THE COSMIC CHRISTUddrag

The gospel of Jesus Christ has produced faith and love for the Colossians, springing from the hope that it offers. Their expectation of new life and the forgiveness of sins has given them a totally new way of being in the world. 

And that, Paul says, is not confined to the Colossians only. The impact of the gospel on them is part of a world-wide phenomenon. It has been bearing this fruit of faith and love wherever it has been preached. At one level, we might say that Paul could not have foreseen just how extensive this reality would be. The ‘whole world’ is far larger than he imagined – and the windfall produced by the gospel is far larger than he imagined. The gospel has produced fruit in remarkable places. 

This is as encouraging to us as it was intended to be to the Colossians. It is remarkable how the message of Jesus Christ has a power to transform such diverse people. For the Colossian Christians, when they understood the generosity and kindness of God – his grace – they were subjected to a transformative power. And this transformation is not isolated or local: it is happening across the globe. 

Prayer

Father of heavenly lights, give to me that fruitfulness in the Spirit that Paul found in the Colossians. Let me know their hope that produces faith and love. Amen.