MH page 426

Of His own life the Saviour said, “I have kept My Father's commandments.” John 15:10 . “The Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” John 8:29 . As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be. In His strength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the Saviour lived.

Believers are called to live lives of purity and nobility through Christ's strength, following His example of obedience. The text focuses on moral and spiritual imitation of Christ and divine empowerment rather than empirical or medical concepts.

“For this cause,” Paul says, “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19 .

Paul prays for believers to be strengthened by the Spirit and filled with the fullness of God through faith and love. This paragraph consists of a scriptural quotation expressing a spiritual prayer and theological petition.

We “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; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.” Colossians 1:9-11 .

Believers are encouraged to increase in the knowledge of God and be strengthened with might unto patience and joy. The text contains a biblical passage expressing spiritual desires, wisdom, and prayer.

This is the knowledge which God is inviting us to receive, and beside which all else is vanity and nothingness.

The spiritual knowledge offered by God surpasses all earthly pursuits in value. This is a statement evaluating the supreme spiritual value of knowing God relative to worldly things.