Colossians 1:1-8 “Giving Thanks for the Gospel”
“Giving Thanks for the Gospel” is a sermon preached from Colossians 1:1-8, by Michael Beatty, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in New Berlin, Wisconsin – a confessional Reformed Baptist church subscribing to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
Introduction: Beginning Colossians
Invite you to turn your Bibles with me to the book of Colossians. We will read verses 1-8 this morning. It is my intention to work through Colossians together, section by section, of course, and so we’ll be spending the next series of months here.
If you’re following along, I’ll be providing the section for the next week in the bulletin beginning next week. But for next week, since it’s not in the bulletin today, we’re going to be looking at verses 9-14. I apologize that it isn’t in the bulletin today, but that’s where we’ll be going next week. For this morning, we will be looking at verses 1-8.
Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:1-8
Hear now the reading of God’s Word:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Thus far the reading of God’s Word. Please join me as we ask the Lord’s blessing upon it.
Prayer for Illumination
Our Father, we ask that you would grant that we might hear the voice of Christ our Savior, and that you would cause us to have ears to hear and hearts to believe. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
The Centurion’s Faith: The Power of Christ’s Word
If you recall in the book of Matthew, there’s the instance of a centurion coming to meet Jesus as he enters Capernaum. It says as soon as Jesus entered into Capernaum, the centurion was there to confront him. It is somewhat of a strange thing to have the leader of a Roman occupying force waiting to hear this itinerant preacher walking around Israel, doing miracles and declaring the voice of the Lord.
He has good reason to do so, because he has a servant whom he loves who is very sick and who at that very moment is racked by whatever illness he has. The text doesn’t tell us the details, but if you recall, when Jesus comes and enters the city, the centurion comes and says to him, “My servant is paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” He tells him of his need, and Jesus with great kindness says that he will come and heal the servant.
But what comes next is perhaps most striking and for our purposes this morning, most important. If you remember what the centurion said, he didn’t say, “Certainly, come.” We would probably expect a centurion to do that. After all, he is a very important person. It would make sense for this person he’s waiting for at the gate, whom he’s shown respect to, to come to his house. But that’s not even necessary for him. Rather, he says to Jesus,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
In that, the centurion rightly understands who Jesus is: that because of who Christ is, all he has to do is say the word, and it is done. Jesus responds, saying that with great faith this person has believed, and that he has not found anyone like him in Israel, and that the centurion will come into the heavenly realms with him.
The Authority of Christ’s Word
It is the word that Christ speaks that is so powerful. Ultimately, it’s not about the miracles—though certainly he desires something of Christ, namely, that his servant be healed because he loves him, and that is not wrong. But he knows that by faith, Jesus doesn’t need to come and see his servant. He doesn’t need to enter his house. He doesn’t need to see the miracle. He simply believes: if Jesus will say that it is done, it is done.
Even as Jesus says to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. The word of Christ—it is that which is powerful. It always accomplishes what it is intended to do. There is not a place in Scripture where we see that Christ said something and it didn’t happen, both in terms of that which has yet to happen and that which has already occurred.
The Power of the Gospel Word
Paul, in writing to the Colossians, says something very similar. If you notice in verse 5:
“Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,”
It is that very word that has been proclaimed to them, that which is powerful. He gives thanks that they have heard it, because ultimately it has had its intended effect, as we will see this morning, and they are blessed with all sorts of spiritual blessings because they have believed.
That is important for us too, because none of us have seen the miracles. We weren’t there when Jesus walked in Palestine. None of us have met someone who was there. But rather, we have heard the word. The word was read even now. And so we are all held accountable for it now—what is it that we do with it? We have heard the word declared, and it is that which is powerful unto salvation for all who would believe.
Overview of Colossians: The Word at Work
We see that laid out for us in full effect in the rest of Colossians as it demonstrates the fulfillment of Christ’s word and its energies in bringing to pass everything that Christ has promised in his word.
By way of preview, I want to do a variety of things today: looking at this section of course, but also laying out the path for where we’re going, because these first eight verses set the table for us.
