Larry Reynolds, Denton, TX

Colossians 1:10-13 - "...so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened will all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."

In the verses that follow Paul uses four participles, each followed by a prepositional phrase, to describe a life that is worthy of the Lord and pleasing to God. Such a life is a life of:

• "bearing fruit in every good work"(10b)
• "increasing in the knowledge of God" (10c)
• "being strengthened with all power" (11)
• "giving thanks to the Father" (12)

A life that is pleasing to God is a live of "...giving thanks to the Father..."  While those who are in Christ have a multitude of things for which to be grateful, the Apostle Paul mentions one particular thing in verse 12. The primary thing for which we should give thanks is that God has “..qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints…”  The verb translated “qualified us” means “to make sufficient, to empower, to authorize, to make fit...”  The only other time this word is used in the New Testament is in 2 Corinthians 3:6 where it is translated in the New American Standard Bible as “made us adequate.”  God has made us adequate to participate in “the inheritance of the saints.”  There is some debate concerning precisely what is meant by the word “inheritance.”  Some say it refers to the life that we have waiting us in heaven. Others say it refers to the spiritual blessings we experience in Christ that begin in this life and extend into the next life. Either way, this verse reminds us that we gain “the inheritance” not based on our merit but on God making us adequate for it.

(For more detailed notes on Colossians go to http://www.larryreynolds.org-a.googlepages.com/home)