According to 3:10, the new man is being renewed “unto full knowledge.” Some translations say “in full knowledge” instead of “unto full knowledge.” However, the Greek preposition should be rendered “unto.” This rendering indicates that full knowledge is the issue of renewing, its result, not the means of being renewed. For example, children grow unto knowledge, but they do not grow by means of knowledge. The more children grow, the more they know. However, it is not true to say that the more they know, the more they grow. If parents consider the growth and development of their children, they will see that they do not grow by means of knowledge. Rather, they grow unto knowledge, increasing in knowledge as they grow and develop.
This principle of growing unto knowledge applies to our spiritual life. If we seek the things on earth instead of the things above, we shall not have the renewing of the new man. This means that we shall not experience the growth of the new man. It is extremely difficult for the new man to grow as long as we seek earthly things. But when we seek the things above, the new man grows within us. The result of this growth is full knowledge. Therefore, the new man grows unto full knowledge. Years ago, the new man within you had not grown very much. This made it difficult for you to know spiritual things. But now that the new man has grown within you, it is much easier for you to understand spiritual things. This indicates that growth issues in knowledge. This is the reason Paul says that the new man is being renewed unto full knowledge.
When I was a young Christian, I read books on discerning the spirit from the soul. However, I could not discern the difference between soul and spirit, no matter how hard I tried to analyze the matter and discern it according to my natural mind. But as I grew in life, it became easy to discern between soul and spirit. This illustrates the fact that spiritual things cannot be known through the exercise of the natural mind. They can be known only through the growth of the new man. The growth of the new man within us issues in true spiritual knowledge.
At birth, a baby has all the necessary physical organs. However, if these organs are to function properly, the baby must grow. In order for the infant to become complete in function, there is the need of growth. The more the child grows, the more the functions will be developed and perfected. Eventually, at maturity, the functions will be full and complete. The principle is the same with the growth of the new man within us. When the new man was created in our spirit, it was complete as far as organs are concerned. But because it has not yet been completed in function, there is the need for growth and renewing. Growth and renewing issue in knowledge. Actually, the full knowledge in 3:10 is equal to function. The growth and renewing of the new man results in the function of the new man. Without knowledge, we cannot function. The use of our organs depends on knowledge. As the members of our physical body function according to knowledge, so the new man functions as it is renewed unto full knowledge. For the renewing of the new man to result in knowledge means that the renewing results in function. As long as the new man is short of growth and renewing, it will be lacking in function. This means that even though the new man has been created, it is not yet complete in function. For this, the new man must grow, develop, and be renewed. Then, as a result of this renewing, it will become perfect in function.
We have seen that the Colossians were distracted from the things which are in heaven by earthly things such as religion, philosophy, and culture. In writing this Epistle, Paul was seeking to bring them back from the elements of the world to the things which are above. He wanted them to set their mind on the things above so that the new man could spread from within their spirit into their mind and eventually saturate their whole being with the divine element. This saturation would issue in full knowledge, the completion of the function of the new man.
Now we must go on to see that this renewing is according to the image of God, the One who created the new man. In other words, the renewing of the new man is according to Christ, who is the image and expression of God. When we set our mind on the things above, the way is open for the new man to spread the divine element from our spirit into our soul. This spreading of the divine element within us is according to Christ, who is the image of God, God’s expression. The more renewing that takes place in our soul, the more we shall be able to express God. In other words, the more renewing we experience in the soul, the more we shall have of the image of Christ.
Although we have been regenerated, we may have very little of the image of Christ in our mind, emotion, and will. Instead, we may cling to the image of the old Adam. But if we set our mind on the things above, the divine element in our spirit will spread into our soul. This spreading will be according to Christ as the image of God. As a result of the spreading of the divine element, we shall have the image of God and become His expression.