9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Collosians 1:9-14
We are starting a 13 week journey exploring the topic of being “Accountable to God”. We’ll be looking at many different principles and truths that flow out of this Biblical reality.
In today’s passage, Paul is speaking to the church at Collosae. He lets’ them know that He has been praying for them, and what He prays for them is not about simply temporary, earthly needs and desires.Paul has been praying for their character and their spiritual lives.
Notice what Paul prays for them: that they would walk worthy of the Lord, be fruitful in good works, increasing in the knowledge of God, be strengthened with all might, and that they would be patient. He prayed that they’d give thanks to God for making them heirs of the inheritance “of the saints in light.” Paul also points out that we have been delivered from darkness to light by the redemption that came by the blood of Jesus Christ.
These aren’t just spiritual cliche’s that are irrelevant to life. Rather, these are important truths that need to be a part of our life.
Application:
Here’s the point as we think about being accountable to God: Because we have been delivered from darkness into light, it should affect what we value and how we live.
There were things that we valued when we were in spiritual darkness. What we value should be different now that we have been brought into a relationship with God.
As we start this series, think about this. Has your faith impacted your values to the degree that it has influenced your decisions and daily actions?
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 
Yes my faith impacted my values to the degree that it has influenced my decisions and daily actions, because back then when I wasn’t that much into god when people asked me to do something or say it I wouldn’t think about it and the daily stuff I do I never thought about it if it was wrong or not, but now the decisions I make and the daily stuff I do I think about them more. Knowing god affected what I value and how I live.
I would say the world as a whole value relationships which is where the true change starts. On the point of accountablity, are we willing to confront or expose your brother dark areas and can they handle there brother correction? Ephesians 5:8-14
8For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light]. 9For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or [c]the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. 10And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]. 11Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] [d]expose and reprove and convict them. 12For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that [such people] practice in secret. 13But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. 14Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.
Yes my faith impacted my values to the degree that it has influenced my decisions and daily actions, because when I wasn’t saved I didn’t really know the difference. When I wasn’t saved I didn’t go to church tht much and when I started going again.. I was impacted by he gospel being brought to me. So I was like daddy I want to be saved. And he toke me to pastor bales and I got saved on tuesday September 15, 2008 at 7:28pm in Pastor Bales office at Sonshine baptist. And my values have been truly different because I now know tht God is in the right place for me. Ik when he wants me to do this or do tht because he is pulling me towards it. 🙂
Great devotional! 🙂
Love u guys!!! :p ❤
Prayer requests:: 1) my parents find a job.
2) my great grandmother is still not doing well.
3) my migraines
praying for you tristian!! love you girl!!! 🙂 <33
Since salvation I have had a definite change in my value system for sure. A lot of things I thought were ok before I don’t now. I do think it does make a difference in my daily decisions and actions. Before salvation i didn’t have the Holy Spirit putting me under conviction about things, now I do . I think even if we ignore the Holy Spirit He is still laying on our hearts the right things to do daily.
Yes my faith has impacted my values the main thing I’ve been praying about is to do my devotions more than anything but before I had a good relationship with God me praying was asking God for stuff but ever since my relationship with God I’ve changed my values.
Ive kind of always been the “good kid“ since i was saved at a young age, but as I get older Im starting to think about WHY I do what I do. I used to just do the right thing because that was what my mom taught me…..but now Im starting to do them because I realize thats what God wants. Im not just doing it for no reason anymore. I have a reason now and that would be to do what God wants so that Ican please Him and be a good example to other Christians and non believers. So, yes, my relationship with God affects how I act, think, and react to things.
This verse also says 11Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] [d]expose and reprove
and convict them.
God wants us to stay away from “secret sins“ and Im not gonna lie….just recently I was dealing with one of these and it feels soo good now that i got rid of it. It felt good to do the wrong thing, but I knew it was wrong so i had all this guilt (what a coincidence this verse popped up..things done in the dark will be brought to the light) and it feels even better to be gone with my sin. Because sin leads nowhere but doing right and being in Gods favor does.
i’d hv to say,my actions haven’t been that great lately.just today,my friend and my pther friends were satanding by a tree and she was eating a corn muffin so iwas gonna go play around with her so i knocked it out of her hand.i know i know.i can’t believe i did it.well,at least i asked for forgivness.i feel better about it now.but otherwise,i think my actions aren’t bad since i got saved.i was super excited that i got to know Jesus.i was begging abbey to help me with it.and she did.i got saved.i was super pumped and im gonna keep being super pumped for the rest of my life 🙂
i hv a few prayer requests
1)my grandma (the one who lost her teeth at walmart hehe) can’t go anywhere because she’s embarrased and shes sick.
2) my mom is getting a root canal tmrw.please pray that God will let her be ok.
well,thats all i have to say today! 🙂 (btw,how was the soaker?)
Praying for you and your mom.
Also Praying for Tristian and her parents.
Good job!
I agree with what Grace said. I was blessed to be brought up in a Christian home and was saved at a young age, so I wasn’t really a bad kid before I got saved. But I definitely did not always do what was right! But I think I have been making better decisions lately. I’m not saying I always make the right choice, because I do not, but I have noticed a difference since last summer 🙂 I’m really looking forward to this series, devotions and Sunday School!
I believe my faith has affected my daily actions since I’ve come to realize the importance of my relationship with God. Before I came to Sonshine, I knew who God was, & I prayed & loved Him, but I never really cared about my actions like I do now. I sometimes think I overthink stuff, to where the second I do something wrong I feel terrible. Idk if thats a good or bad thing? But I know God has become a huge part of my life over the past few years. My actions have changed, & so has my personality. I care about what God thinks of me & what others see. I don’t want to be a two faced Christian, I want to be Lindsey Mentzer, the girl who loves God, cares about school, & loves her friends to everyone! I just wanna be real, & I think my faith has definitley influenced what I do with my life for God 🙂
The thing is Lindsey, Grace and everyone else, I know it’s not easy to be want to be godly and go to the school with a lot of people that don’t share the same values. God’s called you to love them and to be different and that isn’t always easy.
I’m praying for all of you guys.
BTW– How did exams go?
Living as a Christian has effected the way I live and the decisions that I make. Although just by being saved doesn’t make you instantly wise in the things of the Lord but with the Holy Spirit it helps us to grow and to choose what is right in the Lord. I am thankful for His wisdom and for the ability to learn from the Bible what is right. Even though I have grown in wisdom I still need to recognize that I need to ask God for wisdom when I encounter situations and decisions. He likes to be included in our decisions and it’s wise for us to seek Him for answers.