In Colossians 1:2-5, we see an explanation of the gospel, everything that Christ has done. It is that word fully explained to the Colossians.
Then in chapter 2:6-23, we see details of how Christians are built up in Christ—how it occurs. Again, it is simply the application of the word of the gospel which we have heard.
Then in Colossians 3:1-17, we see the process of what we might think of as sanctification, or the work of the Christian life: putting off the old person and putting on the new person in Christ.
Finally, in Colossians 3:18 to the end of the book, we see that this word sets the ground for our relationships with others in every circumstance that we might come into. Ultimately, it is grounded back in the word of the gospel. It is grounded back in that which has already occurred.
The Message of Colossians: Gospel Advancing and Bearing Fruit
And that’s where we’re really going this morning. For we’ll see in Colossians 1:1-8 a demonstration that the gospel is steadily advancing in the world, bearing fruit as people lay hold of Christ by faith and grow in their love for others. So let us hold fast to what we’ve learned.
I’m going to see that in three points this morning: first, the author; second, the audience; and third, the message, if you’re taking notes. So: author, audience, and message.
Point 1: The Author of the Letter
I want to begin by looking at the author of this letter. In verse 1, we hear that Paul and Timothy are the authors of this particular book.
Think about a letter. It’s really important to see who the letter is from. For instance, if I get a letter in the mail from my grandma, I’m excited. If I get a letter from the IRS, I have a different sort of feeling. It’s important to know who the sender is.
The Colossians are being sent a letter by Paul, who is an apostle of Christ, and by Timothy our brother. It informs them that this is a letter they’re going to want to hear, because it is ultimately the word of Christ through his apostle. Paul is the primary author (and we’ll talk about Timothy here in a little while). He’s an apostle of Christ.
The Role of an Apostle
You might ask, “What’s an apostle?” An apostle is simply a messenger who is sent to proclaim good news. They have been ordained for that particular purpose: they go and preach the gospel and oftentimes do a variety of miracles to testify to the truth of their message. They do these things in this manner. But also, an apostle is one who has seen the risen Christ.
We think of Paul: he’s one, as he says, “untimely born.” But Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus. There is this appearance in which he has beheld the Lord.
Even as he says in Galatians 1:15-17 on this matter:
“But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.”
In other words, Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, is not one of a lesser order. We don’t think of the apostles in an ordered ranking where perhaps Peter is the most important, then James, and then finally we get to Paul at the tail end. Instead, he is one who has learned directly from Christ. That’s why he emphasizes that he didn’t learn these things from someone else. He didn’t go up to Jerusalem to learn it from Peter. Rather, he learned it not from flesh and blood, but from Christ. He learned it from the Lord. He went out into the wilderness to learn these things and then returned once more to Damascus.
Paul’s Divine Appointment
When he writes to the Colossians, he comes bearing the full weight of an apostle of Jesus Christ—not as a second-class apostle, but as one who is a messenger of the Lord to his people. Furthermore, he emphasizes that he is an apostle “by the will of God.” In other words, he is not some self-appointed guru. He is divinely appointed and sent to the Gentiles for the very purpose of proclaiming the word of God to them.
That he is writing to them in this way is important because it cuts against much of what we see in our own time. More importantly, it applies to us: we are not free to discard the will of God in appointing an apostle to say these things to the audience, which we’ll get to in a little bit.
Paul Writing from Prison
He’s writing to the Colossians from prison. If you’d like to look over at chapter 4 with me, verses 7-9:
“Tychicus will tell you about all my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that has taken place here.”
Verse 10:
“Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you.”
And then dropping down to verse 18:
“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”
So Paul is writing to them not only as an apostle but also as one suffering for the gospel. That theme will be developed throughout this letter: that the word of Christ, which has had its effect upon Paul, is truly seen throughout all his life and really flows through the heart of the book as we see it here.
Paul’s Love and Sacrifice for the Churches
Paul is also writing to them as one who has been left by many, as we hear in 2 Timothy 4, and yet he is asking the Colossians for a blessing from them.
