseball, we are proud: “That’s my boy/girl!” On the other hand, when our children embarrass us by their behavior when we have company, we want to disown them or make out as they belong to our neighbors.

God is not ashamed to call us “brothers” (Heb. 2:11). Are you walking in such a way as to warrant the smile of heaven? Are you living with a great amount of spiritual aberration? God is not happy with an erratic spiritual walk. Everything we do reflects on God.

 

Share