For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you

For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ., 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:1–3 (CSB)

Some indeed preach Christ… from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains.

I am often asked, “What has been the most discouraging thing in your ministry?” As far as I can remember, my answer has remained consistent over the years.

There are two issues that deeply distress me. One is seeing those who ought to be the most mature in the faith—the ones who know the Word of God well, have experienced the blessings of spiritual growth and fellowship, and have seen God’s power demonstrated time and again—turn their backs on the faith and embrace sin. That’s much more discouraging than when a new, untrained Christian falls into sin through ignorance.

The second is being falsely accused by fellow preachers of the gospel. Some men seem to desire to discredit the ministry of others. As a result, they falsely accuse other ministers, not because they have valid reasons, but simply for the satisfaction of discrediting them.

As you live a godly life, expect that your service to God will be attacked. But don’t let that affect your joy.

Prayer—Concern—Minister: a mature people must have ministers who struggle in prayer and concern for them. Remember Paul had never seen the Colossian church personally; he was not the minister on the field. (The pastor of the Colossian church was Epaphras.) This says something of enormous importance: ministers are to wrestle in prayer for believers and churches all over the world. In fact, churches can be mature in the Lord only as the ministers of the world wrestle in prayer for all the churches of the world. Picture the scene: imagine yourself hovering above the earth and looking down upon it—looking upon every church upon the earth. Imagine every pastor of the world wrestling in prayer for every church. Imagine every church being prayed for every day by every minister. Just imagine what would happen: the growth, the maturity, the ministry, the reaching out to save souls. This is what Paul was after, and it is the great challenge to us. A mature people must have ministers who struggle in prayer and concern for them. There is no other way they can mature. A half-hearted, half-committed minister can only produce half-hearted, half-committed people.

The great need of the church is for mature people, a people who are consistently growing in the Lord. The word consistent is to be noted: a mature people are consistent in all they do. They are consistently growing in the Lord. One of the great tragedies of today’s society is the lack of consistency. Few people are consistent in their daily walk with the Lord. This is the subject of this great passage: the marks of a mature people.

1. Mark 1: a minister who struggles in prayer and concern for the church (v. 1).

2. Mark 2: believers who possess encouragement and confidence (vv. 2–3).

3. Mark 3: believers who resist seductive teaching (v. 4).

4. Mark 4: believers who maintain military discipline and order: growing in the faith (v. 5).

5. Mark 5: believers who walk in the Lord (vv. 6–7).

People who know a full assurance of salvation as the KJV terms it “ unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, “ or “ so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding “ as in the CSB.

Assurance—The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 17:31) is the “assurance” (Gr. pistis, generally rendered “faith”) or pledge God has given that his revelation is true and worthy of acceptance. The “full assurance [Gr. plerophoria, ‘full bearing’] of faith” (Heb. 10:22) is a fulness of faith in God which leaves no room for doubt. The “full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2) is an entire unwavering conviction of the truth of the declarations of Scripture, a joyful steadfastness on the part of any one of conviction that he has grasped the very truth. The “full assurance of hope” (Heb. 6:11) is a sure and well-grounded expectation of eternal glory (2 Tim. 4:7, 8). This assurance of hope is the assurance of a man’s own particular salvation.

This infallible assurance, which believers may attain unto as to their own personal salvation, is founded on the truth of the promises (Heb. 6:18), on the inward evidence of Christian graces, and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:16). That such a certainty may be attained appears from the testimony of Scripture (Rom. 8:16; 1 John 2:3; 3:14), from the command to seek after it (Heb. 6:11; 2 Pet. 1:10), and from the fact that it has been attained (2 Tim. 1:12; 4:7, 8; 1 John 2:3; 4:16).

This full assurance is not of the essence of saving faith. It is the result of faith, and posterior to it in the order of nature, and so frequently also in the order of time. True believers may be destitute of it. Trust itself is something different from the evidence that we do trust. Believers, moreover, are exhorted to go on to something beyond what they at present have when they are exhorted to seek the grace of full assurance (Heb. 10:22; 2 Pet. 1:5–10). The attainment of

this grace is a duty, and is to be diligently sought.

“Genuine assurance naturally leads to a legitimate and abiding peace and joy, and to love and thankfulness to God; and these from the very laws of our being to greater buoyancy, strength, and cheerfulness in the practice of obedience in every department of duty.”

This assurance may in various ways be shaken, diminished, and intermitted, but the principle out of which it springs can never be lost. (See FAITH.)[1]

[1] M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible dictionary, 1893.

Galatians 1:6–7 (CSB)

NO OTHER GOSPEL Than that of Christ I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 not that