The supreme work of Christ and Paul’s labour for the ministry. (Chap.1)
Praise for the Church: (1:1-8)
The Apostle Paul was a great encourager, and this letter is a good example of the grace of thanksgiving. He gives thanks for what Christ has done in the lives of the Colossian Christians. But he also mentions thanksgiving in five other places in this letter: (1:12; 2:7; 3:15, 17, 4:2). When we see that Paul wrote this letter in prison, his attitude of thanksgiving is very amazing. He was not looking at his own circumstances or situations, but looking at the believers.
Like Paul, we should be grateful for what God is doing in the lives of others. As Christians, we are all members of one body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). If one member of the body is strengthened, this helps to strengthen the entire body. If one church experiences a revival touch from God, it will help all the churches.
Faith, Love and hope:
The Word of God is seed (Lk. 8:11). This means the Word has life in it (Heb. 4:12). When it is planted in the heart, it can produce fruit. “All over the world this Gospel is producing fruit and growing” (1:6). When God’s Word is planted and cultivated, it produces fruit. Faith, hope, and love are among the first fruits in the spiritual harvest. These spiritual graces are the evidences that a person has truly been born again (Rom. 5:1-4; Eph. 1:13-15; 1 Thess. 1:3; Heb. 6:9-12; 1 Pet.1:3-9).
Faith: Faith comes through the hearing of God’s Word (Rom. 10:17). Our Christian lives start with saving faith; but this is only the beginning. We learn to walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7) and work by faith (1 Thess. 1:3). It is faith that gives power to prayer (Lk. 17:5-6). Faith is a shield that protects us from Satan’s fiery darts (Eph. 6:16).
When missionary John G. Paton was translating the Bible in the Outer Hebrides, he searched for the exact word to translate believe. Finally, he discovered it: the word meant “lean your whole weight upon.” That is what saving faith is, which is nothing but leaning your whole weight upon Jesus Christ.
Saving faith involves the mind, the emotions, and the will. With the mind we understand the truth of the Gospel, and with the heart we feel conviction and the need to be saved. But it is only when we exercise the will and commit ourselves to Christ that the process is complete. Faith is not mental assent to a body of doctrines, no matter how true those doctrines may be. Faith is not emotional concern. Faith is commitment to Jesus Christ.
Saving faith is grounded in the Gospel. It is the Word of God that gives us assurance. As we grow in the Lord, our faith will become steadfast and established.
- Love: Love is another evidence of true salvation. The unsaved person is concerned more about himself (Eph. 2:1-3). The fact that these people loved all the saints was a proof that God had changed them and given them eternal life.
Christian love is not a shallow feeling that we can manufacture. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (Rom. 5:5; Col. 1:8).
- Hope: Hope is also a characteristic of the believer. Unsaved people are without hope because they are without God ( 2:11-12). Those who are outside of Christ have no hope (1 Thes. 4:13). In the Bible, hope does not mean “hope so.” Our hope in Christ is as definite and assured as our faith in Christ. Because Christ is in us, we have the “hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).
We can see wonderful relationship between faith, hope, and love. Certainly the more we love someone, the more we will trust him. We do not trust a casual acquaintance to the same degree that we trust a confidential friend. As we come to know God better, we trust Him more and we love Him more. Love and faith encourage each other.
But hope also has a valuable contribution to make. Wherever there is a relationship of faith and love, there will be a growing hope. When a man and woman fall in love and learn to trust each other in that love, their future always becomes brighter. In fact, Paul taught that hope is a motivating power for love and faith: “The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven” (Col. 1:5).
The blessed hope of seeing Jesus Christ and going to heaven to be with Him is a powerful force in the Christian’s life. When we realize the joy we shall have in heaven, it makes us love Him more. The fact that we know we shall be with Him in glory encourages us to trust Him more. Even the problems and trials here on earth, do not move us away from that hope.
The hope of heaven is also an encouragement in times of suffering (1 Pet.1:4-9). As believers, we have our share of suffering; but in the midst of trials, we can rejoice “with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet.1:8). When unbelievers suffer, they get discouraged and they want to give up. But when Christians suffer, their faith can become stronger and their love can become deeper because their hope shines brighter.
Therefore we must keep growing and being fruitful for the Lord. The same Word that gave us life when we have trusted Christ will continue to nourish that life and make us a faithful and fruitful Christian.