Colossians Study Outline

Colossians 1:2-3

"To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ (see how he positions them?) which are at Colossi: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."

Remember, I think it was back in the Corinthian letters where he was listing all the pressures and tribulations he was going through, and how many times he was cold, hungry, whipped and in prisoned and on top of all that he had the care of the churches! Well, this still on his mind constantly. Those little groups of believers, scattered throughout the Roman Empire. He was praying constantly for them and his prayers have carried over to our day as well. Because many of us have picked up on the theme of these prayers and so they remain active even now. In verse 4 is our proof that he’s never been at Colossi. He’s never seen these people.

Colossians1:4

"But since we’ve heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have to all the saints,"

It is James who says that “faith without to proper course of action (works) are as dead men.” Here Paul demonstrates the proper course of action that all true believers, who are In Christ reveal through their action (works) of the law of Love in faith. Have you ever had someone ask you, "How can I know that I’m really saved?" It’s a good question. We don’t mind a bit if someone sends and e-mail or asks such a question on our Face book wall and says, "Now Bill, you’re always talking about someone being a true believer. How can I know that I am a true believer? And not be compared with the multitude of others who are simply church members and sitting in their pew for an hour on Sunday morning and hope that they’re okay. Because they have a green card (a get out of jail, judgment pass) which will allow them entry into God's Kingdom of Heaven. How can I know that I’m a true believer?" You know what my first answer is? "Do you love the Word of God?" And then we follow that right up with the second one. "Do you love being with God in Christ and people of like precious faith? Are you willing to say the hard things and then suffer for the truth of Christ?”

In fact I just had a gentleman who asked the same question and I said, "Okay. Do you have a love for the Word of God?" He said, "Yeah, I do for the last couple of years. I just can’t get enough." To this I said, "Okay, then my next question is, do you enjoy being with God and people of like mindedness or would you rather be in some other location instead of a Bible centered conversation?" He said, "I hear you. I hear you." Well, that’s just exactly what Paul is saying here. What was the proof of their faith? Their love for fellow believers! See, the world doesn’t love us. The world would much rather have us be out there in some church building or some other place of amusement than to be in a Bible study or open dialog. Not in the store or business some pace talking about our latest revelation of Christ. You know that. But we’re to be that way. We’d much rather be with fellow believers studying or having a frank dialog of the Word, than being out there being entertained in some ungodly way. That’s always the mark. And so here again he says that the proof of their faith was the love that they had for the saints and their fellow believers.

Now that doesn’t mean that every believer is perfect. We don’t think we even have to like every believer. There’s a difference between love and like. Isn’t that right? We hope we don’t get our foot in our mouth. But we do maintain there is a difference between liking someone and loving them and you don’t necessarily have to do both. We’ve got to love them, but you don’t necessarily have to like someone who rubs you wrong and doesn’t have the same interests that you do. They don't all believe this Gospel of the Lord Christ Jesus as we do. They may be stuck in the corral under the tutor within what we've called our first estate (redemption’s beginnings) and don't even know it. And you just certainly wouldn’t say, "Well I just wish I could spend every day of the week with that individual." No, you don’t have to like people all that much but we have to love them. And there’s a big difference. Love is that which seeks the other person’s highest good, though they resist your every advance of reproof. These people had a love for the fellow saints.

The LORD just gave me an illustration which may help in our understanding of His Love at work within each of us. What He showed me is something I learned when in Jr. high school's science class. When we take two magnets and place them with the south poles facing each other they oppose (push away) but when they are turned north to south they attract. So it is with those of the same spirit who have within them His Spirit. Love attracts Love, His nature and character restored and active attract each other. This also serves to illustrate why so many oppose those who posses Him.