As an aside, Philemon is often considered to be written alongside Colossians. There is overlapping of people, and most likely Philemon is a member of the church in Colossae. As Paul writes to him, he is saying that he would have benefit from him because of his servant, namely Onesimus, whom he wants back for ministry. He writes these things out of love for them, even though he hasn’t seen many of them in person.
If you remember, it says in verse 4:
“Since we heard of your faith and of the love that you have for all the saints.”
He has never seen them. Elsewhere in Philemon, he also hints that he wants to come and visit if he is released from prison. It seems he never did, but there is a desire for his knowledge of them to go from hearing about them through mutual friends to a real labor of love. He writes these things out of love for them, simply because he has heard of what they have done. We’ll see that repeated throughout the text in the weeks ahead.
Timothy’s Role in the Letter
And so, why is Timothy listed? If Paul is an apostle, doing all these things, why is Timothy included?
Timothy is not an apostle. He is a fellow laborer. I think there’s a really simple explanation for this: namely, that Timothy is writing it down for Paul. He’s recording the letter. It was very common practice to use someone to write down dictated letters. That would be the only explanation that makes sense for Paul in verse 18 of chapter 4 to say:
“See, I am writing this with my own hand.”
If he had written the entire letter with his own hand, it would make no sense to say that. Instead, everything is written, and then there is a sort of signature at the end of the letter.
We know from personal experience that those with bad handwriting sometimes have someone else write a letter for them, and then they sign their name. I know this from personal experience. You can say, “See, I’ve signed my name.” That is truly something which you’ve written. Paul is doing the same here.
Timothy as Paul’s Scribe
So Timothy, it seems, is perhaps serving as a scribe for him. If you’d like to look at 2 Timothy 4:9-15, there’s further evidence of Timothy serving in this important role, because Paul asks him to come to him and to pick up certain items along the way.
Verse 9:
“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and also the books, and above all the parchments.”
He is bringing to Paul the books and parchments—a collection of writings and resources. There is all sorts of speculation about what those items are, but for our purposes, it is simply important to know that Paul wants certain things with him in prison, and Timothy is the person doing this. That supports the argument that he is serving as Paul’s scribe. He has the parchments and the books, and he is writing. Otherwise, why would he be listed as one of the co-authors of the book?
Receiving Colossians as the Word of Christ
Turning back to Colossians, the upshot to all these things for us in terms of the author is this: ultimately, Colossians is the word of Christ. We are to receive it as his word because it has been given by an apostle of Christ Jesus by the very will of God. Although our names may not be listed at the top of the letter, it still applies to us, because most if not all of it is general—it applies to all believers.
We are not free to reject it but rather to receive it. It is a word that has its full and good effect, and we should receive it accordingly, whether for the first time or for however many times we have heard the word.
Point 2: The Audience of the Letter
Having seen the author, I want to look at the audience next.
The intended audience are the saints at Colossae. If you see verse 2:
“To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae.”
Paul is writing to them for a very specific reason. Consider the type of mail you might receive: if you get a letter from the IRS for a previous resident, it doesn’t apply to you. But this letter is addressed to the Colossians, and also to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ, which expands it out. It is particularized to the Colossians, but more generally, it is fit for anyone who is a saint or a brother in Christ.
Who Were the Colossians?
The Colossians were members of an ancient Greek city in what is now modern-day Turkey. We don’t know much about it, but we do know that Paul is familiar with them simply by report. As far as we can tell, he has never been there. That’s why there is a repetition of “we have heard,” even in verse 9:
“From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray.”
Or in Philemon, he hopes to visit someday. Despite never meeting them in person, he knows members of the church—Onesimus and Epaphras. If you recall in his greeting to them in chapter 4:12:
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you.”
And likewise in verse 9:
“Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”
These important fellow laborers in the gospel come from this church that Paul has never visited, yet he has been blessed by them. They show up throughout the rest of the New Testament and play an outsized role, even though the church itself is unknown to the apostle.
