What Does Colossians Say about Godly Knowledge?

In Colossians, Paul connects the knowledge of God with wisdom, which is a judicious, thoughtful, truthful, God-honoring expression which reflects the character of Christ.

5. Knowledge is fruitful. You’ll know you’re being transformed when your knowledge emerges in fruitful ways. A wise and compassionate use of our knowledge of God should emanate from a heart at peace with and submitted to him.

Such knowledge is filled with the fruit of the spirit: reasonableness, fairness, compassion, honesty, mercy, generosity, humility, etc., “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

Knowledge, as understood by Paul in his letter to the Colossians, leads to action: “bearing fruit in every good work.”

We remember that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor — this is the good work Paul was talking about.

When we know God, we know what that work looks like. All we have to do is explore Jesus’ good works.

Jesus went to the sick, the disenfranchised, and the demon-possessed. He went to the impoverished, those in mourning, and those suffering the consequences of sexual sin.

Jesus invited them to know healing beyond physical wholeness, one which enabled them to see God’s attachment to them, his extravagant love for them, and to imagine eternity fully healed of all sickness and sin.

Jesus went everywhere, to everyone, and he even preached the truth to religious leaders who wanted him dead.

When we know Christ, we know why he preached to the blind beggar and the Samarian woman and the tax collector and the prostitute: this was how he brought God to them, face-to-face. Christ saw the sick, and he took the healer directly to them.

That is what we are commanded to do: when we know the healer, we bring him to the sick. We draw near to him in our own sickness of sin, illness, injury, or injustice, and we comfort others with the comfort he first brought to us (2 Corinthians 1:4).

We teach what we know of God, not to be right, but to help the lost recognize the Great, Eternal Shepherd.

Once you know God, it’s impossible to turn away from the truth. But you have to know God for yourself and “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) — faith in Christ is not something you inherit.

For the knowledge of the glory of God to mean anything to you, it can’t be a historical relic; something passed down through your family. “Jesus declared ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

Resolve to find out about this God who calls you to himself so you can share the reasonableness of your faith (Philippians 4:5).

For further reading:

What Is Knowledge According to the Bible?

What Does it Mean to Grow in Grace and Knowledge?

What Do We Know about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

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Candice Lucey is a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Find out more about her here.