Series Title: Growing in knowledge of Jesus Christ
Scripture Readings
- Hosea 4:1-9
- Colossians 1:3-14
Introduction
Millions of people attended Christmas worship services just two day ago right across the world. One can only wonder how many those attend the services today. And one would probably more amazed by the small number whose life is changing, or has changed, because of what they learned or understood about the reason why Christ came into the world.
Many cannot get beyond the manger and the lowing cattle. A great multitude love the carols, while others only enjoy the Christmas pudding after the service with relatives and friends.
But that is not how we continue on from the manger, the Baby in the crib, star, the wise men and Bethlehem of 2000 years ago. There we meet Him who had been promised by the prophets, but from there we follow Him to become his disciples.
The Gospel summed up
On Christmas day we heard the glorious message of Christ who was sent into the darkness of this world to be the light leading us back to the Father. The last verse we read this morning from Colossians 1 explains it perfectly:
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13–14, NIV)
This verse is the gospel summed up:
- God rescued us from darkness who held us in bondage.
- God saved us from that kingdom and brought us into the kingdom of his Son.
- God loved his Son, and by extension, He loves us.
- We are redeemed, bought with a price.
- Our sins are forgiven.
What this verse teaches us is that there was something which created a deep gulf between us and God: sin. Sin is described as living in darkness. God, who is powerful over all things in the universe had the power and the will to get us out of that darkness. His plan was put into motion and then executed by his Son, Jesus Christ. What did He do? He saved us, He redeemed us from the grip of darkness of sin and made us members of his kingdom.
This is the message which signalled the beginning of the Gospels. It all started in Bethlehem when Jesus Christ was born in a meagre out-building of the inn. He surely did not strike anyone as a king then, but that was the beginning of God’s rescue plan to destroy the power of the darkness. Remember, the darkness could not overcome it! (John 1) Why? Although he was just a baby in a crib, He was also the eternal Son of God on a mission to save the lost out of darkness and bringing them into the light of God’s presence and freedom of the bondage of sin.
When one studies the letter of Paul to the Colossians one cannot otherwise but come to the conclusion that Paul had one major purpose for writing the letter: He wanted the Christians in Colossae to know Christ better, and therefore live lives that would glorify Him. The purpose of the Holy Spirit including this book into the Bible is nothing short of the same purpose. We will get to more specific indicators of this truth just a bit later.
The change in Christ: anarchy to love
Paul is filled with thankfulness towards his Father for the salvation of those who were once lost but have now found new life in Christ Jesus. Once they lived in darkness, but now they are people of love and faith, hanging on to a living hope stored up for them in heaven.
This is a mighty statement: by nature we are born into darkness; we are not inclined to love, but rather hate. Born sinners gossip, they steal, they hate, they murder, etc. Paul puts it these words in Galatians 5:
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19–21, NIV)
You say we are not like that! Well, the first son of Adam and Eve after they fell into sin murdered his brother. We might not go to these extremes, but it seems reasonable to believe the very inclusion into the Ten Commandments a command against murder, means that sinful mankind is capable of murder at some point in the bondage in sin. Add to this all the other commandments.
When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and the Holy Spirit does the job of regeneration, the opposite of all these things begin to reign in the life of a sinner. Once again, let’s here Paul:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV)
The good news of Jesus Christ
Paul refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ in verse 5:
… the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel (Colossians 1:5, NIV)
When the Colossians heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, something amazing happened: they were taken out of darkness, out of bondage, into the kingdom of light. Now, all of this message would have come to nothing if what the apostle preached to them was only a set of philosophical ideas. The Christian message is not theory, or a set of self-help rules of morality. That’s what some people think, and even some church people might think so. The only reason why they come to church or read the Bible is to brush up on their do-it-yourself endeavours to become a better person. This is not the Gospel of Christ who took us out of the bondage of darkness putting us into the kingdom of light of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Progress in the Gospel
But this verse continues into the next:
In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. (Colossians 1:6, NIV)
Epaphras was their pastor. He continued to preach the Gospel once preached by Paul. The Gospel has the effect that God’s people grow in their understanding of its message. This truth of the Gospel is the truth about Jesus Christ who sets man free.