A Letter of General Applicability
In other words, it’s not like Ephesians or Corinthians, where Paul spent a lot of time. This is a letter to a church he has never visited, and in so many ways, that makes its applicability to us even more obvious. Of course, all Scripture is applicable and profitable for us, but this letter is very generalized because he has never met them. He knows some of their number, but he is writing a summary of his teaching to the Colossians and sending one of his co-laborers, Tychicus, to make known to them his circumstances.
This letter, then, is sent to them that they might understand what is going on in the broader church and know of the prayer that Paul has for them. We will lay that out more next week.
Saints and Faithful Brothers: The Broader Audience
And so, we move on to see that not only is it the Colossians, but also that it’s the saints and faithful ones who are recipients. “Saints and faithful brothers in Christ.”
Why does Paul use these words to describe those found within the church? Ultimately, they are adjectives describing the recipients.
If you recall in Ephesians 1:3-4, he uses a similar greeting:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
We are made holy by what Christ has done. Certainly, we are to live holy lives as those who follow after the One who is holy, but we are made holy by Him.
Likewise, it says elsewhere that Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Saints by Union with Christ
Turning back to Colossians, it’s important when we read this at the beginning not to think, “Oh, this is a gauge. I need to be about this faithful or this holy to enter,” like you might see at an amusement park: “You must be this tall to ride the ride.”
Instead, if someone is found in Christ, they are the recipient. They are faithful, and they are saints. That is being laid out for us here. We are recipients because of what Christ has done for us.
Ultimately, we were those set aside to do those things the Lord has prepared for us to walk in. Even as it says in Ephesians 2:10:
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Colossians: A Letter for All Believers
So in short, Colossians is written to those made holy in Christ and made faithful by the Spirit in Christ Jesus. That is the work of the Word being declared to them. Paul gives thanks because of the gospel that has gone forth, as it says in verse 5:
“Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.”
It is the work of the gospel, the work of Christ by His Spirit in His people, that makes them the recipients of this letter.
Applicability to Us Today
So for us, if we are found in Christ, this letter is for us. We are those being described here. We may not be in Colossae—we certainly aren’t; we’re in New Berlin—but also, though far removed in terms of time, we are the faithful and holy ones described here. We can apply these things to us.
That means as well that the word going forth by this apostle has a bearing upon us. We are held accountable to it.
Learning the Gospel’s Grammar and Accent
This is a place where it’s important to think about how the way we speak shapes how we think about the gospel. There is a sort of “accent” found in Colossians regarding the gospel.
For example, if you think about some local speech patterns, when I first heard “it’s a horse apiece” here, I didn’t know what it meant. I’m not a horse trader. It means, “it’s all the same” or “both options are roughly equivalent.” If you’re not from here, you don’t know that phrase.
Likewise in Scripture, there is a gospel grammar or dialect. It takes time to understand it and to live it out. The gospel grammar makes use of two types of speech:
- Indicative: what God has done.
For instance:- “God has made us alive in Christ.”
- “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.”
- “The word of truth, the gospel, has come to you and is bearing fruit.”
These are promises—things God has done outside of us.
- Imperative: how we respond to what God has done in Christ.
For instance:- “Live as those who are alive in Christ, rich in good works.”
- In chapter 3, instructions about life in the home, workplace, and relationships.
Understanding Paul’s Letters Through Gospel Grammar
For the audience, it is important as Paul writes for us to become familiar with this gospel grammar. That isn’t difficult because we’ve heard many of his letters proclaimed before, but it is important to remember and to think about these things through the lens of the gospel—not merely as 21st-century people living in the greater Milwaukee area.
What is Paul saying here in the text, within the context of the gospel? Ultimately, he is giving thanks for these things because they are good news—things God has done through Christ by the Spirit for you and for me if we are found in Him today.
Receiving the Message as Its Intended Audience
We hear that we have this letter to hear and to receive the message as those who are its recipients.
Having seen the author and the audience, I want to move on to the third and final point, where we’ll spend the majority of our time: the message.
