Colossians 1:1-8

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.

Encouragement is one of the most important gifts we can give or receive.  There is really nothing quite so encouraging as the Gospel.  The blessing that it is to have our sins forgiven and be able to walk in love with one another is inestimable.  It is important for us who live in a sin cursed world to remember the encouraging truths this passage shares about the Gospel.

 

THE GIFTS OF THE GOSPEL: The Gospel leads to so many gifts in the lives of believers.  Perhaps one of the easiest to overlook in this passage is deep and fulfilling relationships.  Paul and Timothy have a deep relationship and they both also have this same kind of relationship with the church in Colossae.  However, by far, the most important relationship is one with Jesus Christ.  This is only possible through the Gospel and is the key to all other relationships and the other gifts seen in this passage.  God’s gift of grace is what allows us access to the Gospel but is also a blessing of believing the Gospel.  The peace we have with God and the peace of God we experience are gifts of the Gospel.  The Gospel leads to thanksgiving and is made freely available through faith in Christ.  Love for one another and eternal hope in all circumstances are gifts of the Gospel that should encourage every believer.

 

THE GROWTH OF THE GOSPEL:  The church in Colossae had heard the glorious Gospel and had responded to it in such a way that transformed their lives.  There are two kinds of growth the Gospel fosters.  First, it causes all who believe to grow spiritually.  All believers will experience growth in their conformity to the image of Christ.  This is the work that the Gospel promises to accomplish in our lives.  Second, the Gospel grows in the sense that it expands from where it is to others.  The Gospel is Good News that must be spread to those who are close to us and those who are far away.  God’s desire is that the message of the Gospel will permeate to the entire world and be proclaimed in every nation, family, and language.

 

THE GIVERS OF THE GOSPEL: The Gospel takes root in the lives of people through hearing.  For people to hear the Gospel, others must preach.  Paul and others preached the Gospel in Colossae.  Those who believed began to tell others.  Epaphras was one who had responded to the hearing of the Gospel but then became an active giver of the Gospel to others.  He continued to proclaim the glorious message of Christ throughout his city.  However, he was also active in taking the Gospel to others.  He was sent as a messenger of God’s grace to Paul who was in prison so that the Gospel could continue to expand in and around the prison.  Paul, Timothy, Epaphras, and the church at large, including us are called to be givers of the Gospel.

 

APPLICATION: Praise God for the many and abundant gifts of the Gospel in our lives.  Be active in contributing to the growth of the Gospel by giving it to other people.  Live according to the truth of the Gospel so we will be conformed to the image of Christ.