It is good to be with you today. Thanks for joining us. We have recently begun studying the New Testament book of Colossians. The theme of this letter is Christ’s preeminence or superiority and the practical outworking of that belief.
Today is the second part of the lesson we started last week. Our title is “Fruitful in Every Good Work.” Fruit reminds us of trees, apples, bananas, mangoes – you name it. However, not all trees produce fruit, but all trees produce something. People are like that; we are producing something, and our lives have an impact. The question is, what kind of fruit are you producing? Jesus tells us, “By their fruits, you will know them.” Today, our encouragement is to make good fruit.
We are in Colossians 1, and last time, we covered the first two areas: fruitfulness, knowledge, and obedience. Today, we will examine the following two: endurance and gratefulness. This will conclude our study of these verses. Let’s go with Bible teacher J Mark to Colossians for today’s lesson.
Last week, we began exploring Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:9 to 14, “Fruitful in Every Good Work.” As we resume our study, here is the Scripture text.
9 For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Paul’s teaching reveals several areas of FRUITFULNESS that will develop as we focus on Him and His redemptive work.
The Next Area of Fruitfulness is
Growth in Endurance
This is the third characteristic of what we’re calling the “worthy walk.” As Paul continues praying for the Colossian Believers, he prays for their endurance.
He prays they would be empowered with all God’s power by the unsurpassed might of His glory. One of the first scenes that came to my mind when I thought about God’s glory was at Mount Sinai. The power of God’s glory was awesome and terrifying to those gathered at the foot of the mountain. It was displayed in thunder and lightning, fire and smoke, the loud sound of the trumpet, and the earth-shaking!
In Isaiah chapter six, God confirmed Isaiah’s calling with a vision of His overwhelming glory. A vision of that left him feeling like a piece of cloth being unraveled strand by strand. Even though he was righteous, he was so convicted of sinfulness that he pronounced several woes upon himself. By that experience, Isaiah was strengthened for a difficult ministry. I wonder how often Isaiah looked back on that experience for the endurance to keep going.
Paul saw Christ’s overpowering glory on the road to Damascus, and it radically changed his life forever. Then, think of Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17. The overwhelming majesty and radiance of Christ’s glory left them terrified and speechless, prostrate on the ground. The glory of God was and is like a consuming fire.
Paul says this glorious power will inspire Believers to exercise patience and endure suffering. Paul could speak out about his personal experience. Do you think that later, during their times of suffering for Christ’s sake, Peter, James, and John remembered their experience on the Mount of Transfiguration? You can be sure they did! Listen to Peter’s words in Second Peter 1:16 to 18.
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”
Did you catch what Peter said and how it relates to Paul’s refutation of Gnosticism? Peter said we didn’t follow cleverly devised myths. Instead, we told you exactly what we had seen and heard. They had been with Jesus and sat at His feet, hearing Him teach. And after the Holy Spirit came, they understood many of the things that previously had been hidden from them. Their knowledge of Jesus motivated their obedience to the point where they were willing to endure suffering, even to death, and to do it joyfully!
Today, there are Christ-followers all over the world who are demonstrating this example of fruitfulness. They have met Jesus, they have learned to know Him, they are walking in obedience to Him, and they are suffering for Him with joyful endurance. They refuse to deny the Christ who purchased their redemption because, like the faithful saints of Hebrews chapter eleven, they seek a better resurrection into the glorious liberty of the children of God. I pray that you and I will be challenged and convicted by their example.
The Final Area of Fruitfulness is
Growth in Gratefulness
Living a life of thankfulness is a fruit of focusing on Jesus and His redemptive work. It is the final fruit of a worthy walk. In Romans 1:21, Paul points out that a lack of gratitude is a significant step in the downward trajectory away from God. In First Thessalonians 5:18, he tells us to give thanks in everything because that is God’s will for us.
Notice the focus of Paul’s exhortation to gratefulness in the closing verses of our text. He urges the Colossian Believers and you and me to give thanks to the Father. Why? Because “He has qualified us, or made us worthy, to be partakers [sharers]of the inheritance of the saints in light.” That sounds great. But what does it mean?