Point 3: The Message – Thanksgiving and Blessing
The message. If you notice, Paul gives thanks again for the Colossians in verse 3. He hadn’t met them before, but he immediately moves into a blessing upon them in verse 2:
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”
Grace and Peace: A New Covenant Blessing
He further develops something they would have been familiar with: the Aaronic blessing, that which Israel would hear under the Old Testament. If you remember Numbers 6:24-26, this was the blessing Aaron and his sons used to bless the people of God:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Paul further develops that, saying that’s not only for those under the Old Testament but also for those under the New Testament. He lays it out for them, highlighting that these things come from the Lord. He pronounces the grace of God upon the Colossians in Christ. It is a pronouncement indicating that the Lord will mercifully and faithfully deal with his covenant people according to his lovingkindness, not their merits.
Covenant Mercy and Lovingkindness
That is partly why we sang that second hymn, though the tune was slightly difficult, at least for me. If you remember, it spoke about covenant mercy or marks of indelible grace. The words are great, though the tune may be another matter. There is this picture of how the Lord deals with us: he deals with us according to his lovingkindness, not our merits. He deals with us because of what Christ has done and because of the word which has come into the world even now. That is how he relates to us.
Grace and Peace as the Foundation
The rest of the book is expressed to those who have already had grace and peace from God extended to them. That is really important. Whatever we might say, the whole book speaks to us of how God is working among us. That is the accent of the gospel grammar laid out here: grace and peace.
The Nature of Peace
Furthermore, peace. He pronounces peace upon the audience. A pronouncement of peace could include material blessing, especially under the Mosaic covenant. But more importantly, it is peace with the Lord himself—a rest we enter into with him.
We often think of peace in negative terms. For example, if we hear a headline saying, “There is peace in this country,” we think there is an absence of war. That is negative—a lack of conflict. But there is also a positive sense: peace with God, communion with him, and all the blessings that flow from that.
Practical Implications of Grace and Peace
So Paul, when he pronounces grace and peace upon them, will then explain in the verses that follow what that grace and peace look like in daily life: how they grow in us and how we enjoy these blessings as children of the Most High.
Let us seek to know that grace and peace. When we hear these things, we should remember week after week, “We have grace extended to us in Christ. We have peace with God. We can enter into his presence because of these things.”
Thanksgiving for the Gospel’s Work
That is why Paul gives thanks. He gives thanks for the word of the gospel that has gone out to them. What greater thing could someone have than to hear the word proclaimed and to receive it with gladness?
If you look at verses 3 and 5-8:
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
…of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”
The Word Does the Work
He gives thanks because the gospel has come to them, and that is evident by the many things Christ is working in them by his Spirit. These are evidences of what has already occurred.
If you notice in verse 6, it says:
“Which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you…”
It is not they who are doing these things; it is the word. It is the word doing the work. In other words, it is Christ doing the work by his Spirit.
Thanksgiving for Faith and Its Fruit
So Paul gives thanks because of their faith. He gives thanks because they are found in Christ. That is what he is giving thanks for. Of course, he is giving thanks for their good works—for their love for neighbor and for the Lord—but primarily, he is giving thanks that the gospel came to them and God gave them faith to have ears to hear and hearts to believe. Everything else flows from that.
What Is Faith?
Faith, as the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, includes:
- Knowledge: knowing certain things about the gospel. You need to know who Jesus is, who God is, and that you need a Savior.
- Assent: saying that these things are true—not merely writing down answers because that’s what your teacher wants, but actually accepting them as true.
- Trust: the most difficult component. Knowledge and assent are given even to demons—they know and they shudder. Trust is that final component.
Trusting in Christ
So Paul gives thanks because they trust in these things, not just as true for others but as true for them. This is evidenced by their good works and their hope for heaven.
Faith is the way we lay hold of Christ, the way we make his benefits ours. You hear the promises in the gospel—all these heavenly blessings laid up for us. How do you make them yours? It is by faith. Faith is a gift, as we heard in the reading from Ephesians 2 earlier.
Faith, the Word, and Thanksgiving
Faith is the only way someone can lay hold of Christ and his benefits. It is the word going out in its full power and having its effect among them. Faith is receiving and resting upon Christ.
