Growing Under God’s Rule

Now that God has established his rule in Christ, what does he intend for those under his rule? He intends for the subjects of his rule to conform to the standards of his rule, to live out the character and quality of his kingdom. We get a glimpse of what this looks like in Paul’s prayer for the believers in Colossae. Let’s learn about God’s rule and how he intends for his people to grow. We’ve adapted these notes from the Tony Evans Study Bible.

God’s Comprehensive Rule

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

Colossians 1:13 Christian Standard Bible

The kingdom of God is his rule, plan, and program. It is all-embracing, covering everything in the universe. We can define the kingdom as God’s comprehensive rule over all creation. If God’s kingdom is comprehensive, so is his kingdom agenda. The kingdom agenda may be defined as the visible manifestation of the comprehensive rule of God over every area of life.

The Greek word that Scripture uses for “kingdom” is basileia. It means “a rule” or “authority.” It includes the concept of power. So when we talk about a kingdom, we’re talking first about a king or a ruler. And if there is a ruler, there also have to be “rulees,” or kingdom subjects (see Col 1:13). In addition, a kingdom includes a realm; that is, a domain over which the king rules. Moreover, a kingdom has regulations or guidelines that govern the relationship between the ruler and the subjects. These are necessary so that the subjects will know whether they are doing what the ruler wants done.

God’s kingdom includes all of these elements. He is the absolute ruler of his domain, which encompasses all of creation. Likewise, his authority is total. Everything God rules, he runs. And he’s made his guidelines known in his Word.

Yes, living in God’s kingdom brings blessings, but you don’t get to enjoy the blessings of the King if you’re not willing to live under his sovereign authority. In other words, until you become a kingdom person who makes decisions based on God’s kingdom agenda, you’ll miss out on the abundant life he has in store for you.

A Prayer for Growth Under God’s Rule

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-14 Christian Study Bible

1:9–10 Most of us want to bear good fruit (1:10)—i.e., have a spiritually productive life. The problem is that though many Christians hear about God and carry his book around, they’re not really getting to know him, not really experiencing him. Don’t just visit God for two hours on Sunday. Talk to him all the time. And while you’re walking or while you’re driving, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do” (1 Cor 10:31), stay plugged in. You don’t need a microwave experience with God; you need a crockpot experience with him. Simmer in his presence, and leave an impact on the lives of others with the impact the Lord has had on you.

1:13–14 We were under the rule of the devil, but Jesus Christ provided redemption. A slave could be redeemed in the ancient world if a price was paid for his freedom. We were slaves to sin and Satan, but through his atoning death Christ purchased us off the slave block, granting us forgiveness of sins and transferring us into his glorious kingdom (1:14).

Grow in God’s Kingdom with the Tony Evans Study Bible

The purpose of Tony Evans’ ministry has long been centered on advancing God’s kingdom agenda. The Tony Evans Study Bible helps in that endeavor by providing study notes, lessons on kingdom living, inspirational articles, and a whole lot more! You can check out this product in our store to learn more.