Table of Content
Proposition of the sermon: Any Christian community can bring
forth three areas of spiritual growth by embracing the true gospel at
conversion.
II. Growth in the Fruit Bearing of Good Works
III. Growth in Truly Understanding God’s Grace
INTRODUCTION
The text for this sermon is from the book of Colossians 1:3-8, 10b.
Paul mentioned that the church had heard the “true message
of the gospel” (1:5b NIV) from Epaphras. ESV translates Col. 1:5b as two
separate terms, “the word of the truth, the gospel”, and both terms are used
synonymously. In this sermon, the true gospel will be used to describe the two
terms mentioned.
Why did Paul told the Colossians that they had already heard the true gospel? Obviously, there was the existence of a false gospel among them trying to destabilize their faith in Christ. The details of the above issues are beyond the scope of this sermon to discuss.
Let's look at Col. 1:6b, the text indicates that there is the growth in fruit bearing, "the gospel is bearing fruit and growing." Col. 1:10 further describes the kind of fruit it bears, "bearing fruit in every good work." Thus, the second area of spiritual growth is "growth in the fruit bearing of good works."
Col. 1:6b points to the final area of spiritual growth after they heard the true gospel: "growth in truely understanding God's grace."
The exegesis process has determined the subject, theme and three areas of spiritual growth:
The subject of this sermon is “the true gospel.”
The theme of the sermon is “spiritual growth by embracing
the true gospel.”
The proposition of the sermon is: “Any Christian community
can bring forth three areas of spiritual growth by embracing the true gospel at
conversion.”
Outline of the sermon:
I. Growth in the Biblical Virtues of Faith, Love and Hope
II. Growth in the Fruit Bearing of Good Works
III. Growth in Truly Understanding God’s Grace
The title of the sermon:
I.
GROWTH IN THE BIBLICAL VIRTURES OF FAITH,
LOVE AND HOPE
These words of faith, hope and love are called with different names. Over the years, different writers gave them different names. Warren W. Wiersbe calls them “the cardinal virtues of the Christian life.”[1]Yet another well know writer Gene A Getz designates them as “the divine trilogy.” [2]Finally, John Stott calls them “the most eminent Christian graces.” [3] These 3 virtues of faith hope, and love are quintessential qualities that one strives for as a follower of our Lord; such is their significance in the Christian life pilgrimage. Its importance is unquestionable in reflecting the spiritual health of a local Christian community: “I (Gene Getz)…discovered how biblical writers used these three concepts to measure maturity in the local church.”[4]
A.
Growing in Faith
The church of Colossae began their faith journey by putting
their faith in Christ Jesus, “we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus” (Col.
1:4a).
The Colossians were encouraged to anchor their faith in Christ Jesus as stated in the word of God: “…You continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel” (Col. 1:23). Paul exhorted the church upon receiving the Lord that they should “strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7).
What is faith? The Bible Knowledge Commentary defines it as, “faith rests on the
past work of Christ.”[5]
This definition is pointing to the cross, the Christ crucified and the finished
work on the cross.
B.
Growing in Love
Based on the book of Colossians, the hallmark of the
Colossian Christians is Agape love: “The love you have for all God’s people”
(Col. 1:4b). In encouraging the church to live Christ-liked life, Paul reminds
the church to put on love, as only love can motivate us to live a Christ-liked
life: “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them (the virtues)
all together in perfect unity.” (Col. 3:14)
In Col. 1:8, Paul reminds the church the source of love, i.e. the work of the Holy Spirit imparts the “agape” love to them, the sacrificial love for all the saint, “and who also told us of your love in the Spirit” (Col. 1:8).
To conclude this point on the virtue of love, let me quote a
statement from the Knowledge Bible Commentary: “Love looks outward to other;
love works in the present.”[6]
C.
Growing in Hope
What is hope? It is strength for today and “hope looks
forward to the future.”[7]
It is an assurance for tomorrow, “stored up for you in heaven.” (Col. 1:5) The
concrete hope for the future is the motivation force to produce the virtues of
faith and love: “The faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you
in heaven.” (Col. 1:5)
The book of Colossians speaks about the hope of glory, the
phrase “the hope of glory” only occurs once in the New Testament: “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.” (Col. 1:27) What is this
hope of glory? Believers will be resurrected with a glorified body, “will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil.
3:21).
II. GROWTH IN THE FRUIT BEARING OF GOOD WORKS
The true gospel received by the Colossians is a good seed,
and the Colossians is the good soil. Obviously, Epaphras sowed good seed on the
soil of the Colossians, and the gospel was bearing fruit and growing: “In the
same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole
world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it.” (Col.
1:6) In Col. 1:10, Paul further emphasised the kind of fruit the Colossians
were bearing, “bearing fruit in every good work (G18 agathoa = good and useful;
G2041 ergon=work, deed, doing)” (Col. 1:10).
Warren W. Wiersbe also makes a similar point in his
commentary on the book of Colossians “Be Complete.”
The Word of God is seed
(Luke 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 bearing
fruit and growing.” (Col. 1:6)[8]
The true gospel not only brought about fruit bearing of good work, the true gospel also brough about their conversion to Christianity. Paul indicated the Colossians had heard the good news, “You have heard the true message of the gospel.” (Col. 1:5b) They believed the good news and converted, "we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.”
Apparently, both salvation by faith in Christ alone and good work are the result of the same true gospel. How can it be possible, as good work and salvation by faith are contradictory in the perception of many? How to reconcile the apparent contradiction?