That is why Paul is exuding thanksgiving and praise for what has occurred for the Colossians—and for you, if you are found in Christ. There is no greater blessing than to hear the word of Christ and receive it with gladness.
Hearing and Doing the Word
You may receive it for the first time today if you haven’t done that. Ultimately, we hear it again today—Christ has placed you in a position to hear it once more. But if you are found in Christ, this in itself should prepare our hearts to receive the word of the Lord on the Lord’s Day, knowing the blessing that it is and that it has its full intended effect.
Preparing Our Hearts for Worship
It means we should ideally prepare our hearts beforehand to hear his word. At a minimum, if I find myself rushing somewhere without having things ready, it is very difficult to fully partake, because half my mind is somewhere else. We hear that here as well. It is just a practical thing: if we know we are coming to hear the word of the Lord, and that his word goes forth with power, we want to hear it. We want that change in our lives to conform us to Christ and to grant us grace and peace from him.
There is no greater time to do that than even this morning: to hear his word, receive it with thanksgiving, and respond.
Love for the Saints as Evidence of Faith
Ultimately, we see that the saints Paul gives thanks for are not only hearers of the word but also doers of the word. Verse 4:
“Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.”
Faith leads to good works. Faith leads to that final and good outcome: they love one another.
The Command to Love One Another
If you recall John 13:34-35, Jesus says:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Paul gives thanks because they are known for their love. We see that in the men who have gone out from their church—Onesimus, Epaphras. Paul writes to Philemon about the love he knows Philemon will extend to the one who ran away from his household.
They love the brethren because they love Christ, and Christ loves the brothers.
Loving All Whom Christ Loves
Imagine how strange it would be for someone to say to you, “I really love you, but I hate the rest of your family.” You would say, “You don’t really love me. If you did, you would love them too because I love them.”
More importantly, Christ loves each of his brothers and sisters. Therefore, we are to love them as well. We are not free to say, “I will love this brother and this sister because they are especially nice to get along with, but I will not extend love to that one.” If they are loved by Christ, we must love them too. We recognize Christ in them, and they in us, and so we love them freely and unconditionally.
Love as the Mark of the Christian Life
That love is the greatest mark of the Christian life. It shows that we love Christ because we love his people. That is why Paul is giving thanks for their faith and love for all the saints.
Love in Every Relationship
That love will form the basis for the life Paul describes throughout the rest of the book. Why care about how your household is run? Because you love the saints. Why care about how you operate in the workplace? Because you love Christ and his people. You can freely give yourself because you have received unconditional love.
That is especially true in the church, where we know every member has been loved by Christ equally and fully. Therefore, we love one another.
Practical Love in the Church
That should shape how we act among each other. When we come to church activities, we should ask: how do I show love to this person in the way Christ would? Because Christ loves me, I love Christ, therefore I love this person.
And as we struggle with that (and we will), we ask the Lord for his grace to grow in our love for one another. We love the brethren.
The Character of Christian Love
I’d like to look over at 1 Corinthians 13. Though this passage is often read at weddings, forgive me for reading it now for another purpose. It speaks of the nature of Christian love.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13:
“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Love Never Ends
Love is what ultimately prevails. Prophecies, tongues, knowledge—these all come to an end. Even knowledge has an expiration date. That is why there are always new textbooks. Knowledge has a level of utility, but love remains.
The Importance of Love
When we consider these things, love is the most important element we can have towards one another. Because we love Christ, we love his brothers and sisters.
Examining Our Love
We need to ask ourselves: do we love the saints? Would anyone reasonably know that we love the saints? We can always grow in our love for one another, both as a whole and individually.
That will look different for each of us because we are different kinds of people. This is not prescribing some uniform way of expressing love, but we need to do it sincerely and fully as those found in Christ.
The Hope That Produces Faith and Love
Turning back to Colossians, Paul, in highlighting their love, shows in verse 5 the propulsion behind it—the reason they can have that sort of faith and love.
Verse 5:
“Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.”
