Transforming Gospel
Colossians 1-4
“…All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras,…He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
Colossians 1:6, 7; 4:12
The Gospel that was spoken through Epaphras in Colosse was bearing fruit and growing. Why?
Paul pointed to the content of the Gospel itself as being full of grace and truth. He also pointed to Epaphras’ wrestling in prayer for the Church in Colosse although he was far away in Rome with Paul. Both the fruit of the Spirit and the numeric growth of the Church are evidences that the Gospel is transforming lives. Both God’s grace and uncompromising truth are contained in this transforming Gospel. Both proclamation and prayer are essential to the ongoing growth in the depth and breadth of the Church.
Is our local expression of the Church growing in fruitfulness and transformed lives?
What can we learn from Colosse?
“Lord Jesus, strengthen the Church in our nation with your transforming Gospel, for your glory.”