When they heard this Gospel they were put on a road of discovery and service. Their service was a service of love: they began to love one another as fellow believers who now share the same hope. Their discovery was what Paul prayed for when he said:
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, (Colossians 1:9, NIV)
And this is what so many Christians are in need of. We need to grow in our understanding of who the baby in the crib of Bethlehem was. Growing spiritually in our knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and what He wants us to be in Him and under Him, leads to a life which is to the glory of God.
Paul prays for the church to be filled with the knowledge of his will. This implies spiritual growth. We read a bout the people of God in the time of Hosea. Their problem was that they were destroyed by a lack of knowledge of God. Knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ comes through the fervent study of his Word and communication with Him in prayer; it comes by worshipping together with others members of God’s family in corporate worship; it comes from studying with others in Bible study groups; it comes by reading books and contemplation about God – something which our generation has lost the art of.
We don’t read, we’re addicted to electronic media, and the riches of contemplation and private time with the Lord has been replaced by words about God, short soundbites regarding Him, and summarised experiences of what we hear of others in their walk with God. But of the authentic, genuine relationship with God meditating on his Word and talking with Him we don’t really know. We are so noise addicted that we sometimes need to have a radio on while we spend time with God.
My dear friend, don’t be surprised if your spiritual life is dry and lifeless, don’t be shocked if your spiritual life is stunted and fruitless if this is the description of your spiritual life. I am afraid that the church of Jesus Christ has become a illiterate church. I heard about a study which found that only 2% of people who attend church on a Sunday actually read the Scriptures during the week.
If we take the words of Paul within its context this morning we have to say that such a life is not worthy of the Lord. Why? We simply don’t know “how to please Him in every way” (verse 10)
Paul uses very strong words and expressions here. Listen:
so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, (Colossians 1:10–11, NIV)
Do you get the gist of his thought: “every way”, “every good work”, “growing in the knowledge of God”, “strengthened with all power”? Paul was not looking for church members who had a date of conversion; he was not looking for people who understood something of a baby in a crib; he was looking for people who showed signs of growing up and have become useful in the kingdom of God. There must be fruit, there must be knowledge, there must be growth.
We are struggling with all sorts of theories and teachings coming our way, and we need to stand on the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 4 Paul writes:
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:14–16, NIV)
To the glory of the Father
Our chapter this morning ends with an humbling pronouncement:
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:11–12, NIV)
The spiritually healthy Christian, the Christian who is growing in knowledge of the Gospel and Jesus Christ, is someone with “great endurance and patience”. Being a Christian in the time of Paul was not easy task, and its nothing better now. The spiritually exercised and fit Christian can run the long distance without becoming out of breath at this first hurdle. You can remember those painful stitches in your side when you had to run and you were not fit. Those things was a sure pointer of running on a lack of oxygen. Only spiritual exercise brings the stamina to be patient as we run to the winning post which might look so far. Sometimes we see athletes run the last round of the marathon with agony and pain clearly visible on their faces. It seems the Christian race should somewhat different: our verse talks about endurance, patience – and joy! And along along we should give thanks to the Father. What a calling, what a challenge!
Is all of this meant to see if we can stack up enough good deeds to eventually enter heaven? Fortunately not. Listen to the good news of the Gospel:
God has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (verse 12)
Am I qualified to be in the winning team of heaven? Yes! But how? Listen again:
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13–14, NIV)
Let’s put it this way: redemption began at the crib of Bethlehem, but it culminated in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Son of God did it all: He satisfied the standard of God for righteousness and holiness. He rescued me. By faith now God looks at Him, and by faith I’m qualified.
If that is the case, I need to know Him better; I need to serve Him by serving Him more and more. Only then will my life be “worthy of the Lord.”
Sermon preached by Rev D. Rudi Schwartz on 27 December 2015
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