September 11, 2024
Praying Friends,
Thankfully, the beauty of the gospel will never fade or lose its grandeur. After highlighting the supremacy of Christ, Paul speaks about his personal experience with the gospel (in Colossians 1:24-29).
Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness — mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Here are a few insights we can gain from this passage about the gospel.
Firstly, the gospel involves the sufferings of Christ. The sufferings that Jesus experienced upon the cross were His atoning sufferings. These sufferings satisfy the righteous claims of a holy God and are the basis for our salvation from sin (1 John 2:2).
What Paul is talking about in verse 24 are the sufferings associated with his relationship with Christ and the gospel. Paul was preaching a resurrected Messiah that the Jews had rejected, and a Savior-King that was a threat to the Greco-Roman Empire. He faced severe opposition and persecution in just about every place he pioneered the gospel.
He declares that it was with a heart filled with joy, because he knew the reality of the message and the effects it would have on those who believed. As he writes to the Colossian believers, he reminds them that he did it for them and for the growth of the church.
This church is the body of Christ, which is composed of all true believers. We may be living in the 21st century, but we are one with these Colossian believers of the 1st century, because we are one family in Christ. The time is different and the circumstances have changed, but we too share in the sufferings connected with belonging to Christ.
Secondly, the gospel speaks to the glorious riches of Christ. Paul speaks of the gospel as a mystery that was hidden to God’s people for many years but was now unveiled and revealed to believers of this time period.
He goes on to write about “the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Like a deep gold mine, there are treasures in Christ that will take the ages of eternity to discover.
The truth that Christ is in us means we have His presence with us always. He knows every aspect of our lives and sympathizes with us in our weaknesses and infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). What a source of strength to know He is near!
The fact that He is in us also guarantees and secures our future hope of being with Jesus forever.
Thirdly, the gospel leads us to maturity in Christ. In verse 28, Paul said, “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
To be mature in Christ is a lifelong process of allowing the gospel to transform us into His image. Maturity is not accomplished in seclusion. It requires community! The admonishing, the teaching, and the wisdom of other believers are necessary elements in our growth development.
Lastly, the gospel spreads through the power of Christ. In verse 29, Paul said, “To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”
Paul was not lazy. He put his life and soul into the furtherance of the gospel. He labored with passion, recognizing that while it takes human effort, the energy comes from Christ as He powerfully works within us.
These lessons we learn from Paul are timeless in their value. As we pray today for our prodigals and for revival among us, may the power of the gospel work mightily in and through us all.
Love in Christ,
Bryan and Rachel
Komentarze