To be qualified or made worthy implies that there are requirements that govern that qualification. To be a doctor, I must meet specific educational and practical requirements to practice medicine. To be a pastor/teacher, the Scriptures lay out specific spiritual, mental, and character qualifications I must have and develop to fulfill that calling.
So, how can we sinners meet God’s standard of approval? God says, “Be holy because I am holy.” We can’t make ourselves holy. What does God need to do to make this happen? The answer to that question is in verses 13 and 14. And the qualification God provides for us is solely an act of His grace.
Before Christ came into our life and experience, we were under the influence and control of the kingdom of darkness; we were slaves to self, to sin, and to Satan. We were anything but holy and had no power to change our sinfulness.
But now, the Father has rescued us from the authority and power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son, who is the object of His love. We were in darkness and sin without any hope of change…until…Christ intervened. If we’re not thankful for that, we don’t understand our condition without Christ! Romans 6:14 says that because of Christ’s actions, “sin no longer has dominion [control] over us.” We are now free to serve Christ.
Paul refutes the whole system that the Gnostics placed above Christ. It is Christ’s kingdom, and He is king! He has moral and spiritual sovereignty. He is first; He is preeminent.
This redemption and transfer are accomplished through His [Christ’s] blood. Our debt is wholly released through His sacrifice because of His full payment. Redemption is a release on ransom payment for a slave or a debtor. Paul writes in Hebrews 9:15 that “[Jesus] is the Mediator of the new covenant, through His death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Our sins have been remitted, and we’ve been released from their penalty and guilt. They have been sent away due to Christ’s redemptive work, as far as the east is from the west, according to Psalm 103:12. He took the penalty of our sins in His own body on the cross. We’ll talk about that more in chapter two. Christ has done all of this for us so that we might be sharers in the saints’ inheritance in light.
I believe there are two aspects to being sharers of this inheritance: what we experience now with the light of Christ in our lives and what we will experience in the future, according to Revelation chapters 21 and 22, when we dwell in perfect, unending light in the presence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What a glorious prospect!
Have you experienced the forgiveness of your sins through the blood of Jesus? Do you know what it means to be a part of God’s kingdom? Do you share the inheritance of the saints? Or are you still under the domination of the kingdom of darkness? If you are still in darkness, I urge you today to accept the sacrifice of Jesus and become a part of the kingdom of light.
God’s goal is that all creation will ultimately worship Him. As we embrace Jesus’ sacrifice and learn more about Him and His love for us, it will motivate us to greater obedience. In turn, obedience will help us develop endurance as we suffer joyfully for His sake. All of this together will cause our lives to overflow with gratefulness to God for His unmerited grace and favor in choosing us to be partakers of His inheritance.
Do you want a meaningful and fruitful life? Then, choose Jesus like the Colossian Believers did. But don’t mistake a meaningful, fulfilling, and fruitful life for an easy life. You’ll be disappointed. Jesus said the path that leads to life is narrow and difficult. Only a few will find it. But the rewards at the end will be worth it all.
May God be glorified as His power makes us fruitful in every good work!
Thanks, J Mark; now we have heard about the four areas of fruitfulness. Did you catch them? Listen closely again; we embrace Jesus’ sacrifice and learn more about Him; this is knowledge. This will motivate us to greater obedience. In turn, obedience will help us develop endurance as we suffer joyfully for His sake. All of this together will cause our lives to overflow with gratefulness to God. It was knowledge, obedience, endurance, and gratefulness—blessings as you produce fruit in these areas.
If you have any questions or want to contact us, here are a few ways to reach us. An easy way is email; our email is hope@heraldsofhope.org. You can also message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click “Contact Us” at the top right of the page. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you so much for listening; please join us again next time as we examine a beautiful, powerful description of our Messiah. We wish you God’s best as you go and hope you are fruitful in His work.
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.
