"For
the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before
in the word of the truth of the (this)
gospel."
As
I was mulling over this. I got to thinking maybe I have not
been emphasizing enough that one of the fruits of our Salvation is
not just the hope of glory, but Eternal Life. Think about it for
a minute. You probably haven’t heard me or anyone else emphasize
that as much as we should have. Listen, when we’re saved we enter
into the corral under the tutor of the Holy Spirit (much like Israel
was held in. But since Christ's ascension and return in the person of
the promised Holy Spirit, we have one advantage which the ancient
nation of Israel did not have, the Holy Spirit's infilling) Who's
assignment is to bring us to the crisis through which our reward is
instant. If we choose to take the required old (or ancient) path,
this path takes us to Eternal Life through the gate of death, as
against our physical death. If we choose wrongly we will after
physical death, will face judgment and the second death. And this is
all part of the package. If we can understand that within this estate
(of our redemption) there are times of nights darkness or periods of
what could seem to be separation from God. How long it takes us is
determined by our willingness and teach-ability as a young child, in
childlike trust. Its here that we learn to trust the Holy Spirit, in
much the same way Jesus as the son of man and Paul did. You see the
disciples had one advantage, they walked daily with the LORD and
through His words were sanctified, washed from a defiled and evil
heart. For this is the significance of His washing of their feet the
evening of the last supper. That when we step in by faith and
embrace this Gospel, God imbues us with Eternal Life. This Life
is contained in the Light which divides day from the darkness of
night and is the source of all natural life. That means that we will
never die or face His judgment. We may however be within the birth
pains of the tribulation period without knowing it. Now we know that
we think of it casually, as now spring into place. But we're going
to hit the nail on the head a little harder. Do you know what it
means to have Eternal Life? It never struck me until the other day
when I was reading an article on how many billions and billions of
years the universe is.
I
got to thinking, goodness, even if it is that old, and we don’t
believe it is, but if it were, do you know that we’re going to live
way beyond even that length of time? Do you realize that our Life in
Light, will never end? That is beyond many and I think it’s beyond
most of you, as it was me. But see, this is all part of what Paul is
talking about. Redemption is for the here and now, but so is
salvation for the here and now, not only are they a fire escape that
we’re not going to go to Hell, or experience the wrath which is
still to come but that we have Eternal Life! And life is something
that is vibrant. Life is something that is exciting. Life is
something that there’s never a dull moment in. You know we're
afraid (not with fear) that when we get to the place that we have not
a quality life, I for one want to be gone. No one wants to lay around
as a vegetable. I know we don’t have much control over that, but if
we could have our desire we’d want to go from one day of activity
on this earth and then be gone. Because that’s what life is all
about. But listen when we get into eternity, it will be vibrant. It
will be exuberant and it’s going to be forever and ever. You know
when we hear Handel’s Messiah, at the end part that says, ‘forever
and ever and ever’. I wondered if the people who are singing or
listening hear that do they really know what they’re hearing or
singing? Forever and ever and ever! That’s Eternity where Life in
Light is vibrantly active. That’s what Paul is talking about.
We're
going to deal with the word "fruit" when we get to verse
10, so we are going to skip it here in this verse. When we get to
verse 10 we’ll see what he’s talking about when he prays that
we’re to be fruitful.
Colossians
1:7-8
"As
you also learned of Epaphras (the gentleman who we feel
brought this letter to the Colossians and was probably instrumental
in getting that congregation started) our dear fellow servant,
who is for you a faithful minister of Christ. Who also declared unto
us your (what’s the next word?) love in the Spirit."
Before
we get into love, did you catch the phrase, “faithful minister of
Christ”? Not everyone out there is a faithful minister of Christ,
many teach or proclaim the Jesus of the Old Testament because of a
lack of knowledge. Many teach or proclaim the gospel of holiness, or
of works under the Law or a gospel of name it and claim it, or a feel
good gospel and how about the “LOVE” gospel. All of these and a
few others are what Paul calls another gospel, which are in
effect No gospel of consequence for any one. Because there not this
Gospel based on Christ, His Grace, and His activities within the New
Covenant of Grace, though no where is it called that in the Old
Testament. Now that should be the very epitome of a believer’s
life, His Grace and our love for the Lord Christ Jesus, first and
foremost. You love the one who died for you and bought you and
forgave you. Who now works His Salvation within us under the cover of
His Covenant of Grace and Eternal Life. Because of this then love
just literally goes out all the way around us to our family,
co-workers, fellow believers both see and experience His Love flowing
through us. Love is the key, as Paul teaches it throughout his
letters. Because Grace, Faith and even Truth all work through or
because of the law of Love, God's own Agape Love restored within us.
This Love is what woman and then Adam lost when they through mankind
under the bus and died to God. By acquiring Satan's character and
likeness within man's flesh or soul. And suffered the curse placed on
him and the ground in what many call mother earth. They
call it mother. Because they have no understanding of just what is
revealed in Genesis chapter 1 about man as a spirit being before he
was given a suit of dirt as a home in which his spirit was and is
housed, in chapter 2 of Genesis.
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