Depending on God

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

(Luke 18:1-8) widow and judge

Not about our manner at all, it is about a good God who hears and answers.

The neighbour grumpily gives the bread, because of shameless audacity or to save his own reputation, but God needs none of that. If we are his, his children, as a Father he will graciously give… so ask, seek, knock! God knows how to give good gifts… you can depend upon him!

Luke 11:9–13 “9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!””

Depending on God: Prayer as an antidote to worry

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice.

Gentleness/graciousness.

Worry is anxiety (Mt 6:25-34). Prayer is the antidote for worry.

Philippians 2:20 “20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.”

Worry, two sides of a coin, positive and negative

Paul echoes Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 6:25–34) that believers are not to be anxious but are to entrust themselves into the hands of their loving heavenly Father, whose peace will guard them in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s use of “guard” may reflect his own imprisonment or the status of Philippi as a Roman colony with a military garrison. In either case, it is not Roman soldiers who guard believers–it is the peace of God Almighty. Because God is sovereign and in control, Christians can entrust all their difficulties to him, who rules over all creation and who is wise and loving in all his ways (Rom. 8:31–39).

An attitude of thanksgiving contributes directly to this inward peace.

Psalm 34:15 NIV

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

Depending on God: Confession

The Doctrine: Only the Forgiven Are Truly Happy.

Psalm 32:1–5 NIV

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Verses 1–2 state the theme, answering the question, “Who is truly happy (or blessed)?”

Then vv. 3–5 recount a personal experience that supports this theme. The terms “transgression,” “forgiven,” “sin,” and “iniquity” all echo Exodus 34:6–7 [“6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.””] , or Psalm 103.

This is the fundamental expression of God’s kindness and mercy toward those who receive his covenant. No one needs to compel God to show mercy; rather, the faithful confess their sins because they believe he is merciful.

Note how several words here appear in a mirror pattern, which binds all five verses together: “forgiven . . . covered [Ps. 32:1] . . . cover . . . forgave [v. 5].” There is a contrast in the kind of covering: when God “covers” sin, he graciously blots it out (cf. 85:2); when man “covers” his sin, he is sinfully hiding it (cf. Proverbs 28:13 “13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”).

Application: Confess Our Sins Freely.

Psalm 32:6–11 NIV

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

The opening word of this section, therefore, shows that it is drawing a lesson for everyone who is godly, namely, to offer prayer (of confession) . . . at a time when God may be found; i.e., do not be foolish and wait indefinitely (cf. v. 9). The godly are not expected to be sinless; rather, they are those who believe God’s promises and confess their sins (similarly the righteous, v. 11). Verses 6–7 are addressed to God, whom the faithful find to be a hiding place; vv. 8–11 are addressed to fellow worshipers, urging them to accept this instruction about ready confession and to be glad in the Lord, who shows such goodness to his people.

Depending on God: for changed lives

Colossians 1:9–12 NIV

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

1:9 Knowledge and wisdom were offered by the false teachers in Colossae (cf. 2:4, 8, 16-23). Paul prays that the Colossians will have the wisdom and understanding that comes only from God. Spiritual means given by the Holy Spirit.

1:10 so that. The “wisdom and understanding” (v. 9) would then lead to changed lives, for it would enable these Christians to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

The chief end of man to glorify God and enjoy him forever… 1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

“live a life” / “To walk” is a Jewish metaphor for conducting or behaving oneself. It corresponds to the Hebrew term halak. The rabbis had an entire oral tradition, later written down (especially in the Mishnah and the Talmuds), called Halakah, that guided them in their behavior. As a former rabbi, Paul calls believers “to walk” not according to the oral traditions of Judaism but in a way that is fully pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Although Christians are completely justified from the moment of initial saving faith, they are not fully sanctified, and they can do things that either please or displease God each day.

What does it look like to live worthily of the Lord and please him?

Bearing Fruit in every good work

Growing in the knowledge of God

Being strengthen for endurance and patience

Joyful thanks

Bearing fruit. Every good work is here viewed as the fruit of salvation in the life of a Christian, not as the prerequisite for entering a relationship with Christ. Paul’s reference to bearing fruit . . . and increasing brings to mind the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1–9, 13-20). The seed sown on the good soil bore fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

Growing in the knowledge of God. Spiritual growth / maturity… Colossians 1:28 “28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”

1:11 being strengthened with all power. Spiritual power was a key issue in the Greco-Roman world. People sought power through connection with various gods and pagan rituals in order to protect them from evil spirits and to help them acquire wealth or influence. Paul wants the Colossians to know that he prays regularly that God would impart his power to them, not for selfish aims but so that they can live for God in a worthy manner.

Great endurance and patience. The purpose (as indicated by the word “for”) of this God-given power is to provide the divine strength needed for the believer to attain Christian virtues, to persevere in the faith, to resist temptation and deceitful teachers, and so to know the joy of the Lord.

Joyful thanks. Colossians 1:12–14 “12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

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