He gives thanks because their hope is in heaven.
Heavenly Focus: Our Life Is in Christ
Colossians emphasizes that our life is in Christ, who is in heaven. Since we are united to Christ and hidden in him, he is our life, as it says elsewhere. Therefore, heavenly realities are more important than material realities. They are more important because our life is in Christ.
Yet we still have to deal with material things. We are not saying that if you see your brother in need of a meal or clothing, you simply say, “Go in peace, be warm and filled,” without helping them. That is not true religion. We have regard for material things, but because of spiritual realities.
Our Hope Shapes Our Lives
Our hope drives us. We are looking to where Christ is. Paul emphasizes this in several places:
Colossians 1:15-16 – Christ as Creator
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…”
Colossians 3:1-4 – Seeking the Things Above
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Our Focus Is Where Christ Is
That is where our focus should be. That is our hope. Because of this hope, the Colossians can love their brothers. Their minds are not set on material things. They don’t think, “If I had this, this, and this, then I would be happy.” They live differently from their neighbors who do not know Christ, whose minds are set only on material things.
We still feel the pull of material life because we need food, clothing, and daily provision. But we must continually bring our minds back to where Christ is. That is where we are going. Our hope is not in this present age but in heaven, where our citizenship is.
Living by Faith in What We Do Not Yet See
All our life is shaped by that hope, moving towards that terminus in heaven. We live by faith, taking God at his word for things not yet seen.
Hebrews 11: Living as Those Seeking a Better Country
Let’s look at Hebrews 11, the “hall of faith.” It is worth reading the entire chapter today if you have time.
There are people listed there whom, if I were writing the chapter, I probably wouldn’t include—Samson, Jephthah, and others with morally complicated stories. But God includes them to show that it is not their own righteousness, but faith in God’s promises, that commends them.
Hebrews 11:1-3
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the people of old received their commendation.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Hebrews 11:13-16
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
Our Citizenship Is in Heaven
That hope Paul speaks of to the Colossians is that very city where the elect are, where the righteous are enrolled. Our citizenship is already there. We don’t need to establish residency or apply for it. We already have citizenship because we are in Christ.
Living as Heirs of an Eternal Inheritance
We think as citizens of that heavenly city, not merely as residents of our earthly city. The Colossians were living as those expecting the life of the world to come. They were not hedging their bets. Their hope was in Christ. They had faith in him and loved the brethren.
Our Lives Reflect Our Heavenly Hope
That hope will shape the rest of Colossians as we explore:
- Our faith in Christ
- Our love for the saints
- Our hope in heaven and how it directs our lives
An Earthly Example of Confident Hope
Imagine an heir to endless earthly wealth. If they knew with certainty they would inherit it, they might live with great self-assurance, giving away possessions without fear of tomorrow.
If heirs to earthly riches can live that way, how much more should we, who are heirs with Christ, live boldly and generously? We are heirs to every heavenly blessing. We already have it in Christ. Therefore, our lives are freed up to live for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.
Fixing Our Minds on Christ
We look forward to that city not made with hands but to the heavenly one where Christ is. Let us fix our minds on these things as we work through Colossians in the weeks to come. We will see how these heavenly truths shape our worship and our life together.
Conclusion: The Gospel’s Power and Promise
So in conclusion, Colossians 1:1-8 shows us that the gospel is steadily advancing in the world. It is bearing fruit. It is producing faith, hope, and love in God’s people.
The Power of Christ’s Word
We began with the story of the centurion’s servant. Remember what Jesus said at the end:
“Let it be done for you as you have believed.”
He spoke the word, and it was done. This morning, we have heard the word of Christ again. As those who receive it by faith, it always has its promised and full effect. It works out faith, hope, and love in each child of God.
Confidence in God’s Faithfulness
We know whom we have believed. His word is powerful. It created all things. All things are through him and for him and to him. He works all things together for the good of our salvation.
Rejoicing in Our Calling
So if you are in Christ this morning, rejoice, knowing that he has called you here today. He is working in you to bring about that good and full end: conformity to himself.
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