The Gospel Received by Faith (Col. 1:3-4a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/15/2016 3:55 PM

My Worship Time                                                            Focus:  The Gospel is Received by Faith

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Colossians 1:3-4a

            Message of the verses:  “3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.”

            Paul does not begin this letter by flattering the Colossians, for he knows that there is coming a time in the letter when he will have to begin to correct them for the things that they are doing.  For although he does admire their true faith in Jesus Christ, the saving faith that is given to them through the effectual call of the Holy Spirit which produced the saving faith necessary to become a born again believer in Jesus Christ.  God is the One to be glorified, and Paul recognizes that He is the One to give thanks to.

            Now I want to clear up something that may be a mystery to some, as it surely was for me, and that is the phrase “praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.”  This seems to me an impossible task for Paul writes similar things to other churches.  John MacArthur writes “Always’ should be considered in relation to the preceding phrase, ‘we give thanks to God,’ not to ‘praying…for you.’  Paul was not always praying for the Colossians. Rather, whenever he was praying for them, he always expressed his thanks to God.”

            The Colossians were not like others as seen in Galatians 1:7 “which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ,” nor were they like the ones Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  The Colossians were those who truly were believers and Paul is thankful for that.  The people spoken of in Gal. and 1 Peter will face the terrifying experience of seeing the “the Lord Jesus…revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9).”  Paul knows that these people were true believer in Jesus Christ and for that he gives thanks.

12/15/2016 4:13 PM