The apparent contradiction can be explained by considering the gospel as a tree that sprung forth from good seed and bearing fruit (Col. 1:6a) with the root of the tree being “faith in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:4a), “rooted and built up in him” (Col. 2:7). And as the gospel grew in the lives of the Colossians, they produce “fruit in every good work” (Col. 1:10b).
This understanding is also shared by Ps. Justin Dillehay (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) who crafted the article “Good Works According to Titus 3” published in Gospel Coalition, [9] website founded by theologian D. A. Carson and pastor Tim Keller. Ps. Justin Dillehay shared his conclusion that:
Good works are the fruit,
not the root.[10]
Hopefully the above explanation has resolved the apparent
contradiction between good work and salvation by faith in Christ alone. The
following statements are subsequently inclusive rather than mutually exclusive:
1. Good work is the fruit of the true gospel.
2.
Salvation by faith in Christ Jesus is the root of the
true gospel.
Christians would do well to embrace the positive tension and
understanding on good work and salvation by faith in Christ. Let us look at other writers of the Bible on
their views on good works.
"The body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26)
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:16)
"Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing good works, glorify God on the day of visitation." (1 Peter HCSB)
III. GROWTH IN TRULY UNDERSTANDING GOD'S GRACE
Let us look at point number three with a quote from Gene A
Getz on his personal experience on grace:
I grew up in a church
where grace…was virtually an unspoken word…Though I believed I was saved by
grace through faith—which the majority in this church did not understand—I
still believed I kept myself saved by doing certain things. If I slipped up and
fell short of God’s standard, which I later discovered were mostly the
standards of this particular church rather than of God, I became fearful that I
might lose my eternal relationship with my creator. Needless to say, my
spiritual and emotional life was often a chaotic, roller-coaster experience. I
often felt depressed and defeated in my life. [11]
Faulty understanding of grace is a serious matter.
However, the church of Colossae understood grace in the
right way, they understood grace in truth: “This same Good News…changed your
lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s
wonderful grace.” (Col. 1:6 NLT)
Let us focus on three words: understood, truth, and grace.
The hearing and understanding of God’s grace is not a magic process that
bypasses the consciousness of its recipients. In fact, the Colossians used
their intelligence to think through and grasp God’s grace in truth, so that
they “truly understood God’s grace” (Col. 1:6b NIV). The renowned commentator
NT Wrigth defined the Colossians’ understanding on the truth of grace: “Paul
describes the effect of Epaphras’ preaching in Colossae in terms not of an emotional
reaction nor even of people ‘accepting Christ into their hearts’, but of
hearing truth and understanding it.”[12]
How can we learn grace in truth. Learning grace in truth must begin with the insight of hopelessness in our relationship with God. Because of sins inherited from the first Adam, we are spiritually bankrupt, destitute and hopeless. The only destination after death is lake of fire, a place of eternal punishment (Rev. 20:14).
The cross and Christ crucified is the only solution to our hopelessness: "He himself bore our sins' in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; 'by his wounds you have been healed.'" (1 Pet. 2:24)
After hearing the message of the cross, we believe it and the faith to
believe the message of the cross is also a gift from God, “it is the gift of
God” (Eph. 2:8). It is an unmerited favour from a merciful God. And Warren W. Wiersbe defines grace and mercy with insight: “God in grace gives me what I do not deserve.”[14]
The same author also defines mercy as, “God in His mercy does not give me what
I deserve.”[15]
Our security anchored in God's grace is permanent. We are saved by grace, and we are kept by grace: Therefore, the foundation of Christian salvation must be based on “saved by grace and also kept by God's grace (sola gratia).” [16] (Quote by Warren Wiersbe, page 55)
CONCLUSION
The true gospel is indeed powerful, and any community
embracing the true gospel will surely bring forth spiritual growth in three areas
of their communal life: growth in the biblical virtues of faith, love and hope;
growth in the fruit bearing of good works, and growth in truly understanding of
God’s grace. This is in line with what Paul declared in Romans, “For I am not
ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to
everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Rom. 1:16)
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Ready – 1 & 2 Thessalonians
NT Commentary (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook Distributions, 1979), 33.
[2]
Gene A. Getz, The Measure of a Healthy Church (Chicago: Moody
Publishers, 1995, 2001, 2007), 74.
[3] John
Stott, The Bible Speaks Today – The Message of Thessalonians (Norton
Street: Inter Varsity Press, 1991), 29.
[4] Gene
A. Getz, 73.
[5]
John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, eds, The Bible Knowledge Commentary – New
Testament (USA: SP Publication, 669).
[6] Ibid., 669.
[7]
Ibid., 669.
[8] Warren. W. Wiersbe, Be Complete - Colossians NT Commentary (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook Distributions, 1981), 36/177 Google Book.
[9] Accessed
on 31.7.2024 11.13am, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_Coalition
[10] Justin
Dillehay, Good Works According to Titus 3, The gospel Coalition, access on
29.7.2024 4.15pm, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/good-works-titus/
[11]
Gene A Getz, 51-52.
[12]
N.T. Wright, Colossians and Philemon – Tyndale NT Commentary (England:
Inter-Varsity Press), 58.
[13]
Thayer’s Bible Lexicons, accessed 3.8.24 2.05pm, https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/2170.html
[14]
Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Complete, 32/177 Google Book.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Gene A. Getz, 55.
